1
Astro 4 Test 1 Practice
Multiple Choice
Choose the ONE best answer and mark it on your answer sheet.
1.
Which of the following statements best describes the difference between the apparent DIURNAL and
ANNUAL motions that we see in the sky?
a.
There really isn’t any difference between the diurnal and the annual motion,
since all motions in the sky take 24 hours to complete one cycle.
b.
The diurnal motion means that the sky seems to rotate westward once per day,
while the Sun seems to move eastward relative to the stars, maing one eastward
circuit per year.
c.
The diurnal motion means that the sky seems to rotate eastward once per day,
while the Sun seems to move westward relative to the stars, making one
westward circuit per year.
d.
The apparent annual motion of the Sun is much faster than the apparent diurnal
motion of the sky. The first only takes 24 hours, while the second one takes a
full year.
2.
Which of these is the correct OFFICIAL definition of a constellation?
a.
It is a shape that people see and recognize in the sky, such as the `Big Dipper’.
b.
It is a cluster of stars that are all near each other in space.
c.
It is one of 88 regions in the sky with boundaries defined by the International
Astronomical Union (IAU).
d.
It is one of about 10 regions in space where we can observe bright stars, which
all seem to cluster near each other.
3.
A friend of yours from a distant country is visiting you. While going for a walk one night, you point
out the North Celestial Pole. They remark that they’ve never seen either celestial pole high up in their
sky before. Which of the following best describes where they live?
a.
On the equator
b.
In the Southern Hemisphere
c.
In a country that’s either due East or due West of your country
d.
Near one of the Earth’s poles
4.
When Galileo observed Venus, he saw something that didn’t fit the Ptolemaic model for the Solar
System. What was it?
a.
Venus sometimes shows a nearly full phase, and not just a crescent.
b.
Venus sometimes shows a crescent phase, and not just a nearly full phase.
c.
Venus looks brighter at certain times than at others.
d.
Venus shows phases, instead of always looking nearly full at all times.
