Quiz #1

1. A light year is a unit of:

2. What information about stars in space do we lose by refering to them "on" the celestial sphere?

3. Tell me, in your own words, what Right Ascension and Declination represent.

Quiz #2

1. What is the ecliptic?

2. By reading figure 1.18 in your textbook, at about what year will Deneb be the North Star?

3. Tell me about one of the 3 types of changes (listed in this chapter) in Earth's orbital motion.

Quiz #3

1. Why does the Earth have seasons?

2. BRIEFLY tell me what the 4 major defining characteristics of modern scientific theories are.

3. Why do we have time zones?

Quiz #4

1. Which is a correct sequence for one cycle of Lunar phases?

2. When the Moon is "waning" what is it doing?

3. If the Moon is full to us in Georgia, will it be full to people in, say, China? WHY or WHY NOT?

Quiz #5

1. If Earth was flat, what would Eratosthenes have seen?

2. BRIEFLY tell me why eclipses don't happen every lunar cycle.

3. How did Aristotle USE the scientific method when he guessed the Earth is round?

Test #1

Quiz #6

1. What did various ancient astronomical observatories keep track of?

2. How did Galileo's observations of Jupiter disprove the geocentric theory?

3. Describe retrograde motion of the planets in your own words. How do epicycles explain this motion?

Quiz #7

1. What is the difference between an empirical law (i.e., Kepler's) and a physical law (i.e., Newton's)?

2. Why is the Moon "falling" toward Earth and why is Earth "falling" toward the Sun? (Be as brief as you can while still being right)

3. Why does Newton's law of inertia contrast so sharply with the previous Aristotlean view? How does it apply to outer space?

Quiz #8

1. Which of these is a type of light?

2. How is the Kelvin temperature scale different than the Fahrenheit scale?

3. Why is electromagnetic radiation so very important to astronomers?

Quiz #9

1. When is it best to use the wave theory of radiation and when is it best to use the particle theory of radiation?

2. Why do we use the picture of the classical atom rather than the picture of the modern atom in discussing atomic structure?

3. How are emission and absorption spectra different? How are they the same?

Quiz #10

1. When you make a telescope bigger (i.e., larger lenses or larger mirrors), what advantages do you get?

2. Why do astronomers put telescopes in space? (your answer should be short)

3. Why are all large modern telescopes now made using mirrors? (hint: think about the basic difference between a lens and a mirror)

Quiz #11

1. Why aren't radio telescopes shiny like mirrors?

2. Why do astronomers need adaptive optics systems? (your answer can be quite short)

3. How is the design of an X-ray telescope different from that of a visible light telescope? Why does the design have to be different?

Test #2

Quiz #12

1. Put these in correct size order, smallest to largest
comet, terrestrial planet, jovian planet, the Sun, Earth's orbit

2. How do spacecraft use "slingshots" to get places?

3. Pick one terrestrial planet and one jovian planet and compare their properties (look at Table 6.1 and BE SPECIFIC).

Quiz #13

1. Which of these is NOT an observation that a planetary formation model must describe?

2. Which are the only "original" objects in the Solar System (i.e., those that haven't been modified since they condensed out of the solar nebula)?

3. Which two very important roles did dust play in the evolution of the solar nebula (gas cloud)?

Quiz #14

1. If continental drift is caused by convection, what is it that is convecting?

2. How many different atmosphere types has Earth had? List the major components of each type.

3. Why are CFCs so very, very detrimental to the ozone layer?

Quiz #15

1. What causes the tides on Earth?

2. Since there is no wind and no rain on the Moon, what causes the erosion of some of the features?

3. How does what you know about the formation of the Solar System help explain the history of the surface features on the Moon?

Quiz #16

1. Why do Earth-based astronomers have such a hard time observing the surfaces of Mercury and Venus?

2. Which are the four basic geological processes that shape planetary surfaces?

3. Pick a major natural feature on Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon or Mars and describe what created it.

Quiz #17

1. Which is the correct order of planet atmosphere thickness, from thinnest to thickest?

2. What are the dominant molecules in Venus' atmosphere? How do they compare with the dominant molecules in Mars' atmosphere?

3. Why do Mercury and the Moon have the same low temperatures but very different high temperatures? Why is there such a great difference in high and low temperatures anyways?

Quiz #18

1. Pluto is most likely the largest member of what group of Solar System objects?

2. We can only see long-period comets when what happens?

3. How are asteroids, meteors AND meteorites different? Don't just give me definitions and expect me to make the connection - spell it out for me.

Test #3

Quiz #19

1. Why are Uranus and Neptune such different colors than Jupiter and Saturn?

2. Name one "outstanding peculiarity" about any of the jovian planets.

3. How does the location of the jovian planets dictate the primary molecules in their atmospheres?

Quiz #20

1. How are Jupiter and Saturn giving off more energy than they are getting from the Sun?

2. What do astronomers mean by saying that Jupiter's (and the other jovians') core is rocky?

3. Why do astronomers think Uranus and Neptune have "slushy" insides and what does "slushy" mean?

Quiz #21

1. What size are the _majority_ of particles in Saturn's rings?

2. What stuff are the rings of the gaseous planets made of (light or dark, what materials)?

3. How is pushing someone on a swing analagous to the orbital resonance that created the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings?

Quiz #22

1. What is "radiation darkening"?

2. How are most of the moons formed in each of the Jovian planet systems? (hint: what kinds of moons are the most plentiful ones?)

3. What is weird about Triton's orbit and what is it's fate?

Quiz #23

1. Why was it great to find that Pluto has a moon?

2. What are the 2 major reasons some researchers suspect Pluto is not a "true" planet?

3. Why do astronomers keep comparing Pluto and Triton (Neptune's largest moon)?

TEST #4

Quiz #24

1. Why was the Urey-Miller experiment so important?

2. Try using the Drake Equation to get a number of technological, intelligent civilizations now present in the Milky Way galaxy (tell me the equation you try as well - like "10*1*(1/10)*1*1*1*100=100")
   (here is an on-line Drake Equation calculator that you can try out :) )

3. There is a case in favor of extraterrestrial life and a case against - what are the major points of each?

Quiz #25

1. Why are astronomers looking for communications in the so-called "water hole"?

2. Why does Mars' lack of a magnetosphere and ozone layer make it a harsh planet for life?

3. Let's try looking at the Drake Equation again. Again, actually use it (Drake Equation calculator - be careful using it though - when you push "Clear", it clears our quiz too!), write down the numbers you used and then describe why you picked the value you did for any ONE of the factors (especially one of the biological ones).