Astronomy Final Exam: Chapters 3 & 4

Question 1

What are the Moon phases?

Answer 1

New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent

Question 2

How long does it take for the Moon to complete its synodic cycle?

Answer 2

29.5 days

Question 3

How long does it take for the Moon to complete its sidereal cycle?

Answer 3

27.3 days

Question 4

Is the Moon larger on the horizon?

Answer 4

No, this is an illusion

Question 5

When do lunar eclipses occur?

Answer 5

Only occur at full moon if the Moon’s path carries it through the shadow of Earth, sunlight is blocked, & the Moon gives temporary dim

Question 6

When do solar eclipses occur?

Answer 6

When the Moon moves between Earth & the Sun w/ the Moon being the same angular diameter as the Sun

Question 7

What is the umbra?

Answer 7

The region of total shadow w/ no sunlight (3x longer than the distance from earth to the Moon)

Question 8

What is the penumbra?

Answer 8

The region of partial shadow & partial sunlight

Question 9

What is a total lunar eclipse?

Answer 9

The Moon is COMPLETELY hidden behind Earth from the Sun causing a red glow of the Moon (Earth’s sunrise / sunset)

Question 10

What is a partial lunar eclipse?

Answer 10

When the Moon does not pass through the center of the umbra of Earth’s shadow

Question 11

What is a total solar eclipse?

Answer 11

The Moon covers the disk of the Sun completely

Question 12

What is a partial solar eclipse?

Answer 12

The Moon covers only part of the Sun

Question 13

Glow of the lunar eclipse is due to what?

Answer 13

The red tinted Moon is illuminated by some sunlight that is reflected (bent) through Earth’s atmosphere

Question 14

What are elliptical orbits?

Answer 14

Oval-shaped path, like a slightly elongated circle

Question 15

What is the Corona?

Answer 15

The part of the Sun visible during solar eclipses

Question 16

What are Kepler’s Laws?

Answer 16

1.) Orbits are elliptical, with focal points of a star
2.) Orbits sweep out equal areas in equal times
3.) Square of a period equals the cube of a semimajor axis (Pr^2=aau^3)

Question 17

What are ellipses?

Answer 17

A figure that can be drawn around 2 points, focis, in such a way that the distance from one focus to any point on the ellipse and back to the other focus equals a constant (the semi-major axis is half the longest distance)

Question 18

What are eccentricities?

Answer 18

Half the distance between foci divided by the semimajor axis (close to 0=circular and 1=elliptical)

Question 19

What was Brahe’s contribution?

Answer 19

-No direct contribution
-Value of his work lies in observational data & Rudolphines Tables

Question 20

What was Galileo’s contribution?

Answer 20

-Observed Venus orbiting the Sun through phases that supported the Copernicus Model
-Use of the telescope = made observational data to make the book “Sidereus Nuncis” (The Sidereal Messenger)