Filters
Question type
Study Flashcards

If an object has an orbit around the Sun that has an eccentricity of 0.1,then the orbit is:


A) exactly circular.
B) a straight line.
C) a long, thin ellipse.
D) almost circular, but not quite.

E) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

In Ptolemy's geocentric theory of the solar system,what name is given to the large circle (orbit) that carries the planet around Earth?


A) the deferent
B) the celestial equator
C) the ecliptic
D) the epicycle

E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

If light takes about 8.3 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth,approximately how much longer would light take to travel from Jupiter to Earth when Jupiter is at conjunction (appearing closest to the Sun in our sky) than when it is at opposition (on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun) ? (Assume that light from Jupiter is not blocked by the Sun at conjunction.A diagram might help.)


A) 8.3 minutes
B) 16.6 minutes
C) 43.2 minutes
D) There is insufficient information to answer the question.

E) B) and D)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

A light-year is a measure of:


A) angle.
B) arc length along an orbit.
C) distance.
D) time.

E) A) and D)
F) B) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

The intellectual foundation of science is:


A) observation, faith, and acceptance.
B) rejection of all observations that disagree with theory.
C) logical derivation entirely from fundamental principles.
D) observation, logic, and skepticism.

E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

The direction of retrograde motion for a planet as seen by an observer on Earth is:


A) west to east relative to the background stars.
B) east to west relative to the background stars.
C) east to west relative to objects on the person's horizon.
D) west to east relative to objects on the person's horizon.

E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

The time period between two successive passages of a planet through the position of opposition is:


A) 1 year.
B) its sidereal period.
C) its synodic period.
D) its precessional period.

E) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

Each planet moves along an elliptical path,with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.What is at the other focus?


A) the Moon
B) Vulcan
C) the Great Attractor
D) nothing

E) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

When Saturn is closest to Earth,it is at:


A) greatest elongation (about 47° from the Sun) .
B) opposition.
C) conjunction.
D) inferior conjunction.

E) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

Suppose two asteroids are located at the same distance from the Sun.One asteroid has twice the mass of the other.According to Newton's law of gravitation (and ignoring all forces except that from the Sun) :


A) the more massive asteroid feels half the force that the other does.
B) the more massive asteroid feels twice the force that the other does.
C) neither feels any force because they are weightless in space.
D) both asteroids feel the same force because gravity acts equally on all objects.

E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

A certain star is found to be 340 ly from Earth.Expressed in parsecs,the distance is approximately:


A) 750 pc.
B) 105 pc.
C) 0.340 kpc (kiloparsecs) .
D) 1100 pc.

E) B) and C)
F) All of the above

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

If we sent a radio message toward the star nearest to the Sun,and intelligent beings from a planet near the star sent back a reply immediately on receipt of the message,how long after our transmission would we have to wait for a reply?


A) 8.6 years
B) 1 light-year
C) 1 year
D) 20,000 years

E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

An inferior planet is farthest from Earth when it is at:


A) superior conjunction.
B) opposition.
C) inferior conjunction.
D) greatest elongation.

E) A) and B)
F) C) and D)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

What is the name for a theory that describes the overall structure of the universe?


A) field theory
B) astrology
C) cosmology
D) astronomy

E) A) and C)
F) All of the above

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

The person who developed the first comprehensive model for a heliocentric cosmology was:


A) Kepler.
B) Ptolemy.
C) Aristarchus.
D) Copernicus.

E) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

A scientist observes a new phenomenon that disagrees with his explanation or hypothesis.Following the scientific method,he should:


A) discard the observation as erroneous.
B) modify his hypothesis.
C) wait until someone develops an adequate explanation before announcing his observation.
D) reject those observations that do not agree with the theory.

E) None of the above
F) B) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

In the geocentric model for the solar system developed by Ptolemy,to what does the word deferent refer?


A) distance of the center of the epicycle from the center of Earth
B) small circle about which a planet moves while the center of the circle moves around Earth
C) distance of offset between the center of Earth and the center of a planet's orbit
D) large circle (orbit) that carries the planet around Earth while the planet itself is moving in a smaller circle

E) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

How was the planet Neptune discovered?


A) Neptune was discovered by mathematical prediction using Newton's laws.
B) Neptune happened to pass close to Jupiter in the sky and was discovered by an astronomer studying Jupiter.
C) Neptune was discovered accidentally during a telescopic survey of the sky.
D) No one knows-Neptune has been known since ancient times.

E) C) and D)
F) A) and C)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

The contribution of Copernicus to the development of astronomy was a mathematical model for a:


A) heliocentric cosmology in which the planets move in circular orbits.
B) solar system in which the planets move under the gravitational influence of the Sun.
C) heliocentric cosmology in which the planets move in elliptical orbits.
D) geocentric cosmology in which the planets move in circular epicycles.

E) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

What was Tycho Brahe's conclusion regarding his parallax measurements of the stars?


A) The parallax motion occurred too quickly for Tycho to detect with the equipment available to him at the time. Thus, he concluded that Earth is motionless.
B) The parallax motion was too small for Tycho to detect with the equipment available to him at the time. Thus, he concluded that Earth is motionless.
C) Tycho was able to measure parallax motion for the stars and thus concluded that the solar system is geocentric.
D) Tycho was able to measure parallax motion for the stars and thus concluded that the solar system is heliocentric.

E) B) and C)
F) None of the above

Correct Answer

verifed

verified

Showing 181 - 200 of 344

Related Exams

Exam 1

Discovering the Night Sky

370 Questions

Exam 3

Light and Telescopes

413 Questions

Exam 4

Formation of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems

115 Questions

Exam 5

Exoplanets

43 Questions

Exam 6

The Terrestrial Planets and Their Moons

605 Questions

Exam 7

The Outer Planets and Their Moons

366 Questions

Exam 8

Vagabonds of the Solar System

196 Questions

Exam 9

The Sun: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Star

274 Questions

Exam 10

Characterizing Stars

261 Questions

Exam 11

The Lives of the Stars From Birth Through Middle Age

322 Questions

Exam 12

The Deaths and Remnants of Stars

395 Questions

Exam 13

The Galaxies

465 Questions

Exam 14

Cosmology

205 Questions

Exam 15

Astrobiology

73 Questions

Show Answer