Astronomy Semester Exam REVIEW

Name______Period______

Intro and History of Astronomy

1. The average distance from the Earth to the sun is called one ______2. The barred spiral galaxy that contains the Earth and sun is the ______.

3. A unit of distance determined by how far light travels in a set period of time is called a ______.

4. A______is a large system of stars, solar systems, star clusters, gas, dust, and nebulae orbiting a common center of mass .

5. A luminous globe of gas held together by its own gravity and supported by the internal pressure generated by nuclear fusion is a ______.

6. How do you write 7.9 x 104 in standard form: ______

7. The speed of light is approximately ______.

8. What were the “first principles” of ancient Greek astronomy?

9. How did Kepler's first law of planetary motion alter the Copernican system?

10. Who first proposed that gravity is the bending of space-time due to the presence of matter (The Theory of General Relativity)? Name______Period______

Motions of the Earth 11. The sun rises in the morning because of which motion of Earth? ______12. Different constellations are out in the nighttime sky in January than in August because of which motion of Earth? ______13. Spring turns into summer because of which motion of Earth? ______14. The definition of a day is linked to which motion of Earth? ______15. The definition of a year is linked to which motion of Earth? ______16. What causes the seasons on Earth? ______

17. The Earth ______on its axis and ______around the sun.

The Earth-Moon-Sun System 18. How does the time the moon takes to rotate on its axis compare to the time it takes to orbit the Earth?

19. A total lunar eclipse can occur during which phase of the moon?

20. Is a permanent “dark side” of the moon?

21. Does the appearance of the moon’s phases have anything to do with Earth’s shadow?

22. The point in the moon’s orbit when it is closest to the Earth is known as ______

23. When does a lunar eclipse occur? Name______Period______

24. What factor has the greatest influence on Earth’s ocean tides?

The Sky

25. A constellation so close to one of the celestial poles that it never sets or rises is called a ______. 26. The ______is the point on the sky directly above the observer. 27. The circular boundary between the sky and Earth is known as the ______. 28. A ______is one of the stellar patterns identified by name, usually originating from Greek mythology. 29. The path the sun follows along the sky over the course of the year is known as the ______30. A named grouping of stars that is not one of the recognized constellations (such as the Big Dipper or the Pleiades) is called an ______. 31. When is the constellation Ursa Major is visible to observers near Pittsburgh?

32. Which culture named many of the constellations ?

33. The apparent visual magnitudes of 3 stars are as follows: Star A = 1.2, Star B =4.1, and Star C = -1.2. Which one appears brightest in the sky?

The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Telescopes

34. A ______telescope forms an image by bending light with a lens. 35. The main large lens or mirror of an optical telescope is called the ______. 36. The distance between successive peaks of a wave is called a(n) ______. 37. A ______is a telescope that uses a concave mirror to focus light into an image. 38. A ______is a quantum (particle) of electromagnetic radiation that carries energy. 39. Waste light from cities and outdoor lighting which prevents the observation of faint objects from the cosmos is referred to as ______.

40. Which of the following is NOT true of light? Name______Period______

a.) Light can behave as a particle or as a wave. b.) Light particles are called photons c.) We can see all wavelengths of light d.) Light is a form of energy

41. Waves with higher energy tend to have ______wavelengths and ______frequencies

42. The diagram below shows a ______telescope.

Our Solar System

43. Where are most of the moons (satellites) in the solar system located? 44. Planets, asteroids, and comets all orbit the ______. 45. In our solar system, the ______planets are smaller, rocky, and less massive than the ______planets. 46. Jupiter and Saturn are considered ______planets of our solar system. 47. The average distance from the Earth to the sun is known as one ______

The Sun and Other Stars 48. The location of a star in the HR diagram indicates its ______and ______49. Only stars with very ______masses will produce supernovae. 50. The sun is mostly made of the elements ______and ______. 51. The ______of a star determines how quickly fusion will occur and how long the star will “live”. 52. Yellow stars are ______than blue stars. Name______Period______

53. The ______effect indicates if an object is moving toward or away from an observer.

Cosmology

54. How many stars are in our Solar System? 55. The sun is a star that is located in the ______galaxy. 56. The age of the universe is approximately ______