Practice Exam #1

If our year were twice as long, it would mean that Earth takes twice as many days to complete each orbit around the Sun. This would result in each season being twice as long as they are now because the length of a season is determined by the position of Earth in its orbit around the Sun. The tilt of Earth's axis and its rotation period remain unchanged, so the only factor affecting the length of seasons would be the longer year. Therefore, the correct answer is that the four seasons would each be twice as long as they are now.

The stars would appear to be moving counter-clockwise around Polaris. This is because Polaris is located near the North Celestial Pole, which is the point in the sky that all other stars appear to rotate around due to the rotation of the Earth. In the northern hemisphere, as the Earth rotates counterclockwise, it gives the illusion that the stars are moving in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the correct answer is counter-clockwise.

An Astronomical Unit (A.U.) is a unit of measurement used in astronomy to represent the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. It is defined as approximately 149.6 million kilometers or 93 million miles. This distance is used as a reference point to measure distances within our solar system. Therefore, option (b) stating that an A.U. is Earth's average distance from the Sun is the correct answer.

A week after the full moon, the Moon's phase is the third quarter. This is because the full moon occurs when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun, with the Earth in between. As the Moon continues its orbit around the Earth, it moves towards the third quarter phase, where only half of the Moon is illuminated and visible from Earth. This phase occurs approximately one week after the full moon. Therefore, the correct answer is (b) third quarter.

In winter, Earth's axis points toward the star Polaris, which is also known as the North Star. This is because Polaris is located very close to the Earth's celestial north pole. In spring, the axis of the Earth still points toward Polaris, as the orientation of the axis remains relatively constant throughout the year. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) the axis also points toward Polaris.

The drawing shows the stars of the constellation Taurus near the Sun at noon. Since the Earth rotates throughout the day, the Sun appears to move across the sky. Therefore, if the Sun is near Taurus at noon, it would be expected to be near Taurus at sunset as well. Therefore, the correct answer is (b) Taurus.

The statement is false because our solar system is not located in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is a spiral galaxy, and our solar system is located on one of the spiral arms, about two-thirds of the way from the center to the edge of the galaxy.

During the middle of summer, the Sun rises in the northeast direction. This means that it rises north of East. This is because during summer, the Earth's tilt causes the Sun to be positioned more directly over the northern hemisphere, resulting in longer days and higher sun angles. As a result, the Sun appears to rise further north of East compared to other times of the year. Therefore, option (b) is the correct statement.

Based on the information given in the question, the person is located at the Earth labeled C. Since the person is located in the Northern Hemisphere, and the location marked with an X is tilted towards the sun, it indicates that it is summer.

During a lunar eclipse, the Moon is in the full phase, meaning it is completely illuminated by the Sun. It is also crossing Earth's orbital plane, which is the path that Earth follows around the Sun. This allows Earth's shadow to fall on the Moon, causing the eclipse. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Based on the given information, the constellation that would be behind the Sun on this day is Aquarius. This is because Aquarius is on the eastern horizon at sunrise, and the Sun rises in the east. Therefore, a person born on this day would have Aquarius as their horoscope sign.

The correct answer is (d) It will have moved to a position closer to the horizon. This is because in the continental U.S., the position of the Sun at noon gradually changes throughout the year due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. During the summer months, the Sun is higher in the sky at noon, while during the winter months, it is lower. Two weeks after the first day of July, which is in the summer, the Sun would have moved lower in the sky, closer to the horizon.

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The Earth's tilt determines the seasons and the length of daylight and darkness in different parts of the world. In situation A, the tilt is such that it is daytime on the left side of the Earth and nighttime on the right side, which is possible. In situation B, the tilt is such that it is daytime on the top half of the Earth and nighttime on the bottom half, which is also possible. However, situations C, D, and E show tilts that are not physically possible in terms of how the Earth's tilt affects daytime, nighttime, and the direction of sunlight. Therefore, only two of the situations shown are physically possible.

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During different times of the year, the position of the Sun in the sky varies in the northern and southern hemispheres. When the Sun is high in the sky in the northern hemisphere, it will be low in the sky in the southern hemisphere. This difference in the angle of the Sun's rays leads to different amounts of sunlight reaching each hemisphere, resulting in different seasons at the same time.

The question is asking for the ranking of the amount of time each star will be above the horizon during a 24 hour period. The figure shows that stars A and E are closest to Polaris, the North Star, and therefore will be above the horizon for the longest amount of time. Stars C, B, and D are further away from Polaris and will be above the horizon for a shorter amount of time. Therefore, the correct ranking is A = E

The moon phase shown below is a crescent moon, which is visible in the evening sky. As the moon sets below the horizon, it moves from the western sky to the eastern sky. Since midnight is the middle of the night, it is the time when the moon phase shown below would begin to set below the horizon.