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Astronomy test 1
first test
50
Astronomy
Undergraduate 2
02/09/2014

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Term
QQ In the altazimuth or horizon coordinate system, the coordinate altitude is measured
Definition
AA S 1 (1) straight up from the horizon to the object
Term
QQ Here in Gainesville, the daily motion caused by Earth's rotation makes stars in the southern sky move
Definition
AA S 1 (1) in large arcs centered on the South Celestial Pole,
Term
QQ Which of the following is evidence that the Sun moves eastwards with respect to the celestial sphere and the fixed stars?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the fact that different constellations are visible
Term
QQ The approximate date on which the Sun passes through what we call the vernal (spring) equinox is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Mar. 21
Term
QQ The equatorial coordinate that is ordinarily measured in units of time (hours, minutes, seconds) is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) right ascension
Term
QQ The tropical year is defined as the time for the Sun to go completely around the celestial sphere with respect to
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the vernal equinox
Term
QQ The Moon's phase midway between first quarter and full is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) waxing gibbous
Term
QQ The third or last quarter Moon rises approximately at
Definition
AA S 1 (1) midnight
Term
QQ The Moon's ascending node regresses westwards with respect to the fixed stars while the Moon moves eastwards. Which of the following statements is correct?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) The nodical month is shorter than the sidereal month.
Term
QQ When the Moon's ascending node is at the vernal equinox it will have its
Definition
AA S 1 (1) major standstills
Term
QQ Which of the following is the situation with the least knowledge about the purpose of the site or alignment(s)?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Stonehenge
Term
QQ Which of the following is almost certainly not true about Stonehenge?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) it was used to predict eclipses
Term
QQ Ballochroy has which kind(s) of alignments?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) solar only, as far as is known
Term
QQ In Cuzco the stone columns on Cerro Picchu west of town marked the planting season when the Sun set between them.
This occurred around the time of
Definition
AA S 1 (1) antizenith passage by the Sun
Term
QQ There is a one-to-one correspondence of the huacas in Cuzco's ceque system with days of the year except for 37
days in May and June. Those 37 days are the ones when
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the Pleiades are invisible because they're too
Term
QQ The Mayan "Long Count" used for chronology had a "year" of
Definition
AA S 1 (1) 360 days
Term
QQ Which of the following is a superior planet?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Saturn
Term
QQ Venus is a morning star when it is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) west of the Sun on the sky
Term
QQ A superior planet undergoes retrograde motion around the time when it is at
Definition
AA S 1 (1) opposition
Term
QQ The interval between successive heliacal risings of a planet such as Venus is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) that planet's synodic period
Term
QQ The Metonic cycle is an example of
Definition
AA S 1 (1) intercalation by rule
Term
QQ The branch of the government astronomy bureau in China that was responsible for keeping track of regular phenomena (the
calendar, cycles of Moon and planets) was
Definition
AA S 1 (1) lifa
Term
QQ The Sky Measuring Scale with the masonry towers (Gaocheng Observatory) was designed and built by
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Guo Shoujing
Term
QQ Celestial longitude is measured
Definition
AA S 1 (1) eastwards along the ecliptic from the vernal equinox
Term
QQ Which of the following kinds of eclipse is seen when one is located directly behind (not in) the Moon's umbra?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) annular solar eclipse
Term
QQ The eclipse seasons are the times when
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the Moon's line of nodes is near or on the Sun
Term
QQ Our division of the day into 24 hours goes back to the
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Egyptians
Term
QQ The original zigzag approximation was invented by which of the following?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Kidinnu
Term
QQ The saros cycle is associated with
Definition
AA S 1 (1) eclipses, both solar and lunar
Term
QQ In the cosmological model of Philolaus, one of the Pythagoreans, the counter-Earth served what purpose?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) hide the central fire from view by people on Earth
Term
QQ The hippopede was first introduced to represent (albeit crudely) the retrograde motions of planets by
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Eudoxus
Term
QQ According to Aristotle, the natural motions of things in the superlunary realm (from the Moon's sphere out) are
Definition
AA S 1 (1) in circles at constant speed (uniform circular motion)
Term
QQ Which of the following arguments did Aristotle employ against the Earth's rotation around an axis?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) argument of fall
Term
QQ Which of the following can only be used to establish when the Sun is at the zenith and not its altitude or the
time of day?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) zenith tube
Term
QQ The approximate date of Ptolemy is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) 150 AD
Term
QQ Which of the following put the Sun at the center of the Universe (heliocentric theory)?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Aristarchus
Term
QQ Which of the following did not succeed in measuring the Moon's geocentric parallax and thus its distance?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Aristarchus
Term
QQ In the simplified geocentric model we discussed in lecture, the epicycle for a superior planet was taken to be
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the Earth's orbit around the Sun
Term
QQ Which of the following features of Ptolemy's epicyclic models was the one that was most objected to by others,
including Copernicus?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the equant
Term
QQ Precession causes the North Celestial Pole to
Definition
AA S 1 (1) swing westwards in a large circle around the
Term
QQ The approximate date of Newgrange is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) 3200 BC
Term
QQ The approximate date of Hipparchus is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) 150 BC
Term
QQ The approximate date of Aristotle is
Definition
AA S 1 (1) 350 BC
Term
QQ The branch of the government astronomy bureau in China
that was responsible for keeping track of irregular phenomena
in the sky such as comets, meteors, and "guest stars" was
Definition
AA S 1 (1) tianwen
Term
QQ Which of the following is an inferior planet?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) Venus
Term
QQ The equatorial coordinate declination is ordinarily measured in units of
Definition
AA S 1 (1) angle (degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds)
Term
QQ The astronomer Gerald Hawkins introduced the use of the
digital computer to study which of the following at Stonehenge?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the azimuths of rise and set for astronomical objects
compared to the alignments of the stones
Term
QQ Which of the following is generally considered true about
Stonehenge?
Definition
AA S 1 (1) the builders deliberately marked the direction of
summer solstice (or midsummer) sunrise with the Heel Stone
Term
QQ The term trilithon refers to
Definition
AA S 1 (1) two massive vertical stones next to each other
with a third stone laid horizontally across the top
Term
QQ A person located on the Earth where the Moon's umbra
passes over sees (weather permitting, of course) a/an
Definition
AA S 1 (1) total solar eclipse
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