Physics test 8th Grade #1

Question 1

Who realized that the stars move from east to west?

Answer 1

Aryabhata

Question 2

Which way does the earth move?

Answer 2

West to East

Question 3

Which way do the stars appear to move?

Answer 3

East to west since the earth moves west to east

Question 4

What did Aryabhata infer?

Answer 4

He inferred that the planets and moon shine due to the reflection of the sun’s light and that stars move from east to west because the earth moves from west to east

Question 5

How did India recognize Aryabhata and his discoveries?

Answer 5

The first Indian satellite was named after him

Question 6

What happens to the moon every every half month?

Answer 6

It outshines everything else in the night sky

Question 7

What is the Earth’s only Satellite?

Answer 7

The moon

Question 8

What is a natural satellite?

Answer 8

A body that orbits a planet

Question 9

What is a star?

Answer 9

Giant ball of hot gas, mainly composed of hydrogen and helium

Question 10

As seen from earth the positions of the stars relative to each other __ ___ change

Answer 10

Do Not

Question 11

What is a planet?

Answer 11

A planet is an object that orbits the sun, is large enough to have become rounded by its gravity, and has cleared the area of its orbit

Question 12

How many planets are there in our solar system

Answer 12

eight

Question 13

What is a meteor?

Answer 13

A streak of light produced when a small object burns up entering earth’s atmosphere.

Question 14

What is a comet?

Answer 14

A cold mixture of dust and ice that gives up a long tail of of light as it approaches the sun

Question 15

What is a meteorite?

Answer 15

A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon.

Question 16

What is a meteoroid?

Answer 16

a small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth’s atmosphere.

Question 17

What is an asteroid?

Answer 17

a small rocky body orbiting the sun. Large numbers of these, ranging enormously in size, are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits.

Question 18

What objects can we see in the night sky?

Answer 18

Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn

Question 19

What is a constellation?

Answer 19

A constellation is a pattern of group of stars that people imagined to represent a figure, animal, or object

Question 20

How many constellations are there in western culture?

Answer 20

88 constellations in western culture

Question 21

Which civilizations contributed to the current names used in western culture?

Answer 21

Greeks, Egyptians, Mesopotamians

Question 22

Some constellations names come from Latin for example…

Answer 22

Leo comes from latin

Question 23

Some constellations come from greek myths such as?

Answer 23

pegasus and Perseus

Question 24

Whats another name for ursa major and whats its origin?

Answer 24

The great bear comes from the english translation of Latin, the big dipper, saptarshi

Question 25

Which constellation is apart of the polar or north star?

Answer 25

Ursa Minor

Question 26

What does the apparent motion of the objects in the sky depend upon ?

Answer 26

The apparent motion of objects in the sky depends on the motions of Earth

Question 27

Which way do stars appear to move in the night sky?

Answer 27

Stars appear to move from east to west

Question 28

Which way does the Earth move?

Answer 28

Earth turns from west to east

Question 29

What is the motion of the stars called?

Answer 29

The motion of the stars is called apparent motion.

Question 30

What about the constellations changes with the seasons? Give an example

Answer 30

When the seasons change, the constellations you can see change. One examples would be Orion which is seen in the eastern sky during winter but in spring Orion is in the west and disappears below the horizon right after sunset

Question 31

What motion is it that causes the seasonal change?

Answer 31

Seasonal change is caused by Earth’s orbit around the sun

Question 32

Each night the stars shift slightly to the ...

Answer 32

West

Question 33

There are a few constellations that you see all year long, why?

Answer 33

Because they are the ones closest to the north sky. As the earth rotates the constellations never appear to rise or set

Question 34

Each night the planets appear in a slightly different place then the did the night before. They move through the ___

Answer 34

the zodiac

Question 35

What is the origin of the word planet?

Answer 35

The word planet comes from the Greek word planētēs meaning wanderer

Question 36

What is the plane or ‘strip’ of constellations that planets seem to move through called?

Answer 36

The strip of constellations that planets seem to move through is called the zodiac.

Question 37

Give the names of at least two other constellations other than the ones in the text , in this strip.

Answer 37

Some constellations in this strip include Libra, Virgo, and Sagittarius.

Question 38

Which planets, when they are visible, can be seen ‘all night long’? Give a reason for this.

Answer 38

Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can be seen all night long. This happens when the earth passes between them and the sun, making the planets visible after sunset.

Question 39

Why is Venus sometimes called the morning star? (Use the information in the text to explain this)

Answer 39

Venus is sometimes called the morning star because it is visible only in the morning (or evening) and is very bright.

Question 40

Why are Venus and Mercury only visible for short periods of time?

Answer 40

Venus and Mercury are only visible for short periods of time because they are in between the Earth and the sun

Question 41

Which two planets can you see only in the morning and evening?

Answer 41

Venus and Mercury?