Schaferpool2

Test Pool 2 Questions for Test 2

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Questions 1-12:
You will be shown slide pictures and asked to identify the body shown and/or answer a question about the particular body in the slide.

13. What is the oldest tested material in the solar system?

14. Where do meteor showers get their names from?

15. On March 1, 199- an inferior planet is observed at RA 0h 0m. On March 1, 199- it is at RA 1h 0m. What is its period of rotation?

16. An asteroid is observed at RA 20h 0m on January 23, 1997. One year later it is at RA 23h 0 m. Assuming that it is in a circular orbit, what is its period of revolution?

17. What is the asteroid's period of rotation?

18 What is the significance of the principal feature(s) in this photo? (

19. What stage of planetary evolution has this planet or satellite reached?

20. What stage of planetary evolution has this planet or satellite reached?

21 What stage of planetary evolution has this planet or satellite reached?

22. How many constellations of the Zodiac does Jupiter pass through (on the average) every year?

23. What is the maximum optimum power which should be used on a telescope of three inch aperture?

24. Roughly how many years does Saturn spend within each of the zodiacal constellations?

25. Saturn's Moon Titan is of particular interest because

26. A comet nucleus could best be described as

27. The dark regions of the lunar surface are

28. What is the prime constituent of the Venusian clouds? atmosphere?

29. Which of the following effects is responsible for hospitable conditions on Earth?

FOR QUESTIONS 30 AND 31, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

30. Which planet(s) could be seen the earliest before sunrise?

31. Which planet could only be Pluto?

FOR QUESTION 32, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

32. What part of this telescope is located at point "A"?

FOR QUESTION 33, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

33. What type of telescope is depicted by the diagram?

FOR QUESTIONS 34-35, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

You have taken photographs of the sky.

34. Which was (were) not taken in the north circumpolar region of the sky?

35. Which was (were) unguided?

36. At what speed would you want a motor to turn your camera if you wanted to completely eliminate star trails from a time exposure of the sky?

FOR QUESTION 37, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

37. The date is Nov. 4, 1996, 5 hours after sunset. Name the planets currently visible from east to to west.

FOR QUESTIONS 38-43, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

38. Approximately how many days would pass as the moon travels around the earth from A to B?

39. What is the moon's phase when it is at B?

40. If there is an eclipse of the Sun when the moon is at C, and the date is March 14, 1997 when will the next solar eclipse most likely occur?

41. If there is an eclipse of the sun when the moon is at A, and the date is February 14, 1997, when could the next lunar eclipse most likely occur?

42. Approximately how many days would pass as the moon travels around the Earth from A to C?

43. This period (from A to C) is known as

FOR QUESTIONS 44-46, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

Our moon is at A on March 1 and B on March 2.

44. What is the angle between A and B?

45. What will the date be when the moon returns to position B?

46. What will the moon's phase be when it reaches D?

47. Which planet or satellite is known to have dust storms which may engulf almost the entire surface?

48. What makes Uranus different from other planets?

49. Where does the Oort Cloud theory suggest that comets come from?

50. Why is Venus' surface so warm?

51. Why does the tail of a comet always point away from the sun?

52. What is the distance from the sun to the earth?

FOR QUESTIONS 53-55, REFER TO THE DISPLAY.

53. What type of telescope is the one being displayed?

54. What is the magnification of telescope #l?

55. Which of the following telescopes has the smallest objective diameter?

FOR QUESTION 56, REFER TO THE ATTACHED CARTOON.

56. What is wrong (or illogical) with the sun and/or moon in the cartoon?

57. The right ascension of the sun as seen from the earth is 9 h What would the right ascension of the Earth as seen from the sun equal?

58. A total solar eclipse can never occur when

FOR QUESTIONS 59-61 REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

59. On a given date the moon appears above a particular constellation. One sidereal month later, where will the moon be?

60. One night later, where will the moon be?

61. What is the diagrammed constellation?

FOR QUESTIONS 62-66, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

62. You observe the new moon in the positions relative to the sun on March 1 and March 30. Where would the moon be on April 29?

63. When is a possible date for a lunar eclipse?

64. Which is a possible date for full moon?

65. When would the next solar eclipse be possible?

66. Would this eclipse be partial or total from Peoria?

67. Due to the theorized global ocean of water underneath a surface of ice, which Jovian satellite has been speculated upon as a possible abode for life?

68. What phase of the moon is represented by this photo?

69. After how many days (from the date of this photo) will this approximate arrangement of bodies next occur?

70. When it next happens, what phase will the moon be in?

71. Outgassing refers to

FOR QUESTIONS 72-73, REFER TO THE ATTACHED DIAGRAM SHEET.

72. You observe the moon at right ascension 7 h 10 m on the ecliptic. Where would you expect to see the moon 24 hours later?

73. If the moon is just past (full/first quarter) which phase would you expect when the moon is at X?

74. What do scientists believe are most likely the unaltered remains of the original solar nebula?

75. On which of the following planets and satellites has man actually landed a space craft?

76. You are at latitude 25o, somewhere in Florida. How far below the celestial equator can you see?

77. Which planet of these has the shortest period of revolution?

78. What is the most probable explanation for the Tunguska event of 1908?

79. If the sun were one centimeter in diameter, the Earth, to scale, would be how far?

80. Which is smaller?

81. Which planets are gas giants (Jovian type planets?)

82. What is the composition of Saturn's rings and Jupiter's rings?

83. Which planets definitely have rings?

84. Which planet exhibits surface conditions most like those of the earth?

85. Which planets are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium?

86. Which of the following are found on the surface of Mars?

87. Which planet has the widest range of temperatures, day side to night side?

88. Which planets are most evolved?

89. Which planets have compositions similar to the compositions of stars?

90. What is the prime constituent of the Venusian clouds?

91. When we speak of Jovian planets we mean

92. What are two elements that may be responsible for clearing out the solar system?

93. What is the cause of periodic meteor showers?

94. An astronomical unit is approximately:

95. What were the primary constituents of the Earth's primordial atmosphere?

96. When the moon is at its apogeee, what type eclipse(s) is(are) possible?

97. What is an annular eclipse?

98. Venus has been described as the planet most like

99. Which of the following may be true about life on other planets?

100. What is the name of the sun's faint outer atmosphere, seen by the naked eye during a total solar eclipse?

101. What planet in the solar system is considered neither a terrestrial or a Jovian type?

102. In 1979 Pluto crossed Neptune's orbit. However, they will never collide. What is the main reason?

103. Comets have tails

104. What is the primary molecule which creates the greenhouse effect?

105. What is the maximum number of planets readily visible to the naked eye on a given night?

106. Planets

107. The moon

108. An astronomical unit is the

109. Eclipses do not occur each month because

110. Which of the following planet(s) can never been seen on the meridian at midnight?

111. In order for a solar eclipse to occur, the moon must be

112. What is the cause of an annular eclipse?

113. How are we able to image the surface of Venus without actually landing there?

114. Which of the following is not a stage of planet development?

115. Jupiter, along with the rest of the Jovian planets, is not perfectly spherical, due to

116. Which of the following planets or satellites is least likely to have life?

117. On which bodies have active volcanoes or geysers been observed?

118. Which spacecraft has visited the Jovian planets?

119. Which most closely approximates the distance from the Earth to the Moon?

120. If a planet spends 3 years within each zodiacal constellation, how many years does it take to revolve around the sun?

121. In a typical year, how often does the moon cross the ecliptic?

122. Which of Jupiter's moons has the most active surface?

123. Why is the surface of Mars red?

124. During what type of eclipse does the sun emit rays harmful to our eyes?

125. What is the component of the solar system most recently discovered?
126. As the Moon moves through the stars it roughly follows the

127. How far in degrees can the Moon get from the ecliptic?

128. The phases of the moon are caused by

129. What is the angle between the Moon and Sun at the Moon's first

130. The third quarter Moon falls immediately between

131. The farside of the Moon

132. The Moon's face

133. The full Moon rises at

134. The first quarter Moon on the average sets at

135. Assume the Moon is in its waxing crescent phase. What will be the phase in two weeks?

136. At what phase would you be able to see the portion of the Moon that is in night?

137. Why is there a difference between the Moon's synodic and sidereal periods?

138. Which is a necessity for a total eclipse of the Moon?

139. Why do we not see an eclipse of the Moon every month?

140. A total eclipse of the Moon can be seen

141. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon

142. Which kind of eclipses are more commonly seen by an individual?

143. What is the minimum number of solar eclipses that occur each year?

144. Which is NOT an ancient planet (that is, not known to the ancients)?

145. What planet lies between Mars and Saturn?

146. What body's orbit is tilted most with respect to the ecliptic plane?

147. Which is the superior planet?

148. If Pluto can come closer to the Sun than Neptune, why do the two not collide?

149. Which is the inferior planet?

150. The inferior conjunction of Mercury takes place when Mercury, the Earth, and Sun are lined up in the order:

151. A superior planet is brightest as seen from Earth at

152. When Saturn is in opposition to the Sun, it will rise about

153. When can Mercury be seen in a dark sky?

154. Which is the only planet visible to the naked eye in the daytime sky?

155. What was the great flaw in the Copernican system?

156. The surface of neither Venus nor Mercury can be examined optically from the Earth because

157. What is the total number of the satellites that orbit Mercury and Venus?

158. Mercury's surface temperature is

159. Mercury has

160. Mercury's weak but measurable magnetic fields suggests

161. What happens to Venus's surface temperature at night?

162. Volcanic flooding on Venus is promoted by

163. Where are Venus's oceans concentrated?

164. The number and forms of Venus's impact craters tell us that the surface

165. What features does Mars have in common with the Earth?

166. What features does Mars have in common with Venus?

167. The Martian canals are

168. The surface pressure of the Martian atmosphere is about

169. How much water is in Mars's atmosphere compared with the amount in the Earth's atmosphere?

170. The highest temperatures on the Martian surface are near

171. The Martian clouds are made of

172. From base to top, Mars's Olympus Mons is about

173. Olympus Mons is a

174. Why is Olympus Mons so massive?

175. How many active volcanoes do we now observe on Mars?

176. The Martian outflow channels are

177. Where is most of the Martian water?

178. There is evidence that Mars once had

179. Why does Mars now have no oceans?

180. The season polar caps of Mars are made of

181. What evidence is there for life on Mars?

182. What conditions on Mars would NOT be lethal to unprotected humans?

183. Jupiter's cloud belts are

184. What part of Jupiter appears to rotate the fastest?

185. What is closest to Jupiter's rotation period?

186. How many times more energy does Jupiter radiate than it gets from the Sun?

187. Jupiter's winds blow

188. What is the cause of Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

189. Jupiter's layers outward from the center are

190. Jupiter's internal heat primarily comes from

191. Jupiter has about the same helium fraction as

192. Jupiter's Galilean satellites in order outward from the Sun are

193. The largest of Jupiter's Galilean satellites is comparable to which of the terrestrial planets in radius?

194. Which is the brightest of Jupiter's Galilean satellites, covered with bright ice?

195. Which of Jupiter's satellites is covered with sulfurous volcanoes?

196. Why is Saturn more flattened at the poles than Jupiter?

197. Saturn's rings are made of

198. Which of Saturn's satellites has a thick atmosphere?

199. Which of the outer planets has a Galilean-sized Moon?

200. Neptune has

201. Weather patterns on Neptune are probably controlled by

202. Uranus's major ring is

203. What are the widths of Uranus's main rings?

204. Uranus's larger five satellites

205. Which of Uranus's satellites may have been broken and reassembled?

206. Pluto's rotation period is about

207. Uranus's rings are probably held together by

ESSAY QUESTIONS

Answer: _________ and from the remaining essays totaling no more than an additional ___ points.

4 points

I. Make up a good multiple choice question which you think should have been on this test; give four possible responses, and indicate which is correct. You must answer correctly for credit. Trivial questions will not receive full credit.

5 points

II. Name the planets, in order of average distance from the sun. (No partial credit).

III. What would the effect be on eclipse patterns if the moon were (a) twice as far; (b) twice as large; and (c) had its orbit exactly in the plane of the ecliptic?

IV. What is "nuclear winter?" How has the study of astronomy contributed to our understanding of this phenomenon?

V. Give either the relative sizes of the sun and planets, or their relative distances from the sun.

VI. Are the planets currently in this order? If not, what are the circumstances which caused a difference?

VII. A lunar "phase" month is different from a sidereal month. Explain why.

VIII. Compare and contrast terrestrial planets with Jovian planets.

IX. How does the apparent size of the moon compare with that of the sun. Why is this so?

X. Neptune is currently observed moving slower in its orbit than Pluto. Why is this so?

XI. How could you use photographs of star trails to determine the rate of the Earth's rotation? Which region of the sky would be most useful?

XII. What relationship do nuclear weapons related issues have to our exploration of the solar system and studies of planetary evolution?

XIII. Describe the differences between guided and unguided photographs. Why are there differences?

XIV. A popular theory regarding the extinction of the dinosaurs suggests that the cause may have been astronomical in nature. Describe the main elements of this theory.

XV. Describe any evidence of collisions of asteroids or comets with the Earth during the history of the Earth.

XVI. Discuss some of the scientific concepts incorporated into the book and movie, 2010.

XVII. What conditions must exist for a solar eclipse to occur? a lunar eclipse?

XVIII. What is the "greenhouse effect?" Give two examples of other places in the solar system where the study of their atmospheres and evolution has helped us to understand more about the "greenhouse effect" on Earth.

XIX. What events or processes may have triggered the gravitational collapse of the solar nebula which led to the formation of our solar system?

XX. Your 15-year-old daughter has been bugging you to buy her a telescope for Christmas. You'd like to avoid being ripped off. What are some of the factors concerning type, mounting, aperture, and value which you'll be considering? What should you know about power?

XXI. Describe the humor in the following two cartoons. What would be the consequences to us if the diagrammed situations were real? Diagram the actual positions of Earth, Sun and Moon, labeling properly and indicating the scale.

XXII. Name three things which are "exceptional" about Pluto.

10 points

XXIII. Discuss the speculations concerning the possibility of simple life existing elsewhere in the solar system. (Be specific, mentioning planets and satellites where favorable conditions may exist). What is the Drake equation? What factors are considered in the equation? What can it tell us about the possibility of life elsewhere in the galaxy?

XXIV. Describe all the stages in the formation of the solar system starting from the original solar nebula up until the present time.

XXV. What does the record of cratering tell us about the history of the solar system? What does the moon's cratering record tell us about its history? How do the Earth's and our moon's cratering records differ? What do the cratering records tell us about Mercury, Mars, and the Jovian satellites?

XXVI. What evidence supports the nebular condensation theory of solar system formation? What conditions exist in the solar system today which can't be explained by this theory? What is(are) the key element(s) of alternative theories which explain these conditions?

XXVII. Name 4 of the factors that are considered in the Drake equation. What conclusion can be reached using it?

XXVIII. Summarize the article "Target Earth". What are some key "events" in the history of the Earth and what were their consequences? What "events" have occurred in more recent times, here and elsewhere in the solar system? What recommendations can be made for the future?