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BROCK UNIVERSITY
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Test 1: May 2016
Course: ASTR 1P01
Examination date: 14 May 2016
Time of Examination: 13:00 – 13:50
Number of pages: 10
Number of students: 645
Time limit: 50 minutes
Instructor: S. D’Agostino
Answer all questions on the scantron sheet provided.
No aids are permitted except for a non-programmable calculator. Use or possession of unauthorized materials will automatically result in the award of a zero
grade for this examination.
Return both the exam script and your scantron sheet when you
leave the exam room.
Each question is worth 1 mark. Total number of marks: 50.
1. The planet that is closest to the Sun is
(a) Earth.
(b) Mars.
(c) Mercury.
(d) Venus.
2. The planet that has the largest mass is
(a) Jupiter.
(b) Neptune.
(c) Saturn.
(d) Uranus.
3. The Earth rotates on its axis from
the Moon, and the stars rise in the
which makes it appear to us that the Sun,
.
(a) East to West / East and set in the West
(b) West to East / West and set in the East
(c) East to West / West and set in the East
(d) West to East / East and set in the West
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4. One astronomical unit (AU) is
(a) much larger than a light-year.
(b) about the same size as a light-year.
(c) much smaller than a light-year.
(d) [They are not comparable, because one is a unit of distance and the other is a
unit of time.]
5. The Earth makes one complete revolution in its orbit around the Sun in about
(a) one year.
(b) one month.
(c) one day.
(d) 230 million years.
6. The radius of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is about
(a) 150,000 km.
(b) 150,000,000 km.
(c) 150,000,000,000 km.
(d) 150,000,000,000,000 km.
7. The speed of light in vacuum is approximately
(a) 300,000 km/year.
(b) 300,000 km/h.
(c) 300,000 km/min.
(d) 300,000 km/s.
(e) much faster than any of the other alternatives listed here.
8. The mass of the Earth is about
times the mass of the Moon.
(a) 10
(b) 100
(c) 1,000
(d) 10,000
9. The Sun has been shining for approximately
(a) 5 thousand years.
(b) 5 million years.
(c) 5 billion years.
(d) 5 trillion years.
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10. Most of the planets have orbits that are shaped approximately like a
(a) cone.
(b) circle.
(c) helix.
(d) sphere.
11. The farthest planet from the Sun is about
from the Sun.
(a) 3 AU
(b) 30 AU
(c) 300 AU
(d) 3,000 AU
12. The stars nearest to the Earth (except for the Sun) are at a distance of about
(a) a few astronomical units (AU).
(b) a few thousand AU.
(c) a few light years.
(d) a few thousand light years.
13. The diameter of the Milky Way galaxy is about
(a) 100 light-years.
(b) 100 thousand light-years.
(c) 100 million light-years.
(d) 100 billion light-years.
14. The Milky Way galaxy contains about
(a) 100 thousand stars.
(b) 100 million stars.
(c) 100 billion stars.
(d) 100 trillion stars.
15. The solar system formed about
(a) 4.6 thousand
(b) 4.6 million
(c) 4.6 billion
(d) 4.6 trillion
years ago.
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16. The Milky Way galaxy belongs to a cluster of galaxies called
(a) the Angry Birds movie.
(b) the Milky Way group.
(c) the U2 supergroup.
(d) the local group.
17. The Oort cloud is
(a) an asterism in the constellation Sanantonium.
(b) the name of the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
(c) a member of the Local Cloud Group, which also includes the Small and Large
Magellanic Clouds.
(d) a region of the outer solar system that contains a vast number of asteroids, comet
nuclei, and other debris.
18. Ancient people named constellations
(a) for religious ceremonies.
(b) to stake claims on various parts of the heavens in the names of certain mythological
gods and goddesses.
(c) to honour important writers, artists, and politicians.
(d) as aids in navigation and for keeping track of seasons.
19. The main reason that the Earth has a significant atmosphere and the Moon does not,
is that
(a) Earth has a lot more piano bars where laid-back jazz is played.
(b) the Moon is closer to the Sun, and the greater heat “boiled” its atmosphere away.
(c) Earth has life, and the Moon does not.
(d) the Earth has greater mass, and therefore greater surface gravity.
20. The Sun
(a) is much like other average stars.
(b) is much larger and hotter than other average stars.
(c) is much smaller and cooler than other average stars.
(d) is not a star.
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21. We can observe other planets in the solar system because
(a) they give off visible light that they produce.
(b) they reflect light produced by the Sun.
(c) we photograph them after we illuminate them with powerful lasers.
(d) we photograph them using technology similar to that used in “night-vision” goggles.
22. The distance between the Earth and the Sun is about
between the Earth and the Moon.
times the distance
(a) 40
(b) 400
(c) 4,000
(d) 40,000
23. Atomic nuclei contain
(a) photinos and gravitinos.
(b) gravitational, electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces.
(c) photons and electrons.
(d) protons and neutrons.
24. On January 1, the constellation Gemini is directly overhead at midnight. On March 1
of the same year, a different constellation is directly overhead at midnight at the same
point on Earth. This happens because
(a) constellations move around the galaxy.
(b) the Earth moves around the Sun.
(c) the galaxy rotates on its axis.
(d) of random stellar motions.
25. The Milky Way galaxy contains about a few
(a) hundred thousand stars.
(b) hundred million stars.
(c) hundred billion stars.
(d) hundred trillion stars.
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26. The age of the universe is about
(a) 14 thousand years.
(b) 14 million years.
(c) 14 billion years.
(d) 14 trillion years.
27. If two observers have the same longitude, but different latitude, then during the same
evening they will observe
(a) the same stars.
(b) at least some different stars.
(c) [It depends on the time of the month.]
(d) [It depends on the time of year.]
28. If two observers have the same latitude, but different longitude, then during the same
evening they will observe
(a) the same stars.
(b) at least some different stars.
(c) [It depends on the time of the month.]
(d) [It depends on the time of year.]
29. The celestial sphere
(a) is the astronomical version of the Hall of Fame.
(b) is a region of the solar system at the outer edge of the Kuiper belt.
(c) is the part of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
(d) is an imaginary sphere used to help us understand motions of celestial objects.
30. There are no circumpolar stars observed by a person
(a) at the equator.
(b) at the North Pole.
(c) at the South Pole.
(d) [Every observer on Earth sees some circumpolar stars.]
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31. Over several weeks or months, some constellations disappear in the
other constellations appear in the
.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
and some
east / west
west / east
north / south
south / north
32. The phenomenon in the previous question occurs because
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
the Earth orbits the Sun.
the Earth rotates on its axis.
the Sun moves around the galaxy as the entire galaxy rotates.
constellations orbit the galaxy.
33. As seen from St. Catharines in May,
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
the
the
the
the
Sun
Sun
Sun
Sun
rises
rises
rises
rises
South of East and sets North of West.
North of East and sets North of West.
North of East and sets South of West.
South of East and sets South of West.
34. As seen from St. Catharines in November,
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
the
the
the
the
Sun
Sun
Sun
Sun
rises
rises
rises
rises
South of East and sets North of West.
North of East and sets North of West.
North of East and sets South of West.
South of East and sets South of West.
35. The constellations that lie along the ecliptic are collectively called
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
the Council of Thor.
the Circle of Zeus.
the Knights Templar of Uther Pendragon.
the Aqualung of Jethro Tull.
[None of the others.]
36. The phase of the Moon at a solar eclipse is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
full.
new.
waning ecliptant.
waxing ecliptant.
[Could be either waxing ecliptant or waning ecliptant, depending on whether it’s
a lunar or solar eclipse.]
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37. The phase of the Moon at a lunar eclipse is
(a) full.
(b) new.
(c) waning ecliptant.
(d) waxing ecliptant.
(e) [Could be either waxing ecliptant or waning ecliptant, depending on whether it’s
a lunar or solar eclipse.]
38. When the Moon sets a few hours after sunrise, its phase is
(a) waxing crescent.
(b) waxing gibbous.
(c) waning gibbous.
(d) waning crescent.
(e) [None of the above.]
39. When the Moon sets a few hours after sunset, its phase is
(a) waxing crescent.
(b) waxing gibbous.
(c) waning gibbous.
(d) waning crescent.
(e) [None of the above.]
40. When the Moon sets a few hours before sunrise, its phase is
(a) waxing crescent.
(b) waxing gibbous.
(c) waning gibbous.
(d) waning crescent.
(e) [None of the above.]
41. When the Moon sets a few hours before sunset, its phase is
(a) waxing crescent.
(b) waxing gibbous.
(c) waning gibbous.
(d) waning crescent.
(e) [None of the above.]
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42. An ancient Greek astronomer calculated the size of the Earth by
(a) measuring the length of the shadow of an obelisk.
(b) comparing the intervals of time between two quarter phases of the Moon.
(c) measuring the difference in the angular sizes of the Sun and Moon.
(d) measuring the Moon’s elevation above the ecliptic.
43. The ancient Greek astronomer who first deduced that the Sun is much farther than
the Moon was
(a) LeBron of Ohio.
(b) Aristarchus of Samos.
(c) Eratosthenes of Cyrene.
(d) Hipparchus of Nicaea.
(e) Ptolemy of Alexandria.
44. At the time of Galileo and Kepler, which of the following observations was the strongest
evidence for a heliocentric model of the solar system?
(a) The moons of Jupiter.
(b) Stellar parallax.
(c) The sunspots.
(d) The gibbous and the quarter phases of Venus.
45. Copernicus lived approximately
years ago.
(a) 100
(b) 300
(c) 500
(d) 2,300
46. Copernicus’s great advance was to reintroduce the
model of the solar
system, which allowed him to determine the relative distances of the planets from the
Sun.
(a) heliocentric
(b) geocentric
(c) celestial sphere
(d) epicycle
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47. Tycho Brahe’s great advance was to
(a) win the astronomer’s 100-m sprint race of 1566 by a nose.
(b) mathematically analyze observations made by Kepler to prove that the orbit of
Mars is elliptical.
(c) make the first observations of comets.
(d) make the most accurate astronomical observations up to that time.
48. Epicycles
(a) were an ancient Greek naval version of bicycles, used for travelling between Greek
islands.
(b) were used by Mercury to get around Mount Olympus.
(c) were used in geocentric models of the solar system to explain retrograde planetary
motions.
(d) were used in heliocentric models of the solar system to explain retrograde planetary motions.
49. The astronomer
orbit of Mars is an ellipse.
devoted eight years of hard work to determining that the
(a) Tycho Brahe
(b) Galileo Galilei
(c) Draymond Green
(d) Johannes Kepler
(e) Isaac Newton
50. The first astronomer to observe the moons of Jupiter was
(a) LaMarcus Aldridge.
(b) Tycho Brahe.
(c) Galileo Galilei.
(d) Johannes Kepler.
(e) Isaac Newton.