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Astronomy > Astronomy Exam 1 > Flashcards

Astronomy Exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Stars appear to be fixed in _______ that surrounds the Earth

A

spherical shell (the celestial sphere)

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2
Q

A coordinate system that divides the celestial sphere

A

Equatorial system of location

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3
Q

The angular distance north or south of the celestial equator

A

Declination

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4
Q

The angular distance measured eastward along the celestial equator from the position of the vernal equinox

A

Right ascension

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5
Q

the time interval from one noon to the next- about 24 hours- measurement for rotation

A

Mean solar day

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6
Q

turning, or spinning, of a body on its axis

A

rotation

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7
Q

the time it takes for Earth to make one complete rotation (360°) with respect to a star other than the Sun – 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds

A

Sidereal day

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8
Q

The motion of a body, such as a planet or moon, along a path around some point in space

A

revolution

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9
Q

Earth’s orbit is _____

A

eliptical

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10
Q

Earth is closest to the Sun (perihelion) in _____

A

January

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11
Q

Earth is farthest form the Sun (aphelion) in ______

A

July

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12
Q

Direction in which Earth’s axis points continually changes- very slow Earth movement

A

Precession

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13
Q

Caused by Earth’s changing orientation to the Sunp Axis is inclined 23.5 degree and always points in the same direction

A

Seasons

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14
Q

-June 21-22- Sun’s vertical rays are located at the tropic of cancer
-the noontime Sun reaches its highest point of the year
-longest day of the year

A

Summer solstice

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15
Q

-December 21-22- Sun’s vertical rays are located at the Tropic of Capricorn
-The Sun crosses the meridian 23.5 degrees lower in alt. than the celestial equator
-sunset occurs at its farthest point south of due west for the year
-the noontime Sun casts the longest shadows

A

Winter Solstice

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16
Q

-September 22–23- Sun’s vertical rays are located at the Equator (0° latitude)

A

Autumnal equinox

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17
Q

March 21–22- Sun’s vertical rays are located at the Equator (0° latitude)

A

Spring (vernal) equinox

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18
Q

– Cycle of Moon through its phases
– 29.5 days
– Basis of first Roman calendar
– Apparent period of Moon’s revolution around Earth

A

Synodic Month

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19
Q

– True period of Moon’s revolution around Earth
– 27.3 days

A

sidereal month

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20
Q

When viewed from above the North Pole, the Moon orbits Earth in a _______ (eastward) direction

A

Counterclockwise

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21
Q

T/F The relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon constantly change

A

True

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22
Q
  • Moon moves in a line directly between Earth and the Sun
    – Can only occur during the new-Moon phase
A

Solar Eclipse

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23
Q

– Moon moves within the shadow of Earth
– Only occurs during the full-Moon phase

A

Lunar Eclipse

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24
Q

All forms of radiation travel at

A

186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second

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25
Q

Radio waves have ______ wavelengths

A

longer

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26
Q

gamma rays have ______ wavelengths

A

shorter

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27
Q

The apparent change in wavelength of radiation caused by the relative motions of the source and observer

A

Doppler Effect

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28
Q

Wavelength is longer

A

increasing distance

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29
Q

wavelength is shorter

A

decreasing distance

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30
Q

The study of the properties of the light that depend on wavelength

A

Spectroscopy

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31
Q

the light pattern produced by passing light through a prism, which spreads out the various wavelengths

A

spectrum/spectra

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32
Q

Produced by an incandescent solid, liquid, or high pressure gas- Uninterrupted band of color

A

Continuous Spectrum

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33
Q

Produced when white light is passed through a comparatively cool, low pressure gas
* Appears as a continuous spectrum but with dark lines running through it
- Most stars have it

A

Dark-Line (absorption) spectrum

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34
Q

Produced by a hot (incandescent) gas under low pressure
* Appears as a series of bright lines of particular wavelengths depending on the gas that produced them

A

Bright-Line (emission) spectrum

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35
Q

Was the first Greek to profess a Sun-centered, or heliocentric, universe

A

Aristarchus

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36
Q

– Concluded Earth was a planet
– Constructed a model of the solar system that put the Sun at the center, but he used circular orbits for the planets
– Ushered out old astronomy

A

Nicolaus Copernicus

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37
Q

– Supported Copernican theory
– Used experimental data
– Constructed an astronomical telescope in 1609
* Four large moons of Jupiter
* Planets appeared as disks
* Phases of Venus
* Features on the Moon
* Sunspots

A

Galileo Galilei

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38
Q

– Ushered in new astronomy
– Planets revolve around the Sun

A

Johannes Kepler

39
Q

Orbits of the planets are elliptical

A

Keplers First Law

40
Q

Planets revolve around the Sun at varying speed

A

Keplers Second Law

41
Q

There is a proportional relation between a planet’s orbital period and its distance to the Sun (measured in astronomical units (AU’s) – one AU averages about 150 million kilometers, or 93 million miles)
P^2 = a^3
P= Earth years
a= astronomical units

A

Keplers Third Law

42
Q

Laws of universal gravitation

A

Sir Isaac Newton

43
Q

The law of Inertia

A

Newtons first law

44
Q

The force law- acceleration is driectly proportions to the net force acting on it and is inversely proportional to its mass

A

Newtons second law

45
Q

The law fo action and reaction- Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first object.

A

Newtons third law

46
Q

– Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
– Small, dense, rocky
– Large cores of iron and nickel
– Low escape velocities

A

Terrestrial planets

47
Q

– Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
– Large, low density, gaseous
– Massive
– Thick atmospheres composed of hydrogen, helium, methane, and ammonia
– High escape velocities

A

Jovian planets

48
Q

Earth’s relatively thin, rocky outer skin

A

Crust

49
Q

less dense, many rock types- granite

A

continental crust

50
Q

dense, basaltic rock

A

oceanic crust

51
Q

– Solid, rocky shell
– More than 82 percent of Earth’s volume

A

Mantle

52
Q

entire crust and uppermost mantle

A

lithosphere

53
Q

very hot, strengthens with depth

A

lower mantle

54
Q

iron-nickel alloy

A

core

55
Q
  • Liquid layer
  • Earth’s magnetic field
A

outer core

56
Q

solid

A

inner core

57
Q

– Bottom layer
– Temperature decreases with altitude – called the environmental lapse rate
* 6.5°C per kilometer (average)
* 3.5°F per 1000 feet (average)
– Thickness varies – average height is 12 km
– Outer boundary is named the tropopause

A

Troposphere

58
Q

– About 12 km to 50 km
– Temperature increases at top
- contains the ozone
– Outer boundary is named the stratopause

A

Stratosphere

59
Q

– About 50 km to 80 km
– Temperature decreases
– Outer boundary is named the mesopause

A

Mesosphere

60
Q

– No well-defined upper limit
– Fraction of atmosphere’s mass
– Gases moving at high speeds

A

thermosphere

61
Q

Plates pull apart

A

divergent

62
Q

plates move together

A

convergent

63
Q

plates slide past each other

A

transform fault

64
Q
  • Dark regions
  • Fairly smooth lowlands
  • Originated from asteroid impacts and lava flooding the surface
A

Maria

65
Q

– Bright, densely cratered regions
– Make up most of the Moon
– Make up all of the “back” side of the Moon
– Older than maria

A

Highlands

66
Q

– Most are produced by an impact from a meteoroid which
produces
* Ejecta
* Occasional rays

A

Craters

67
Q

– Covers all lunar terrains
– Gray, unconsolidated debris
– Composed of
* Igneous rocks
* Breccia
* Glass beads
* Fine lunar dust
– “Soil-like” layer produced by meteoric bombardment

A

Lunar Regolith

68
Q

Blue light has

A

higher energy

69
Q

Red light has

A

less energy

70
Q

Number of Waves per second

A

frequency

71
Q

What phase occurs when the moon is between the earth and the sun

A

New moon

72
Q

A measurement of how far light travels

A

light years

73
Q

Where on Earth can you observe all the stars in the sky over an entire year?

A

Equator

74
Q

Where on Earth would you be if Polaris were directly overhead?

A

north pole

75
Q

Seasons on Earth are primarily caused by

A

the tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis

76
Q

Where would you be if the Sun sets for six continuous months, beginning about September 23rd?

A

north pole

77
Q

Where would you be if the Sun passes directly overhead on December 21st

A

Tropic of Capricorn

78
Q

-rises at about noon
-it is the half moon of the evening sky
-it is highest in the sky at sunset
-it occurs about a week after the new Moon

A

First Quarter Moon

79
Q

-Visible near western horizon about an hour after sunset
-sets 2-3 hours after the sun sets

A

waxing crescent moon

80
Q

-visible near eastern horizon just before sunrise
-occurs about 3 days before new moon

A

waning crescent moon

81
Q

-rises at about the time the sun sets
-occurs 14 days after the new moon
-visible due south at midnight

A

full moon

82
Q

What conditions are necessary for a total solar eclipse?

A

New Moon on ecliptic near perigee

83
Q

If you throw a rock into a pond, it creates a wave in the water. What is responsible for creating an electromagnetic wave?

A

A vibrating charged particle

84
Q

The wave amplitudes are directed _______ to the direction of wave motion

A

perpendicular

85
Q

Energy and information flows _______ to the direction of wave motion

A

parallel

86
Q

What is constant for all types of Electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum

A

Velocity

87
Q

A hot summer day might be 100
ice cream is stored in a freezer at 26

A

Farenheight

88
Q

water boils into gas phase at 373.15
the coldest temp is 0

A

kelvin

88
Q

liquid water boils at 100
water freezes into ice at 0
a typical room temp is 24

A

Celcius

89
Q

Compared to optical telescopes, radio telescopes are built large because

A

radio photons don’t carry much energy

90
Q

What are two advantages of large scopes over smaller ones?

A

large telescopes have more light gather power and better resolution

91
Q

The Ptolemaic model of the universe

A

explained and predicted the motions of the planets with deferents and epicycles.

92
Q

Scientists today do not accept the Ptolemaic model because

A

it was too complicated, compared to Copernicus’ heliocentric model

Astronomy (4 decks)

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