General Astronomy Quiz 4

Question 1

How do we measure Earth’s precise location?

Answer 1

Longitude and Latitude

Question 2

Latitude has a ____ point

Answer 2

Zero

Question 3

What does the zero point represent?

Answer 3

The Equator

Question 4

What is latitude measured in?

Answer 4

Degrees

Question 5

Can longitude be set to start at zero anywhere?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

What is longitude measured in?

Answer 6

Degrees and Time

Question 7

What are time zones like?

Answer 7

Similar to lines of longitude

Question 8

What is sky’s declination relative to?

Answer 8

Celestial Equator

*in degrees

Question 9

What is longitude relative to?

Answer 9

Prime Meridian

Question 10

What is sky’s right ascension relative to?

Answer 10

Vernal Equinox

*in hours

Question 11

What is a solar day?

Answer 11

One rotation, Sun facing Sun (24h)

Question 12

What is a sidereal day?

Answer 12

One rotation to distant stars (23.56h)

Question 13

What is one day based on ?

Answer 13

Rotation of Earth

Question 14

What is one month based on?

Answer 14

The orbit of the moon around the Earth

Question 15

What is one year based on?

Answer 15

The orbit of the Earth around the Sun

Question 16

When was Stonehenge built?

Answer 16

Between 3000 and 1500 BCE

Question 17

What is the Chinese calendar (lunisolar) based on?

Answer 17

The cycles of the Moon

Question 18

Why is sunlight more direct during the summer?

Answer 18

The Sun is angled higher and more hours of daylight

Question 19

What causes the seaons to change?

Answer 19

The tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis

Question 20

What do we know about the moon?

Answer 20

-Half illuminated by reflected sunlight
-No single “dark side”
-Spins on own axis (single “far side”) due to tidal locking

Question 21

What is a waxing moon?

Answer 21

The moon becomes more illuminated

Question 22

What is a waning moon?

Answer 22

The moon becomes less illuminated

Question 23

What is a solar month?

Answer 23

The “New Moon to New Moon” period (29.5 days)

7.4 days for each quarter of the cycle

Question 24

What is a sideral month? (moon related)

Answer 24

One orbit around the Earth (27.3 days)

Question 25

What causes the moon to have different phases?

Answer 25

Various alignments of the Sun-Earth-Moon system

Question 26

There are two ____ where the Moon crosses the ecliptic plane.

Answer 26

Nodes

Question 27

What is an eclipse season?

Answer 27

When the Moon is at its node of its obrit

Question 28

Why does the Moon sometimes appear bigger?

Answer 28

Due to its angular size

Question 29

What is the zone of partial shadow?

Answer 29

Penumbra

Question 30

What is the zone of full shadow?

Answer 30

Umbra

Question 31

What is annular solar eclipse?

Answer 31

When the Moon can't fully block the Sun

Question 32

What is required for eclipses?

Answer 32

●Must be an eclipse season. (Nodes in right spot) ● Observer must be in the narrow path of totality (or annularity), or near enough to see a partial eclipse. ● And the moon must be in the New Moon phase.

Question 33

What are the conditions for a lunar eclipse?

Answer 33

● Must be an eclipse season. (Nodes) ● Observer must be on night/evening side of Earth when the alignment occurs. ● And the moon must be in the Full Moon phase.