Review 1

Question 1

Who first proposed that the planets revolved around the sun?

Answer 1

Aristarchus

Question 2

When does the vernal equinox occur in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 2

March 21

Question 3

Who invented the idea of epicycles to explain the observed motion of planets?

Answer 3

Ptolemy

Question 4

What could the time measured from a full moon to the next full moon be called?

Answer 4

synodic period

Question 5

Which terrestrial planet is the smallest?

Answer 5

Mercury

Question 6

Where on the Earth do the sun’s rays hit most directly when it is the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 6

The equator.

Question 7

Which of the following correctly lists planets in order from the Sun outward? (Not all planets are listed)

Answer 7

Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus

Question 8

Which period can be readily observed?

Answer 8

synodic period

Question 9

Which of the following properties is the most important to look for in an optical telescope?

Answer 9

lens diameter

Question 10

How big is a parsec?

Answer 10

3.26 light-years

Question 11

What is the name of the bright star in Canis Minor?

Answer 11

Procyon

Question 12

.
What is the most convenient unit for comparing distances within the solar system?

Answer 12

astronomical units

Question 13

What is the name for the planetary configuration when Jupiter, Earth, and Sun are in a line with the Earth in between Jupiter and the Sun?

Answer 13

opposition

Question 14

Who invented the reflecting telescope?

Answer 14

Isaac Newton

Question 15

A planet has a rotation period of three hours. Which planet type is it most likely to be?

Answer 15

Jovian.

Question 16

Which astronomer tried to prove a heliocentric universe was wrong?

Answer 16

Tycho Brahe

Question 17

What is a photon?

Answer 17

a tiny packet of energy.

Question 18

Astronomers used to use film cameras along with telescopes to study the night sky. Which of the following devices replaced the traditional film camera as a tool to record what telescopes can see?

Answer 18

charge-coupled device

Question 19

What is the darkest part of a planets shadow called?

Answer 19

Umbra

Question 20

Which of the following electromagnetic waves has the lowest frequency?

Answer 20

infrared

Question 21

Which of the following characteristics would indicate a planet is Jovian?

Answer 21

many satellites

Question 22

Which astronomer was the first to use a telescope to study the night sky?

Answer 22

Galileo Galilei

Question 23

Which of the following inventions collects astronomical information other than visible light?

Answer 23

radio telescope