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AS101 > chapter 1-3 quiz & assignment > Flashcards

chapter 1-3 quiz & assignment Flashcards

1
Q

which of the following sequences objects is in the correct order of increasing distance?

venus, saturn, moon, andromeda galaxy, polaris

moon, venus, saturn, polaris, andromeda galaxy

polaris, andromeda galaxy, moon, saturn, venus

andromeda galaxy, saturn, venus, polaris, moon

A

moon, venus, saturn, polaris, andromeda galaxy

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2
Q

what is the average distance from the earth to the sun?

A

1 Au

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3
Q

what is the implication if the distance to the nearest star is 4.2 light-years?

A

the light we see left the star 4.2 years ago

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4
Q

if you represent each star by a grain of sand, how much sand would it take to represent all the stars in the universe?

A

more than all the sand on all the beaches on Earth

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5
Q

how long would it take to count all the stars in the milky way galaxy at a rate of one star per second?

A

several thousand years

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6
Q

it takes light 1.3 seconds to travel from the moon to earth and 8 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth. which statement is true?

the sun is 6.2 times farther from earth than the moon

the sun is 10 times farther from earth than the moon

the sun is 370 times farther from earth than the moon

the sun is 0.10 times farther from the earth than the moon

A

the sun is 370 times farther from earth than the moon

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7
Q

the speed of light is 3.0 x 10^5 km/s, and it takes 1.3 seconds for light to travel from the moon to earth. based on the info, what is the distance from the earth to the moon?

390,000 km

230,000 km

  1. 9 km
  2. 3 km
A

390,000 km

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8
Q

which of the following is largest?

size of a typical galaxy

size of Pluto’s orbit

distance to the nearest star (other than our sun)

1 light-year

A

size of a typical galaxy

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9
Q

which of the following statements best describes the sun?

generates energy by nuclear fusion

located 10 AU from Earth

orbiting the Solar system

located in the centre of the Milky Way

A

generates energy by nuclear fusion

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10
Q

which statement best describes the Milky Way Galaxy?

it is a spiral galaxy

it is comprised of several smaller galaxies

it is about 1,000 light-years in diameter

it is type of supercluster

A

it is a spiral galaxy

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11
Q

one light-hour is the distance that light travels an hour. how far is this, in kilometers? (recall the speed of light is 300,000 km/s

300,000 km

18 million km

100 million km

1.08 billion km

A

1.08 billion km

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12
Q

in the diagram, what is the diameter of jupiter? (scale 35,000 km)

about 7.0 x 10^4 km

about 7.0 x 10^5 km

about 1.4 x 10 ^4 km

about 1.4 x 10^5 km

A

about 1.4 x 10^5 km

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13
Q

roughly how many stars are in the milky way galaxy?

A

100 billion

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14
Q

if we say that an object is 1,000 ly away, how does that affect how we see it?

we see it as it looked 1,000 years ago

we see it as it would appear to our ancestors 1,000 years ago

we see it as it looked 1,000 ly ago

we see it as it is right now, but appears 1,000 dimmer

A

we see it as it looked 1,000 years ago

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15
Q

there approx 100 billion stars in our galaxy. if there 100 billion observable galaxies in our universe, what is a reasonable estimate for the total number of stars in the universe is?

  1. 0 x 10^22
  2. 0 x 10^20
  3. 5 x 10 ^18

30 x 10^22

A

1.0 x 10^22

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16
Q

what do we mean by observable universe?

the part of the universe that we can see with naked eye

the part of the universe we can see with telescopes

the part of the universe that could be observed in principle, including things that may require future technologies

the compendium of all objects that we have observed to date

A

the part of the universe that could be observed in principle, including things that may require future technologies

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17
Q

today the age of the universe is estimated in 13,700,000,000 years

  1. 37 x 10^6 y
  2. 37 x 10^7 y
  3. 37 x 10^8 y
  4. 37 x 10^9 y
A

1.37 x 10^9 y

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18
Q

how long does it take for light to travel from the sun to neptune?

several seconds

several minutes

several hours

several weeks

A

several hours

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19
Q

which of the following is the smallest?

size of a planet

1 AU

1 light-year

size of a typical galaxy

A

size of a planet

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20
Q

suppose we look at a photograph of many galaxies. assuming that all galaxies formed at about the same time, which galaxy in the picture is the youngest?

the one that is farthest away

the one that is reddest in color

the one that is bluest in color

the one that is closet to us

A

the one that is farthest away

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21
Q

how is a planet different from a star?

planets are larger than stars.

planets reflect light, while stars produce their own light

stars move faster in the sky than planets

planets are brighter stars

A

planets reflect light, while stars produce their own light

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22
Q

in the diagram, what is the diameter of mercury?

about 240 km

about 2400 km

about 24,000 km

about 240,000 km

A

about 2400 km

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23
Q

what is 1.95 billion the same as?

A

1.95 x 10^9

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24
Q

sirius the brightest star in the sky is about 9 ly away. if the speed of light became half of its present value, how far would Sirius be?

A

18 ly

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25
Q

if the distance from the sun to the earth is represented by roughly 15 meters, then what would the distance from the earth to the Moon on the same scale be?

About 30 meters

about 10 meters

about 1 metre

smaller than the width of your hand

A

smaller than the width of your hand

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26
Q

what does the solar system contain?

the sun, it’s planets, and some smaller bodies

the sun, galaxies, planets, and stars

the sun, planets, moons? and stars

the sun, planets, asteroids, and galaxies

A

the sun, it’s planets, and some smaller bodies

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27
Q

the nearest star to our solar system is alpha centauri at 4.0 x 10^16 m (4.3 ly away). the diameter of the sun is 1.4 x 10^9. how many suns would it take to line up adjacent to each other in order to reach alpha centauri?

A

2.8 x 10^7

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28
Q

what is 5.7 x 10^7 the same as

A

57 million

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29
Q

a spherical particle in the ring of saturn has a radius of about 1 m. the cross sectional area of the particle in the area of radiation flow is:

A

12.6 m2

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30
Q

what’s the approx diameter of the earth?

A

13,000 km

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31
Q

if we use 1 mm to represent 1 ly, how large in diameter is the milky way galaxy?

A

100 meters

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32
Q

the distance to a super galaxy might be

100 mpc

10 kpc

120 ly

10 au

A

100 mpc

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33
Q

what do we mean when we say the universe is expanding?

A

all galaxies are increasingly moving away from one another

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34
Q

if the denver airport were switched on, then in one second these photons travel to:

new york (1580 km)

alpha centauri (40,000,000,000,000 km)

the sun (150,000,000km)

moon (384,000 km)

A

moon (384,000 km)

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35
Q

approx 100 earths would fit in Jupiter. Jupiter’s radius must be ….times larger than earths radius

A

10

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36
Q

approx how many times larger than the diameter of a typical planet ( the earth) is the diameter of a typical star (the sun)?

A

100 times

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37
Q

a spherical particle in the ring of saturn has a radius of ab 1 m. the surface area of the particle in the area of radiation flow is?

A

3.14 m2

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38
Q

you are standing on earths equator. which way is Polaris, the north star?

A

on the northern horizon

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39
Q

by locating the north celestial pole (NCP) in the sky, how can you determine your latitude

A

the altitude of the NCP is the same as your latitude

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40
Q

orion is visible on winter evenings in the northern hemisphere but not summer evenings because of

A

the location of earth in its orbit

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41
Q

why do we have season on earth?

A

as earth goes around the sun the earth’s axis remains pointed towards polaris, the northern and southern hemispheres alternately receive more and less sunlight

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42
Q

which of the following statements are true?

both the northern and southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight on the equinoxes

boy he the northern and southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight on the solstices

the northern hemispheres receives the most direct sunlight on the summer solstice

A

both A and C are true

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43
Q

why is it summer in the northern hemisphere when it is winter in the southern hemisphere?

A

the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and receives more direct sunlight

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44
Q

which of the following statements ab constellations is false?

there are only 88 official constellations

some constellations can be seen from both the northern and southern hemispheres

some constellation can be seen in both the winter and summer

most constellations will be unrecognizable hundreds of years from now

A

most constellations will be unrecognizable hundreds of years from now

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45
Q

what causes precession of the Earth’s rotation axis?

A

the force of gravity from the sun and moon on the earths equatorial bulge

46
Q

if the earth turns one full rotation in approx 24 hrs, how many degrees per hour does the sky turn?

A

15 deg/h

47
Q

which of the following is equivalent to one 3,600 th of a degree?

A

second of arc

48
Q

if the orbit of earth eccentricity increased to 0.65 what would happen to earths seasons?

A

they’d be more intense

49
Q

which of the following locations are closer to the south celestial pole?

(RA= 14 h Declination= +88 degrees)

(RA= 14 h Declination= -88 degrees)

(RA= 23 h Declination= 2 degrees)

(RA= 18 h Declination= -66 degrees)

A

(RA= 14 h Declination= -88 degrees)

50
Q

where is the north celestial pole in our sky for latitudes between 35-44 degrees N

A

35-45 degrees north

51
Q

how often is the sun at zenith for an observer at the equator?

A

twice per year

52
Q

if earths axis tilt was significantly greater than its current 23.5 degrees, but earth’s rotation period and orbital period were unchanged what would happen?

A

the length of each season (the number of days from the summer solstice to the fall equinox) would be significantly longer than it is now.

53
Q

an observer in the northern hemisphere watches the sky for several hours. due to the motion of the earth, this observer notices that the stars near the north celestial pole appear to move. what pattern does this movement follow?

A

counter-clockwise around the celestial pole

54
Q

which of the following describes a concept very similar to latitude?

A

declination

55
Q

ecliptic

A

the other traced out by the sun in the sky over one year against the background stars

56
Q

if the north celestial pole appears on your horizon, what is your latitude?

A

0 degrees S

57
Q

if the north celestial pole appears on your zenith, what is your latitude

A

90 degrees N

58
Q

where on earth would you be at if polaris was at your zenith?

A

the north pole

59
Q

while watching a star you see it moves 45 degrees across the sky. how long have you been watching it?

A

3 hours

60
Q

if you were standing at earths north pole, which of the following would be located at the zenith?

the nadir

the star vega

the celestial equator

the north celestial pole

A

the north celestial pole

61
Q

how much of the night sky lies north of the celestial equator?

A

exactly half

62
Q

how many stars can u see with your naked eye on a clear, moonless night from a dark location?

A

a few thousand

63
Q

constellation

A

a region of the celestial sphere

64
Q

which of the following best describes the big dipper?

A

an asterism

65
Q

which of the following statements ab the celestial sphere is not true?

when we look in the sky, the stars all appear to be located on the celestial sphere

earth is placed at the centre of the celestial sphere

the celestial sphere does not exist physically

the “celestial sphere” is just another name for our universe

A

the “celestial sphere” is just another name for our universe

66
Q

what is true about the celestial sphere at all latitudes?

A

it represents an extension of earth’s equator onto the celestial sphere

67
Q

what do stars in the same constellation have in common?

A

they are in the same part of the sky as seen from the earth

68
Q

how many arc seconds are in 1 degree

A

3,600

69
Q

what is the magnitude scale?

A

can used to indicate the apparent intensity of a celestial object

70
Q

what is the meridian?

A

a half-circle extending from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south

71
Q

what aspect of an object depends on both size of the object and the distance to the object?

A

angular diameter

72
Q

what is a circumpolar star?

A

a star that always remains above your horizon and appears to rotate around the celestial pole

73
Q

what makes the north star, Polaris special?

A

it appears very near the north celestial pole

74
Q

in 1054 CE, the Chinese recorded a very interesting and powerful cosmic event. what was the event?

A

a supernova

75
Q

what did Eratosthenes measure very accurately?

A

the size of earth

76
Q

who were the two great authorities of greek astronomy?

A

aristotle and ptolemy

77
Q

whose writings became so famous that he was known throughout the middle east simply as “the philosopher”?

A

aristotle

78
Q

which of the following statements reflects beliefs that were almost universally held in pre-Copernican astronomy?

the planets travelled in elliptical orbits around the earth

the planets travelled in elliptical orbits around the sun

the sun was the centre of the universe

the earth was at the centre of the universe

A

the earth was at the centre of the universe

79
Q

in what circumstances is retrograde motion observable?

A

it is observable for planets more distant from the sun than the earth

80
Q

you are observing the night sky from Mars. in what circumstances is retrograde motion observable?

A

it is observable for planets more distant from the sun than mars

81
Q

what is the term for the apparent westward motion of a planet in the sky compared to the background stars

A

retrograde motion

82
Q

what is parallax

A

the apparent motion of an object due to the motion of the observer

83
Q

why did ancient astronomers believe the earth did not move?

A

because they could not detect parallax

84
Q

what was the greatest inaccuracy in Copernicus’s model of the solar system?

A

that the planets travelled in circular orbits with uniform motion

85
Q

which o father following objects cannot transit (i.e. pass in front of) the sun, as seen from jupiter?

A

saturn

86
Q

what was Tycho Brahe’s greatest contribution to astronomy?

A

his 20 years of careful observations of the planets

87
Q

what two numbers tell us the size and shape of an ellipse?

A

semi-major axis, eccentricity

88
Q

the orbit of planet A had an eccentricity of 0.5 and the orbit of planet B has an eccentricity of 0.01. what can be said about the shape of the orbits of these two planets?

A

the orbit of planet A is more elongated than the orbit of planet B

89
Q

which of the following masses exert higher gravitational force on each other?

M=2——————m=2

M=2——————m=1

M=2——————m=8

A

M=2——————m=8

90
Q

which of the following masses exerts smaller gravitational force on each other?

M=2——————m=2

M=2——————m=1

M=2——————m=8

A

M=2——————m=1

91
Q

given its orbital period of 76 years, what is the average distance of Comet Halley from the Sun?

A

18 AU

92
Q

an object had been located orbiting the Sun at a distance of 65 AU. what is the approx orbital period of this object?

A

524 years

93
Q

on average saturn is 10 AU from the sun. what is the approx orbital period of Saturn?

A

32 years

94
Q

the orbit of the planet Jupiter is an ellipse with the sun at one focus. what is located at the other focus?

A

nothing

95
Q

the orbit of the moon is an ellipse with the earth at one focus. what is located at the other focus?

A

nothing

96
Q

a comet is found in a highly elliptical orbit with a semi-major axis equal to one AU. according to Kepler’s third law of planetary motion, what would the sidereal period of this comet be?

A

one year

97
Q

gravitational force of the sun exerted on the earth is the same as…

A

the force exterted by the sun on the earth

98
Q

an object moves in a straight line at a constant speed. which number of forces could not act on the object?

A

1

99
Q

what does the orbital velocity of an object with respect to the distance does?

A

decreases

100
Q

at which lunar phase(s) are the tides at their lowest?

A

both first quarter moon and third quarter moon

101
Q

if mats rises approx the same time as a particular star. if mars is in normal prograde motion at what time Mars will rise next night?

A

later than the star

102
Q

the spring tides occur during the new and full lunar phases

A

true

103
Q

if the planet orbits the sun at a distance of 4 AU, then it’s orbital period is 8 years

A

true

104
Q

asteroids in the asteroid belt in relation to mars and jupiter

A

asteroids closer to mars have shorter orbital periods than those closer to jupiter

105
Q

what fraught of Ptolemy’s model of the universe made it possible to explain retrograde motion?

A

epicycles

106
Q

a common feature of astronomy as practices worldwide prior to the Greeks

A

recognizing patterns

107
Q

what was the reason for using epicycles and deferents to explain the motion of the planets in the night sky?

A

retrograde motion

108
Q

why did ancient astronomers believe that the Earth did not move?

A

because they could not detect parallax

109
Q

the term for a small circle that had its centre located on the circumference of another larger circle?

A

epicycle

110
Q

the Copernican system was no more accurate than the Ptolemaic system in predicting the positions of the planets because of a key factor that was unchanged from the ptolemaic system. what was the factor?

A

the copernican system used uniform circular motion

111
Q

what is the book “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium” about?

A

it lays out the Copernican theory for the first time

AS101 (3 decks)

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