Astronomy hw

1. A transit of Venus across the face of the Sun occurs

a. approximately twice in a century.

b. once in a millennium.

c. 13 times in century.

d. never.

e. every time Venus laps Earth in its orbit.

2. Polaris, the North Star, does not appear to move in the sky over the course of the year because

a. the stars are fixed relative to each another.

b. it lies approximately on the north celestial pole.

c. it is too nearby for its motion to be discernible.

d. it is located directly overhead for everyone on Earth.

e. it is much farther away than any of the other stars.

3. The latitude of Erie, Pennsylvania is approximately 42. How far above the horizon is the star Polaris to observers in Erie? ANSWER USING A NUMBER

4. What phase of the Moon is it when the Sun and the Moon are seen in the directions shown below?

a. first quarter moon

b. full moon

c. waning crescent moon

d. waxing gibbous moon

e. third quarter moon

5. A star directly over the south pole of the Earth would have a declination of _______

ANSWER USING A NUMBER

6. For lines of celestial latitude to be oriented relative to the horizon as shown in the figure below, you must be located

a. at the equator.

b. in the northern hemisphere.

c. in the southern hemisphere.

d. at either the north or south pole.

e. nowhere; they cannot appear as shown.

7. For lines of celestial latitude to be oriented relative to the horizon as shown in the figure below, you must be located

a. at the equator.

b. at the north pole.

c. at the south pole.

d. at either the north or south pole. Can’t be sure.

e. somewhere between the equator and one of the poles

8. A planet is seen in the southwest at sunrise. Which of the planets below cannot be it?

a. Mars e. Neptune

b. Venus

c. Jupiter

d. Saturn

9. A solar eclipse in which the edges of the Sun peak out from behind the Moon that is in perfect alignment with the solar disk is known as a(n) ______________________ eclipse. Such an eclipse was seen in Erie Pennsylvania on May 10, 1994.

10. A notable eclipse will be seen from what country in August 2017______________?

11. What kind of eclipse will it be? _____________________ (in Aug. 2017)

12. The time it takes the Moon to orbit the Earth once (27.3 days) is known as a _________ month.

13. and 14. A synodic month is ____________ days long and is the time between two consecutive what? ________.

15. Venus passed in front of the Sun in what year? ______________

16. When does the Moon turn red? During a ____________

17. What causes the red color? Light from the Sun passes through _______________ before hitting the Moon.

18. This planet (there are two) goes through phases like the Moon. ______________

19. True or False? A lunar eclipse always happens at night.____________________

20. True or False? Saturn undergoes retrograde motion.__________________