Practice Exam #1

20 Questions | By Emhook | Updated: Mar 22, 2022 | Attempts: 928

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The solar system is a combination of the planets, the sun, moon, stars and other physical features in space. Practice exam #2 is simple multiple-choice quizzes that will help you learn more on the subject. Enjoy.

Questions and Answers

1.

Our solar system is located in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
- A.
  
  (a) True
- B.
  
  (b) False
2.

1 A.U. (1 Astronomical Unit) is:
- A.
  
  (a) any planet’s average distance from the Sun.
- B.
  
  (b) Earth’s average distance from the Sun.
- C.
  
  (c) any large astronomical distance.
3.

In winter, Earth’s axis points toward the star Polaris. In spring:
- A.
  
  (a) the axis also points toward Polaris
- B.
  
  (b) the axis points toward Vega
- C.
  
  (c) the axis points toward the Sun
4.

If you are located in the continental U.S. on the first day of July, how will the position of the Sun at noon be different two weeks later?
- A.
  
  (a) It will have moved toward the North.
- B.
  
  (b) It will have moved to a position higher in the sky.
- C.
  
  (c) It will stay in the same position.
- D.
  
  (d) It will have moved to a position closer to the horizon.
- E.
  
  (e) It will have moved toward the west.
5.

A week after full moon, the Moon’s phase is:
- A.
  
  (a) first quarter.
- B.
  
  (b) third quarter.
- C.
  
  (c) new.
6.

If our year were twice as long (that is, if Earth took twice as many days to complete each orbit around the Sun), but Earth’s rotation period and axis tilt were unchanged, then:
- A.
  
  (a) the four seasons would each be twice as long as they are now
- B.
  
  (b) Earth would not have seasons
- C.
  
  (c) stars would take twice as long to rise and set
7.

Which of the following statements is true about the location of the Sun at sunrise during the middle of summer?
- A.
  
  (a) The Sun will rise north of West
- B.
  
  (b) The Sun will rise north of East.
- C.
  
  (c) The Sun will rise south of West.
- D.
  
  (d) The Sun will rise south of East.
- E.
  
  (e) None of the above.
8.

Based on the locations of the constellations described below, what would be the horoscope sign of a person born on this day (i.e. the constellation behind the Sun)? - Taurus is high in the southern sky at sunset. - Aquarius is on the eastern horizon at sunrise. - Scorpius is on the western horizon at noon. - Leo is high in the southern sky at midnight.
- A.
  
  (a) Taurus
- B.
  
  (b) Aquarius
- C.
  
  (c) Scorpius
- D.
  
  (d) Leo
9.

Which of the following groups of moon phases is above the horizon at 9:00 am?
- A.
  
  (a) Third Quarter, Waning Crescent, and Waxing Gibbous
- B.
  
  (b) New Moon, Third Quarter, and Waning Gibbous
- C.
  
  (c) Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous
- D.
  
  (d) Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous
- E.
  
  (e) None. The moon can only been seen above the horizon during the night time.
10.

Consider the five situations shown below (A—E) in which Earth is drawn along with the light coming from the Sun. How many of the situations shown above are physically possible in terms of how the Earth’s tilt is represented relative to daytime, nighttime, and the direction of sunlight.
- A.
  
  (a) only one
- B.
  
  (b) two
- C.
  
  (c) three
- D.
  
  (d) four
- E.
  
  (e) all of the above are possible.
11.

In what phase and location described below will the Moon be, when a lunar eclipse occurs?
- A.
  
  (a) Full phase and below the plane of Earths orbit.
- B.
  
  (b) Full phase and crossing Earths orbital plane.
- C.
  
  (c) New phase and below the plane of Earths orbit.
- D.
  
  (d) New phase and crossing Earths orbital plane.
- E.
  
  (e) None of the above.
12.

USE DIAGRAM below to answer the next question. In this Earth-Sun system drawing we have indicated the direction of both the daily rotation of Earth about its own axis and its annual orbit about the Sun. Imagine you are the observer shown on Earth in the northern hemisphere. 11. For the time of year shown, which constellation will be highest in the sky at noon?
- A.
  
  (a) Aquarius
- B.
  
  (b) Pisces
- C.
  
  (c) Leo
- D.
  
  (d) Taurus
- E.
  
  (e) Scorpius
13.

What time is it when the moon phase shown at below first begins to set below the horizon?
- A.
  
  (a) in the late morning
- B.
  
  (b) at noon
- C.
  
  (c) in the mid-afternoon
- D.
  
  (d) at midnight
- E.
  
  (e) in the early morning
14.

If you could see stars during the day, the drawing above shows what the sky would look like at noon on a given day. The Sun is near the stars of the constellation Taurus. Near which constellation would you expect the Sun to be located at sunset on this day?
- A.
  
  (a) Pisces
- B.
  
  (b) Taurus
- C.
  
  (c) Aries
- D.
  
  (d) Cancer
- E.
  
  (e) Gemini
15.

Consider the Earth labeled C in the figure above. For a person at the location marked with an X, what season is it?
- A.
  
  (a) Summer
- B.
  
  (b) Winter
16.

The figure below shows the evening sky as it would appear for an observer in the northern hemisphere. Notice that Polaris, the North Star, appears fairly high in the sky while other stars (labeled A—E) appear to slowly move around the North Star. Which of the following is the best ranking for the amount of time that each of the stars shown above (A—E), will be above the horizon during a 24 hour period, from least amount of time to greatest.
- A.
  
  (a) C < A < B < D < E
- B.
  
  (b) E < D < B < A < C
- C.
  
  (c) B = D < A < C = E
- D.
  
  (d) A < B = C < D < E
- E.
  
  (e) A = E < C = B = D
17.

The figure below shows the evening sky as it would appear for an observer in the northern hemisphere. Notice that Polaris, the North Star, appears fairly high in the sky while other stars (labeled A—E) appear to slowly move around the North Star. Which direction would the stars appear to be moving about Polaris?
- A.
  
  (a) Clockwise
- B.
  
  (b) Counter-clockwise
18.

For an observer in the continental U.S., which of the three shadow plots, shown below, correctly depicts the Suns motion for one day?
- A.
  
  (a) Shadow plot A
- B.
  
  (b) Shadow plot B
- C.
  
  (c) Shadow plot C.
- D.
  
  (d) All three plots are possible, on different days of the year.
- E.
  
  (e) None of the plots are possible
19.

Which of the following describes one reason that the northern and the southern hemispheres have different seasons at the same time?
- A.
  
  (a) The Earth is closer to the Sun during summer in the southern hemisphere and is farther from the sun during winter in the northern hemisphere.
- B.
  
  (b) During the time of the year when the Sun is high in the sky in the northern hemisphere it will be low in the sky in the southern hemisphere.
- C.
  
  (c) The Earth is tilted, so the Sun is closer to one hemisphere than the other, which causes one hemisphere to be in winter and the other in summer.
- D.
  
  (d) The energy received at Earth from the Sun changes throughout the year providing more energy to one hemisphere than the other.
- E.
  
  (e) The amount the Earth is tilted changes over the course of the year and causes the amount of sunlight that reaches each hemisphere to be different which causes the seasons to be opposites.
20.

Which of the following could be true about shadow plot B from question 19?
- A.
  
  (a) It was made by an observer on the Equator on the summer soltice (June 21).
- B.
  
  (b) It was made by an observer on the Equator on the equinoxes (March 21 or September 21).
- C.
  
  (c) It was made by an observer on the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 North) on the summer solstice (December 21).
- D.
  
  (d) It was made by an observer on the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 North) on the equinoxes (March 21 or September 21).
- E.
  
  (e) Both B and C.