Guide to the Universe 8th Edition Chaisson
Chapters 1 - 18, Complete
,Chapter 0 Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy
1) Right ascension in the sky is very similar to latitude on the Earth.
ANSWER: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 0.1
2) Latitude and right ascension are coordinate systems used to find objects on the celestial
sphere.
ANSWER: FALSE
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3) The celestial sphere is divided into 88 modern constellations.
ANSWER: TRUE
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4) In the sky, declination is measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator.
ANSWER: TRUE
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5) The south celestial pole is located at a declination of -90 degrees.
ANSWER: TRUE
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6) In general, the brightest star in a given constellation is designated as alpha.
ANSWER: TRUE
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7) Constellations are close clusters of stars, all at about the same distance from the Sun.
ANSWER: FALSE
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,8) Over 20,000 stars are visible to the naked eye on the darkest, clearest nights.
ANSWER: FALSE
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9) A star with a right ascension of 2.6 hrs will rise 2.6 hours after the vernal equinox.
ANSWER: TRUE
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Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
10) A tropical year is the same as a sidereal year.
ANSWER: FALSE
Diff: 1
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11) The sidereal day is determined by the Earth's rotation with respect to the stars.
ANSWER: TRUE
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12) The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
ANSWER: TRUE
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13) There are 3,600 arc seconds in a degree.
ANSWER: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: More Prec. 0.1
14) An hour of right ascension corresponds to 60 degrees in the sky.
ANSWER: FALSE
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15) From Earth, the Sun and Moon have about the same angular diameter.
ANSWER: TRUE
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16) At the solstices, the Sun's declination will be 23.5 degrees from the equator.
ANSWER: TRUE
Diff: 2
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,17) At the equinoxes, the declination of the Sun must be zero degrees.
ANSWER: TRUE
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18) As it orbits the Earth, the Moon appears to move its own diameter (0.5 degrees) eastward
every hour against the background stars.
ANSWER: TRUE
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19) From full moon to third quarter moon takes about a week.
ANSWER: TRUE
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20) Only people in the Moon's umbral shadow can see a total solar eclipse.
ANSWER: TRUE
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21) If we are the Moon's penumbra, then we will see a partial lunar eclipse.
ANSWER: FALSE
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22) There is a solar eclipse of some kind every new moon.
ANSWER: FALSE
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23) Eighteen days past new moon, the Moon's phase is waning gibbous.
ANSWER: TRUE
Diff: 2
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24) A total solar eclipse will only occur when the new moon is both on the ecliptic and at its
greatest distance from Earth.
ANSWER: FALSE
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25) The larger the parallax shift, the closer an object is to us.
ANSWER: TRUE
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26) The parallax shift for all stars is very small.
,ANSWER: TRUE
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27) Increasing the baseline will increase the parallax angle.
ANSWER: TRUE
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28) In the scientific method, it is not necessary to test your theory.
ANSWER: FALSE
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29) Drawing on Eratosthenes' method, if two observers are due north and south of each other and
are separated by 400 km, what is the circumference of their spherical world if they see the same
star on their meridian at altitudes of 23 degrees and 47 degrees respectively, and at the exact
same time?
A) 2,000 km
B) 4,000 km
C) 6,000 km
D) 8,000 km
E) 12,000 km
ANSWER: C
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30) The star Wolf 1061 has a parallax of 2.34 arc seconds, while the star Ross 652 has a parallax
of 1.70 arc seconds. What can you correctly conclude?
A) Both stars are outside the Milky Way galaxy.
B) Wolf 1061 must have a larger proper motion than Ross 652.
C) Ross 652 must have a larger proper motion than Wolf 1061.
D) Ross 652 is closer to Earth than Wolf 1061.
E) Wolf 1061 is closer to Earth than Ross 652.
ANSWER: E
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, 31) The greatest distance above or below the ecliptic the Moon can move is
A) 5.2 degrees.
B) 23.5 degrees.
C) 27.3 degrees.
D) 29.5 degrees.
E) 30 degrees.
ANSWER: A
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32) In an annular eclipse,
A) the Sun is totally blocked by the Moon.
B) the Moon is totally blocked by the Earth.
C) the Moon appears as a thin, bright ring.
D) the Sun appears as a thin, bright ring.
E) the Sun is partially blocked by the Earth.
ANSWER: D
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33) If you are in the Earth's umbra on the Earth's surface, then
A) it must be a total solar eclipse.
B) it must be a lunar eclipse of some type.
C) it is night time.
D) the Sun is always visible.
E) the Moon is always visible.
ANSWER: C
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34) The synodic month is
A) 29.5 days.
B) about two days shorter than the sidereal month.
C) based on the Moon's position relative to the stars.
D) the basis of the year we use in our modern calendar.
E) caused by both the Earth's and Moon's rotations.
ANSWER: A
Diff: 2
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