Test Bank for 21st Century Astronomy 4th Edition Kay

1.         Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars in the sky.

                                          ANS: T                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.1       TOP: 1Ii

MSC: Factual  

2.         The meridian is half of an imaginary circle in the sky that passes through an observer’s zenith and both celestial poles.

                                          ANS: T                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.2       TOP: 2Iiv

MSC: Factual

3.         Locations along the equator are the only place on Earth where you can see the entire celestial sphere (during the day or night) over the course of 24 hours.

                                          ANS: T                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.2      TOP: 2IIIi | 2IViii

MSC: Factual

4.         If a star rises due east on the horizon, it will set due west on the horizon six hours later.

                                          ANS: F                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.2       TOP: 2IVi

MSC: Applied

5.         For an observer in the Northern Hemisphere, as he or she looks north, stars travel in a clockwise direction around the north celestial pole over the course of the night.

                                          ANS: F                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.2       TOP: 2IVi | 2IVii

MSC: Factual

6.         Earth revolves around the Sun in the same direction Earth spins about its axis.

                                          ANS: T                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 3Iii

MSC: Factual

7.         The seasons on Earth are caused by the change in distance between the Sun and Earth.

                                          ANS: F                      DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 3IIIii | 3IIIiii

MSC: Factual

8.         The altitude of the Sun as it crosses the meridian changes during the year.

                                          ANS: T                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 3IIIiv

MSC: Factual

9.         A person who lives at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon every day of the year.

                                          ANS: F                      DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 3IIIiv

MSC: Applied

10.     On the autumnal equinox, the lengths of both day and night are 12 hours.

                                          ANS: T                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 3IIIv

MSC: Factual

11.     The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on the summer solstice.

                                          ANS: T                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 3IIIvi

MSC: Factual

12.     When in the New Moon phase, the moon will be visible in the eastern sky at sunrise.

                                          ANS: T                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.4      TOP: 4Ii | 4IIiv

MSC: Applied

13.     The fact that we always see the same side of the Moon indicates that the Moon does not rotate about an axis.

                                          ANS: F                      DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.4       TOP: 4IIIii

MSC: Conceptual

14.     When a solar eclipse occurs, the Sun lies between the Earth and Moon.

                                          ANS: F                      DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.6       TOP: 6Iii

MSC: Conceptual

15.     When a solar eclipse occurs, typically more people will witness it as a partial eclipse than as a total

eclipse.

                                          ANS: T                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.6       TOP: 6Iii | 6IIIiv

MSC: Factual

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1.      There are _________ constellations in the entire sky.

a.       12

b.      13

c.       88

d.      hundreds of

e.       thousands of

                                          ANS: C                     DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.1       TOP: 1I

MSC: Factual

2.      What defines the location of the equator on Earth?

a.       the axis around which Earth rotates

b.      where the ground is the warmest

c.       the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis relative to its orbit around the Sun

d.      the orbit of Earth around the Sun

e.       all of the above

                                          ANS: A                     DIF: Easy                 REF: Section 2.2       TOP: 2Iii

MSC: Factual

3.      If the star Polaris has an altitude of 35°, then we know that:

a.       our longitude is 55°

b.      our latitude is 55°

c.       our longitude is 35°

d.      our longitude is 35°

e.       our latitude is 35°

                                          ANS: E                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.2       TOP: 2Iii | 2Iviii

MSC: Applied

4.      At a latitude of 50°, how far above the horizon is the north celestial pole located? a. 0°

b.      40°

c.       50°

d.      90°

e.       It is not visible at that latitude.

                                          ANS: C                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.2      TOP: 2Iii | 2Iiii | 2Ivi

MSC: Applied

5.      At what latitude is the north celestial pole located at your zenith?

a.       0°

b.      30°

c.       60°

d.      90°

e.       This occurs at every latitude.

                                          ANS: D                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.2      TOP: 2Iii | 2Iv | 2Ivi

MSC: Applied

6.      At what latitude is the north celestial pole at your horizon?

a.       0°

b.      30°

c.       60°

d.      90°

e.       This can never happen.

                                          ANS: A                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.2      TOP: 2Iii | 2Iiii | 2Ivi

MSC: Applied

7.      For a person who lives at a latitude of 40°, when is the Sun directly overhead at noon?

a.       only on the summer solstice

b.      only on the winter solstice

c.       only on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes

d.      never

e.       always

                                          ANS: D                     DIF: Medium           REF: Section 2.3       TOP: 2Iii | 3IIIi

MSC: Applied

8.      For a person living in Vancouver, Canada, at latitude of 49°, the Sun will reach a maximum height above the Southern horizon on winter solstice of a. 41.0°

b.      17.5°

c.       25.5°

d.      37.0°

e.       64.5°

                                          ANS: B                     DIF: Difficult           REF: Section 2.3      TOP: 2Iii | 3IIIi | 3IIIvi

MSC: Applied

9.      The meridian is defined as an imaginary circle on the sky on which lie the:

a.       celestial equator and vernal equinox

b.      north and south celestial poles

c.       zenith and the north and south celestial poles

d.      zenith and east and west directions

e.       celestial equator and summer solstice