Test One Study Guide
True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false.
____ 1. The average distance from Earth to the sun is 1 AU.
true
____ 2. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year.
true
____ 3. The sun is a star in the Milky Way Galaxy.
true
____ 4. The Greek letter designation (Bayer designation) conveys information about a star's location and brightness.
true
____ 5. Navigators in the Northern Hemisphere can find their latitude by measuring the angle from the northern
horizon to the north celestial pole.
true
____ 6. The celestial equator always passes directly overhead.
false
____ 7. A second magnitude star in Ursa Major is brighter than a fourth magnitude star in Orion.
yes.
____ 8. Polaris has always been the star nearest the north celestial pole.
nope
____ 9. The constellations were created by the Greeks.
nope…not all were
____ 10. The moon and visible planets are always within a few degrees of the ecliptic.
yep
11. Explain the unit of measure used for the average distance from the Earth to the Sun.
It is the astronomical unit
12. Define/explain what a galaxy is.
a system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational
attraction
13. Explain how an observer’s northern latitude is related to the angle Polaris is found in the sky. Provide an
example.
the latitude and the degrees above the horizon are the same value. If you are at 27 degrees north latitude,
Polaris is 27 degrees above the horizon
14. Define celestial equator.
the projection into space of the earth's equator; an imaginary circle equidistant from the celestial
poles.
15. Define celestial pole.
The projection into space of the earth’s north or south pole. Right now, Polaris is at the north celestial pole
16. Define zenith
the point directly above the observer
17. Define asterism.
it is a different grouping of stars within (or different from) the constellation. The Big dipper is one, the
summer triangle is one, so is the keystone of Hercules or the great square of Pegasus
18. Define nadir.
the point directly below the observer
19. Define apparent visual magnitude.
AVM is how bright a star looks to the observer, regardless of distance. For example, Sirius looks brighter
in the sky than Polaris, but if you put them at the same distance that may not be the case
20. Explain the visual magnitude restrictions on human eyesight.
We can only see to magnitude 6 with the naked eye. Any number larger than that, we would need a
telescope to see.
21. An observer in the Northern Hemisphere watches the sky for several hours. Due to the motion of Earth,
this observer notices that the stars near the north celestial pole appear to move
a. counter clockwise. b. clockwise. c. from left to right. d. from right to left. e. nearly vertically upward.
counterclockwise
22. Which star in the table below would appear the brightest to an observer on Earth?
Star Apparent Visual
Name Magnitude
δ Dra 3.07
α Cet 2.53
ρ Per 3.98
Nim 8.07
α CMa -1.46
a. α Cet b. α CMa c. Nim d. ρ Per e. δ Dra
the one with magnitude of -1.46. That is the brightest star on the list. Nim is the dimmest one, we would
not be able to see that one with our naked eyes.
23. List the first 5 letters of the Greek alphabet in order. Explain their use in astronomy.
We use the Greek letters for the Bayer designation. It tells us which is the brightest (alpha). The order is
Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon
24. An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky. If the
illustration below depicts the photograph taken by the observer, which direction was the camera pointing?
South. The gentle arcs are the clue on that one.
25. An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky. If the
illustration below depicts the photograph taken by the observer, which direction was the camera pointing?
West
[Link] does the size of the image of a star in a photograph tell us about the star?
How bright it is. Bigger circle= brighter star
27. Explain precession of the Earth and the effect it has on astronomy.
Precession is the wobble of the Earth on its axis, like a top that is slowing down. Because of this, the north
celestial pole star changes over time.
28. You live at a latitude of 73° N. What is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial
pole?
Same as the latitude….73
29. Define a light year.
the DISTANCE light travels in a year
30. If a galaxy is 350,000 light years away, how long has the light been traveling to get to the observer?
350,000 years
31. What two things does a star’s Greek-letter designation tell us that its ancient Arabic name does not
it tells you relative brightness for the stars in THAT constellation and the constellation it is in. For
example: Gamma Orionis…it is the 3rd brightest star in the constellation of Orion