Chapter 3 Flashcards
If you could see the sun and stars during the daytime for several weeks, you would notice that the sun does which of the following?
moves slowly eastward relative to the stars
Why does the sun move relative to the stars as observed from Earth?
It is due to Earth revolving around the sun.
Why is the amount of solar heating less on a clear day in January at northern latitudes than on a clear day in July?
a. The sun is above the horizon for less than 12 hours in January in the north and at low sun angles, the received sunlight is spread over a larger surface area.
When it is autumn in Asia, what season is it in Antarctica?
spring
The five naked-eye planets and three telescopic planets that wander among the stars in the sky are always near which of the following?
ecliptic
The Milankovitch hypothesis proposes that the ice ages on Earth are due to long-term changes in the amount of seasonal solar heating brought about by which of the following?
All of these choices are correct.
Why are winter days colder than summer days?
The sun is up for less time in the winter.
What is a reason for winter days being colder than summer days?
The sun is higher in the sky in the summer.
Which of the following is true when it is winter in the southern hemisphere?
It is summer in the northern hemisphere.
Which of the following is true for summer in the northern hemisphere?
It occurs during winter in the southern hemisphere.
Due to Earth’s elliptical orbit, Earth is a little closer to the sun in January than in July. Because of this, which is true for winter in the southern hemisphere?
It is a little cooler than in the northern hemisphere.
Due to Earth’s elliptical orbit, Earth is a little closer to the sun in January than in July.
Because of this, which is true for summer in the northern hemisphere?
It is a little cooler than in the southern hemisphere.
Due to Earth’s elliptical orbit, Earth is a little closer to the sun in January than in July.
more in the southern hemisphere
The postage stamp below shows the constellation Orion. Why would Orion look odd to residents of the northern hemisphere?
upside down.
Identify the phase of the moon if the sun is at its March 21st vernal equinox position and the moon is located at the vernal equinox point on the ecliptic.
new.
Identify the phase of the moon if the sun is at its March 21st vernal equinox position and the moon is located at the autumnal equinox point on the ecliptic.
full
Identify the phase of the moon if the sun is at its March 21st vernal equinox position and the moon is located at the summer solstice point on the ecliptic.
first quarter
Identify the phase of the moon if the sun is at its March 21st vernal equinox position and the moon is located at the winter solstice point on the ecliptic.
third quarter
Identify the phase of the moon if at sunset the moon is near the eastern horizon.
full moon
Identify the phase of the moon if at sunrise the moon is high in the southern sky for a mid-northern hemisphere observer.
third quarter
For a mid-northern hemisphere observer, identify the phase of the moon if at sunset the moon is in the southeastern sky.
waxing gibbous
For a mid-northern hemisphere observer, identify the phase of the moon if at sunrise the moon is in the southwestern sky.
waning gibbous
About how many days must elapse between the first-quarter moon and the next new moon?
21
If on March 1st the full moon is near the star Spica, when will the moon next be full?
29.5 days (synodic period)
If on March 1st the full moon is near the star Spica, when will it next be near Spica?
27.3 days (sidereal period)
How many times larger than the moon is the diameter of Earth’s umbral shadow at the moon’s distance? (Hint: See the image above.)
It is _____ times the moon’s size.
3
The Earth’s diameter is about 4 times the diameter of the moon in kilometers. The moon is about 30 times Earth’s diameter distant from the Earth. Use the small-angle formula to calculate the angular diameter of Earth in degrees as seen from the moon.
2
If a solar eclipse occurs on October 3rd, why can’t there be a lunar eclipse on October 10th?
The moon is new on October 3rd and not full until October 17th, the required phase for a possible lunar eclipse.
If a solar eclipse occurs on October 3rd, why can’t there be a solar eclipse on December 28th that same year?
It is not eclipse season during that time.
Which statement below best describes the motion of the moon relative to the stars?
The moon moves eastward relative to the stars about 13° per day.
How does the moon’s motion relative to the stars compare to the sun’s motion relative to the stars?
The moon moves faster than the sun and in the same direction.
How does one cycle of the moon’s motion relative to the stars compare to one cycle of the moon’s motion relative to the sun?
The cycle relative to the stars is shorter than the cycle relative to the sun.
The time for one cycle of lunar phases is which of the following?
the same as the time for one cycle of the moon relative to the sun
In one cycle of lunar phases, each crescent and gibbous phase has a duration of about one
week.
If the moon reaches full phase on May 6th, it is at the _____ phase on May 17th.
waning crescent
When does the third quarter phase moon rise?
midnight.
What can be said about the maximum duration of lunar and solar eclipses?
A lunar eclipse can last up to almost six hours, and a solar eclipse up to 7.5 minutes.
We can see total solar eclipses because of which of the following?
The angular diameters of the sun and the moon are almost equal
Which of the following is true about the umbra of the moon’s shadow?
It is very dark, in total shadow, and its cone points away from the sun.
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon
is often a reddish color and in Earth’s umbra.
