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Astronomy > Past paper > Flashcards

Past paper Flashcards

1
Q

What is the Astronomical Unit a measure of?

A

The average distance between the Earth and the Sun

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2
Q

In the small angle formula tan 𝜃 (where 𝜃 is the angle separation in the sky of
two objects or the angular width of an object) is approximated to …

A

The ratio between the width of an object and its distance

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3
Q

What coordinates are used to locate a celestial body in the sky?

A

Right Ascension and Declination

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4
Q

What is the pole star?

A

Stars in the shy close to Polaris appear to move in concentric circles over the course of the night

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5
Q

What is the ecliptic?

A

The apparent path of the Sun with the background of the stars

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6
Q

What was wrong with the Copernicus model?

A

It lacked simplicity that epicycles were required for accurate prediction

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7
Q

The Sun appears to move relative to the stars. Copernicus’s model accounts for
this as being due to?

A

Earth’s rotation on it’s axis

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8
Q

Why did the phenomenon of stellar parallax not convince people of Copernicus’s
time that his model was better than the geocentric model?

A

Stellar parallax had not yet been observed

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9
Q

In Ptolemy’s model of the Universe …

A

The Sun, Moon and 5 planets went round in circular orbits whose centres moved round the Earth in circles

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10
Q

Which of the planets have a period of revolution around the sun of less than 1 year?

A

Mercury and Venus

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11
Q

Astronomy is a science because scientists?

A

Make predictions about the cosmos based on models constructed from
observations

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12
Q

What features of Copernicus’ model reveals his hesitation in breaking with the conventional way of thinking?

A

He continued to use circles as planetary orbits

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13
Q

What can you predict about the Earth using the law of equal areas

A

The Earth spins faster when it is closer to the Sun

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14
Q

Which observation made by Galileo demonstrated that the Ptolemaic model of
planetary motion was not correct?

A

The complete set of phases of venus

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15
Q

How was the radius of the Earth measured by Eratosthenes ?

A
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16
Q

What’s the favored explanation of the origin of the moon?

A

The large impact theory: The moon was formed from material thrown out by the impact on the Earth of a Mars sized body

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17
Q

When does a lunar eclipse occur?

A

Full moon

18
Q

When does a Solar eclipse occur?

A

New moon

19
Q

What can be considered to be directly caused by tidal interactions?

A
20
Q

The point about which two bodies orbit each other under their mutual
gravitational attraction is known as the?

A

Centre of mass

21
Q

What is stellar Parallax defined as?

A

the apparent shifting of nearby stars with respect to distant ones as the position
of the observer changes.

22
Q

Why are the craters on the moon generally circular?

A
23
Q

How is the absolute magnitude of a star measured by?

A
24
Q

The stars of binary star systems?

A
25
Q

Knowledge of what allows us to calculate the mass of a binary system?

A
26
Q

What is the primary method/methods by which energy is transported from the centre of the Sun to the surface?

A

Convection

27
Q

What two forces produce a hydrostatic equilibrium in the Sun?

A

Gravity and gas pressure

28
Q

Einstein’s equation E=mc^2?

A
29
Q

The standard model of the sun is?

A
30
Q

What are sunspots?

A

Areas of the photosphere that are comparatively cooler and slightly depressed

31
Q

What is solar wind?

A

A fast moving plasma emitted by the sun that reaches all the planets

32
Q

What is Valles Marineris

A

A large canyon on Mars

33
Q

The factors which determine whether a planet or moon will retain an atmosphere are it’s chemical composition, temperature and …

A
34
Q

Which model predicted that Venus would exhibit all phases?

A
35
Q

The greenhouse effect keeps Venus hot because?

A
36
Q

What does the Roche limit refer to?

A
37
Q

Planets and moons that have a magnetic field have in common that they?

A
38
Q

What is albedo?

A

A measure of solar reflection

39
Q

The four seasons are primarily caused by…

A

The tilt of the Earth’s equatorial plane with respect to its orbit

40
Q

What is not required for a good scientific theory?

A

A theory doesn’t need to be agreed upon by all knowledgeable scientists

Astronomy (11 decks)

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