exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

The sky above

A

Earth is NOT at the center of the Universe, but there is a
powerful tool to localize celestial objects, as if the sky was
turning around us: the celestial sphere

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2
Q

Zenith

A

The top of the dome, just above
your head

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3
Q

apparent motion

A

due to
Earth’s day/night cycle, and stars are
not glued to the dome, but rather
very distant from our planet.

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4
Q

Horizon

A

The line where the dome meets
the Earth

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5
Q

Earth’s axis

A

Imagine a line going through Earth, connecting the North and
South Poles.

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6
Q

north celestial pole and the
south celestial pole.

A

If we extend this imaginary line outward
from Earth, the points where this line
intersects the celestial sphere

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7
Q

Vernal (Autumnal) Equinox

A

When sun crosses celestial equator. Day and night of equal duration.

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8
Q

Summer (Winter) Solstice

A

Most northern (southern) point of the sun on the celestial sphere.

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9
Q

Ecliptic Tilt

A

Due to the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis relative to the orbital plane around the sun.

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10
Q

What is the path that the Sun follows through the constellations?

A

the ecliptic

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11
Q

Tropical year < sidereal year, due to precession of Earth’s axis

A

front of card

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12
Q

Zodiac

A
  • The 12 constellations the Sun
    moves through during the year.
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13
Q

deduce which stars lie behind
and beyond the Sun

A

observing the
stars visible in the opposite direction at
night.

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14
Q

Constellation

A

bright stars that are
grouped together

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15
Q

The first fairly accurate determination of Earth’s diameter was made in

A

200 BCE by Eratosthenes

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16
Q

Which of the dening characteristics of astrology is/are consistent
with defining it as a pseudoscience?

A

Its advocates take a perceived correlation and claim that it shows a causal relationship.
b) Its advocates assert that there are underlying principles but fail to test their validity.
c) Its hypotheses have not been supported by experimentation.
d) Its prediction are so broad that the t almost any possible outcome.

17
Q

How do we write 0.001392 in scientific notation?

A

1.392 x 10^-3

18
Q

Geocentric Model

A
  • Earth
    lay at the center of the
    universe
19
Q

Heliocentric Model -

A

Planets orbit in circles around
the Sun.

20
Q

How did the geocentric model account for day and night on Earth?

A

The Sun orbited Earth

21
Q

Galileo built and used a telescope to test his ideas.

A

front of card