astronomy homework
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University of South Carolina, Sumter *
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Course
1010
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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14
Uploaded by DeaconBarracuda3069
1.1
Which best describes a useful scientific fact?
The mass of a book measured to be 3kg
Which statement is an example of a scientific law?
The acceleration on an object with a mass, m, experiencing a force, F, is given by a=F/m
Which statement best represents a good scientific hypothesis?
The moon’s orbit of the earth is determined by the gravitational force
Which statement does NOT describe a scientific theory?
There can be multiple scientific theories explaining the same phenomenon
Which are two scientific principles most used in astronomy?
Occam’s razor and cosmological principle
When would you apply the principle of Occam's razor?
At the end of the scientific method, after both hypothesis have been confirmed valid
When does the scientific process end?
The process never ends, new technology allows for new experiments to continue to test scientific
theories
How would you write the number 5 million in standard form?
5,000,000
How would you write the number 5 million in scientific notation?
5x10^6
How long does it take a message traveling at the speed of light to reach the moon when sent from
earth?
1.26 seconds
How long does it take for a message traveling at the speed of light to reach mars from earth when
mars is at its closest distance to earth?
3 minutes
Mars is about 4x1011 meters from Earth when it is farthest from Earth. Remember that light travels
at a speed of 3x108 meters per second.
How long in seconds would it take a message to reach Mars from Earth when Mars is at its farthest
distance?
1,333 seconds
How long would it take the message to reach Mars in minutes?
22 minutes
Neptune is now considered to be the farthest planet from the sun. How long does it take light from
the sun to reach Neptune?
4 hours
The Kuiper belt, where pluto resides, is about 6 light hours from the sun. One way to state the size of
our solar system is the diameter of the solar system out to the Kuiper belt.
How large is the diameter of the solar system in miles using the radius of 6 light hours?
Recall that diameter is two times the radius.
8 billion miles
What is 2.23 x10^11 in standard form?
223,000,000,000
What is 300,000,000 in scientific notation?
3x10^8
What is (4.2x10^12) x (6.5x10^15) = in scientific notation?
2.73x10^28
What is (8.4x10^22) / (2.2x10^12) = in scientific notation?
3.8x10^10
What is (8.4x10^23) + (9.2x10^21) = in scientific notation?
8.492x10^23
Using the light times given in the lecture slide video's, how long does it take the light refelcted from
Jupiter to reach the Earth?
35 minutes
1.2
Which statement best describes the Analemma?
The figure 8 style path the sun appears to take through the sky over the course of a year when
observed every 24 hours.
In what cardinal direction (North, East, South, West) does the sun set in the summer months in the
northern hemisphere?
North of west
In what cardinal direction does the sun rise in the winter months in the northern hemisphere?
South of east
What is the name of the day (time) when the sun sets directly west at all latitudes of the Earth?
Equinox
What months are considered Meteorological Winter in the Northern Hemisphere?
December, january, and february
What months are considered Meteorological Fall in the Southern Hemisphere?
March, april, and may
What is the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis relative to its orbital axis?
23.5 degrees
How would the Seasons in Clemson change if the Earth's rotation axis was only tilted by 10 degrees?
Seasons would be milder, cooler summers, and warmer winters
Northern hemisphere, autumnal equinox:
Usually september 22nd, minimum tilt towards the sun, equal astronomical day and night
everywhere, sun is over the equator
Which best describes the orientation of the Earth on the Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice?
The Earth is at its maximum tilt relative to the sun with the Northern hemisphere tilted towards the
sun.
Which observation directly opposes the hypothesis that the Earth experiences summer when it is
closest to the Sun in its orbit?
The northern hemisphere of the Earth experiences Winter when the Earth is closest to the Sun in its
orbit.
When presenting to a global audience an astronomer would probably say the March Equinox rather
than the Spring Equinox. Which statement best explains why?
The equinox that occurs in March is the Spring equinos for the northern hemospher but the fall
equinox in the southern hemisphere.
Which statement is NOT true about the Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice?
It usually occurs on january 21st
Which two statements are the primary reasons it is colder in the winter than in the summer?
The angle of the sunlight relative to the surface of the Earth is smaller. The length of time the sun is
in the sky is shorter.
Where on the Earth is the astronomical day and night equal year round?
The equator
When is the astronomical day and night equal for every latitude on Earth?
Spring equinox, fall equinox, vernal equinox, autumnal equinox
Which regions of the Earth could be considered 'lands of the midnight sun"?
North of the arcitic circle. South of the antarctic circle.
At exactly the North pole (90 degrees latitude):
Seasons of day and night, 6 months of continuous daylight then 6 months of continuous darkness
Between the tropic of cancer and the arctic circle:
Common seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
At exactly the equator:
Seasons of rain, a rainy season and a dry season.
2.1
What is the speed of light in a vacuum that we will use in this course?
3x10^8 m/s
What happens to the speed of light when it enters a medium?
It slows down
What is the last light you see from the sun at the end of a day?
The red light refracted through the atmosphere
What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency of a light wave?
An inverse relationship
How would you write 5 mm in scientific notation?
5x10^-3m
What is the frequency of a 7nm wavelength light wave? Recall c=f and c=3x108 m/s.
4.3x10^16 Hz
What is the wavelength of a 6x10^9 Hz frequency light wave?
5 cm
List the categories of the electromagnetic spectrum from shortest wavelength to longest
wavelength.
Gamma, ultraviolet, infrared, radio
In what category of the electromagnetic spectrum would a 6x10^-9 m wavelength light wave be a
part of?
X ray
In what category of the electromagnetic spectrum would a 5x10^13 Hz photon be a part of?
Infrared
What color in the visible spectrum has the shortest wavelength?
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Blue
What color in the visible spectrum has the largest frequency?
Blue
What is the relationship between the frequency of a photon and its energy?
A direct relationship
What is the relationship between the wavelength of a light wave and its energy?
An inverse relationship
Which color photon carries the most energy?
Blue
What is the energy of a 5x10^12 Hz photon? Recall E=hf where h=6.63x10^-34 Js
3.3x10^-21 J
What is the energy of a 3x10^-5 m wavelength photon? Recall c=f and E=hf where c=3x10^8 m/s
and h=6.63x10^-34 Js
6.6x10^-21 J
Imagine an animal evolved to see in the infrared part of the spectrum. If the upper bound of
wavelengths the creature can detect is 5x10-4 meters and the lower bound is 1x10-6 meters, what
is the maximum frequency of light the creature could detect?
3x10^14 Hz
2.2
Which statement best describes thermal energy?
The motion of the particles that make up an object.
What color would you expect a 12,000 K star to appear?
Blue
What color would you expect a 2,000 K star to appear?
Red
What color would you expect a 7,000 K star to appear?
White
Which subatomic parts of an atom are found in the nucleus of the atom?
Proton and neutron
Proton
→
Element
Neutron
→
Isotope
Electron
→
Charge
Which statement about electrons is NOT true?
Electrons in an atom can have any amount of energy.
Which type of spectrum would be observed if a gas was given enough thermal energy to excite the
electrons to a higher energy state and then the electrons dropped back to lower energy levels?
Emission spectra
What type of spectrum would be created if a gas was heated to a high enough temperature that the
motion of the particles created electromagnetic waves in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum?
Continuous spectrum
What type of spectrum would be observed if the white light from a star passed through a gas before
reaching our detectors?
Absorption spectra
Which best describes a generic absorption spectra?
Rainbow colored band with dark lines
What is the unique pattern seen in either an emission spectrum or absorption spectrum for a
specifc element called?
Spectral fingerprint
What is happening to a wavelength that is blueshifted?
The wave peaks are closer together than normal due to the relative motion
Which statement is TRUE about light that has been redshifted?
The light can appear any color depending on the original color and the relative motion
Which statement best describes the effect on the frequency of light that has been blueshifted?
The frequency increases
Source moving toward location—> blueshift
Source moving away from location
→
redshift
Which statement best describes how the images of celestial objects you see in the media are
created?
Filters are used to collect samples of the light from the object in certain wavelengths and then a
composite image is created that generally does not exactly match what you would see with the
human eye.
3.1
What is the name of the moon phase shown above as viewed from the
northern hemisphere?
Waxing crescent
What is the name of the moon phase shown above as viewed from the
northern hemisphere?
Waning gibbous
What is the name of the moon phase shown above as viewed from the northern
hemisphere?
1st quarter
Approximately when does the New Moon rise?
Around sunrise
Approximately when does the 3rd Quarter moon rise?
Around midnight
Approximately when does the Full Moon rise?
Around sunset
When viewing the moon from above the north pole, how much of the moon appears illuminated at
any point in its orbit?
Half of the moon
What direction does the moon orbit the Earth when viewed from above the north pole?
Counterclockwise
Given it takes 29.5 days to go from one full moon to the next full moon, how long does it take to get
from the full moon to the new moon?
About 2 weeks
What is the phase of the moon at location C?
Sun is to the right of the image.
waxing crescent
What is the phase of the moon at location E?
3rd quarter
What is the phase of the moon at location B?
Waxing gibbous
Which best describes the alignment of the Earth, Sun and Moon during a solar eclipse?
The moon is between the earth and the sun
Which best describes a lunar eclipse?
The moon is inside the earths shadow
Which statement best describes the path of totality during a solar eclipse?
The part of the earth that falls inside the umbra of the moons shadow
Approximately how often do solar eclipses happen each year?
About twice a year
In any given year are you more likely to see a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse
During what phase of the moon can a solar eclipse occur?
New moon
During what phase of the moon can a lunar eclipse occur?
Full moon
Which prediction is the most accurate based on your knowledge of solar and lunar eclipses?
If a lunar eclipse occurs a solar eclipse either occured 2 weeks ago or will occur in about 2 weeks
3.2
m(mass)
→
kg
v (velosity)
→
m/s
a (acceleration)
→
m/s^2
f (force)
→
N
Which of Newton's laws is also called the law of inertia?
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Newtons 1st law
Which of the values is a correctly stated velocity?
3 m/s east
Which of these statemetns does NOT describe a change in velocity?
Traveling north at a constant speed of 60 mph
Which equation is associated with Newtons second law?
f=ma
What is the relationship between acceleration and force?
Direct, if force increases acceleration increases
What is the force acting on a 4 kg object if the object is accelerating at 5 m/s2?
20 N
What is the acceleration of an 8 kg object experiencing a force of 32 N?
4 m/s^2
What is the mass of an object if it accelerates at 5 m/s2 when a force of 40 N is applied to it?
8 kg
Which is a correct statement of Newton's third law?
For every force there is a force with equal magnitude and opposite in direction.
What property do a bowling ball and a feather have in common?
They both experience the same acceleration due to gravity
Which option would NOT decrease your weight as measured by a scale?
Riding an elevator that is accelerating downward
A scientists mass on Earth is 60 kg. The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is 9.8 m/s2. The
acceleration due to gravity on Mars is 3.7 m/s2. What is the scientists weight on Earth?
588 N
A scientists mass on Earth is 60 kg. The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is 9.8 m/s2. The
acceleration due to gravity on Mars is 3.7 m/s2. What is the scientists mass on Mars?
60 kg
A scientists mass on Earth is 60 kg. The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is 9.8 m/s2. The
acceleration due to gravity on Mars is 3.7 m/s2. What is the scientists weight on Mars?
222 N
A 65 kg person walking pushes on the Earth with a force of 10 N. Recall that the Earth has a mass of
6x10^24 kg. What is the acceleration the person experiences?
0.15 m/s^2
A 65 kg person walking pushes on the Earth with a force of 10 N. Recall that the Earth has a mass of
6x1024 kg. What is the acceleration the Earth experiences?
1.7x10^-24 m/s^2
4.1
What direction does the force of gravity point?
The force of gravity always points towards the other mass that is providing the force
Looking at the equation for Universal gravity from the lecture slides. What would happen to the
Force if you doubled m1 ?
The force would double
Looking at the equation for Universal gravity from the lecture slides. What would happen to the
Force if you doubled r ?
The force would be ¼ of what it was
What is the relationship of the force between two objects and the distance betweeen the objects?
Inverse Square, if distance decreases the force increases exponentially
Which best describes the distance you should use when measuring the force of gravity between a
person and the planet they are standing on the surface of?
The distance from the center of mass of the person to the center of the planet
Knowing the force of gravity on a person near the surface of the Earth is Fg = mg and Fg=
GmME/r^2 where ME is the mass of the Earth, m is the mass of the person and r is the distance
between their ceners of mass. What is Fg= GmME/r^2?
g. the acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the Earth
We often use the Earth-Sun system as a reference and use the mass of Earth as the unit for m1, the
mass of the Sun as the unit for m2 and the distance between the Earth and the Sun (an astronomical
unit, AU) as the unit for r. How does the force of gravity in a system with a star twice the mass of the
sun, a planet 4 times the mass of the Earth and a distance between them twice the distance between
the Earth and Sun (2AU), compare to the Earth-Sun system?
The system has twice the gravitational force
How does the force of gravity in a system with a star 8 times the mass of the sun, a planet 2 times
the mass of the Earth and a distance between them 4 times the distance between the Earth and Sun
(4AU), compare to the Earth-Sun system?
The force is the same as the earth-sun system
How does the force of gravity in a system with a star 4 times the mass of the sun, a planet 3 times
the mass of the Earth and a distance between them 6 times the distance between the Earth and Sun
(6AU), compare to the Earth-Sun system?
The force is
⅓
of the earth-sun system
What is the name of the force that points towards the center of an objects orbit?
Centripetal force
Which best explains why an astronaut feels 'weightless' while orbiting in a spacestation?
They are free falling but traveling fast enough perpendcular to the acceleration due to gravity to
never strike the Earth
What is the lower limit of velocity for a bound orbit?
The velocity for a circular orbit, anything less crashes into the surface
What is the upper limit on velocity for a bound orbit?
Escape velocity, anything larger is unbound
Venus has a mass of 4.9x1024 kg and a radius of 6x106meters. Recall the Graviational constant is
6.67x10-11 N m2/kg2. What would the force of gravity of a 55kg person be on the surface of Venus?
500 N
Which statement is the most accurate about the orbit of planets and the Sun?
The planet and Sun orbit a point between the center of the planet and the center of the Sun
Is it possible to view the orbits of satellites from the surface of Earth?
Yes, one can watch the space station or satellites like starlink pass by at night
4.2
Where is the force of gravity from the moon the strongest on Earth?
On the side of the earth closest to the moon
Which aspect of the Universal Gravity equation is the most important in causing tidal forces
between the Earth and Moon?
The inverse square relatinship in the distance and the large size of the earth
If the mass of the moon was doubled, what affect would it have on the tides of Earth?
Tides would be stronger
If the Earth rotated at half its current speed, what would happen to the tides of Earth?
It would take longer to reach the next tide
Which best describes the orbit of the moon?
The moon orbits a point under the surface of the earth but not at the center of the earth
How many bulges of water are present on the Earth at any given time in the simple model of the
tides?
Two bulges, one close to the moon and one on the opposite side of the Earth as the moon.
How many low tides does a location on Earth experience in 24 hours if you start timing during a
high tide?
2
If you experienced high tide at 9am today. What time would you expect high tide to be tomorrow?
10 am
What does NOT play a role in determining local tidal conditions?
The earths magnetic field
When does a spring tide occur?
During a full or new moon
When does the neap tide occur?
During a 1st quarter or 3rd quarter moon
What is the source of the higher tides during a spring tide?
The gravity of the sun and moon work together to create a stronger tidal force
What is the official name for why we can only ever see one face of the moon when looking from the
surface of the earth?
Tidal locking of the moon to the earth
Which observation of the moon is NOT due to tidal forces?
The lack of active volcanoes on the moon
Which observation is NOT a result of tidal forces acting on the earth?
The season of the earth
What is the soure of energy for the volcanism on Jupiter’s moon lo?
Tidal heating
What happens if an object held together by its own gravity passes through the roche limit of a larger
object?
The smaller object is ripped apart by tidal forces
What is an important difference between man made satellites like the space station and natural
satellites like the Moon?
Natural satellites are held together by self gravity, man made satellites are fused together with
molecular bonds.
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Choose all requirements for a geostationary orbit around earth.
Orbit distance about 42,000 km from center of earth. Directly above the equator of the earth
5.1
The sky is organized into 88 equally sized rectangular shaped regions called Constellations.
False
In Clemson what direction would you look to see the circumpolar constellations?
North
In Clemson which direction do you look to see the most seasonal constellations?
South
Which constellation does the sun reside in the longest each year?
Virgo
On the day of your birth, the constellation the sun is residing in will be high in the night sky and
easily visible.
False
Which best defines the Ecliptic line?
The apparent path of the sun through the celestial sphere over the course of an Earth year
What is the name of the star currently closest to the North Celestial Pole as defined by the Earth's
rotation axis?
Polaris
Which statement best summarizes the Azimuthal Celestial grid?
The Azimuthal grid is cenetered on the observer and the location of objects on the grid changes as
time passes or if the observer changes their location on the surface of the Earth.
What would the angle of the pole star above the horizon be if you were located at 24 degrees north
latitude?
24 degrees
What would the altitude of the pole star be if you were located at a latitude of 61 degrees?
61 degrees
What is the approximate azimuth of the north pole star on the azimuthal grid?
0 degrees
What is the approximate declination of the pole star on the equatorial grid?
90 degrees
The north pole star, Polaris, can be seen from any latitude on Earth.
False
How many arcseconds are in one degree?
3600
Longnitute
→
right ascension
Latitude
→
declination
Rotation of the earth
→
celestial equator
Orbit of the earth
→
ecliptic
Motion of the earth around the galactic center
→
galactic equator
Which declination would allow a star to be circumpolar when viewed from Clemson? Recall
Clemson is at latitude 34.6 degrees North Latitude.
63 degrees
Due to the rotation of the Earth, in what direction do the stars appear to circle the north pole star?
Counterclockwise
Due to the precession of the Earth's roationa axis, what star will be closest to the NCP in 26,000
years?
Polaris
5.2
Order the stellar magnitudes from dimmest to brightest.
+11, +4, 0, -3
Which planet, when visible, is the brightest in the night sky?
Venus
What is the approximate limit to the human eye on the stellar magnitude scale in ideal conditions?
+6.5
What is the meaning of the root word for planet, planetes, in greek?
Wanderer
Which line on the celestial sphere to the planets approximately travel along relative to the stars?
Ecliptic
Which of the planets listed is the slowest wanderer? Which planet moves the slowest through the
stars?
Saturn
Which planets are only visible close to the horizon, just before sunrise or just after sunset?
Venus and mercury
Which is located at the center of the geocentric model of the solar system?
Earth
What motions does the earth have in the geocentric model?
The earth is stationary
What object is closest to the Earth in the Geocentric Model?
The moon
What is the predicted motion of the planets relative to the stars in the original geocentric model?
Always towards the east, increasing RA
Which statement does not apply to retrograde motion?
Rapid change in brightness
What is the name of the circle Ptolemy introduced to explain retrograde motion in the geocentric
model?
Epicycle
In the image of the geocentric model of the solar system that includes epicycles (from the lecture
slides) what is the most common time interval for the motion along a circle in the model?
1 year
6.1
List the celestial objects in order from closest to the Earth to farthest from the Earth in the
Geocentric model.
The moon, venus, the sun, mars
What object(s) orbits the Earth in the Heliocentric model?
The moon
In the heliocentric model of the solar system what is happening when we veiw retrograde motion of
Venus?
Venus is overtaking earth in its orbit
According to the lecture slides which planet is in retrograde motion longer?
Jupiter
At what stage of the evolution of the solar system model were all epicycles removed from the
model?
Introduction of elliptical orbits
How many moons of Jupiter did Galileo observe when using a telescope?
4
What was the significance of the discovery of the Galilean moons of Jupiter?
Objects could be clearly seen orbiting something other than earth
As Venus moves towards it full phase, what happens to the apparent size of Venus?
It appears smaller
Which statement correctly relates the apparent size of an object with its distance from the
observer?
An object appears smaller as it moves farther away
Which statement correctly gives the relationship between the observed parallax and the distance to
the observed object?
The closer the object is the larger the parallax
Why did ancient astronomers not see parallax of the stars?
Even the closest stars are incredibly far away
What is the name of the term that describes how stretched out a circle is?
Eccentricity
Order the eccentricities from most circular to least circular.
0.02, 0.43, 0.96
As long as the eccentricity of the planets orbit is small we often equate the semi-major axis of a
planets elliptical orbit to..?
The average distance of the planet from the Sun
Which planet has the smallest eccentricity?
Venus
Which statement correctly gives the relationship between eccentricity, perihelion and aphelion?
The larger the eccentricity the larger the difference between perihelion and aphelion
When is it appropriate to apply Kepler's 2nd law?
When observing the orbit of a single planet
Which statement best summarizes Kepler's 2nd law in terms of perihelion and aphelion?
A planet moves fastest at perhihelion and slowest at aphelion
6.2
What is the order of the planets in the heliocentric model moving out from the Sun.
Mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune
What was significant about the discovery of Neptune?
Neptune was predicted using Keplers and Newtons laws before being seen
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When is it appropriate to use Kepler's 3rd law?
When comparing the orbits of two or more planets
What unit is used for the period (P) of a planets orbit in Kepler's 3rd law for our solar system?
Years
What unit is used for the Semi-Major Axis (A) in Kepler's third law for the planets in our solar
system?
AU
What is the orbital period of a planet if its semi major axis is 16 AU? Recall P^2 = A^3
64 years
What is the Semi-Major Axis of a planet with an orbital period of 36 years?
10.9 AU
What was the underlying reason for the shift to the heliocentric model of the solar system with
elliptical orbits?
A principle of Occam’s Razor
7
Which telescope uses lenses to focus light?
Refractor
Which type of telescope does the human eye most resemble?
Refractor
What change to a telescope would increase the resolution?
Increasing the focal length
What feature is needed in a refractor telescope to have all the colors observed focus at the same
time?
Compound lens
What is the primary reason most large telescopes use mirrors instead of lenses?
Lenses will deform from their own weight if made too large
What was the benefit of the photographic plate for astronomical observations?
It increased the integration time allowing astronomers to see dimmer objects
How does a charge- coupled device (CCD) help with astronomical observations?
It increased the quantum efficiency to 100% allowing astronomers to see dimmer objects
Which two features of a telescope and the light being observed affect the diffraction limit of a
telescope?
Aperture size of the telescope and wavelength of light being observed
What is the technique called that uses an array of telescopes connected through a computer system
to simulate one large telescope?
Interfoeromtry
Which technique uses a laser of known wavelength and deformable mirrors to correct for the
disturbances in the light collected as it travels through the atmosphere?
Adaptive optics
What was the original solution to avoiding light pollution when using a telescope?
Building the telescope at high elevation far away from large cities
What new source of light pollution is becoming unavoidable no matter where a telescope is built?
Satellites reflecting light from the sun
Which categories of light in the electromagnetic spectrum can only be viewed by space telescopes?
X ray, gamma, most of the ultraviolet, and most of the infrared
Why do we still have ground based telescopes when space based telescopes always have a better
ability to collect light with less disturbances?
It is very expensive to get a telescope into space and maintain it once it is there
Match the device with its data collection method.
OSIRIS-REx
→
sample return mission
Voyager 1
→
flyby space telescope
JUNO
→
orbiting space telescope
Curiosity
→
remote sample analysis
What is the most compelling reason that computer simulations are so useful in astronomy?
Many astronomical events happen on time scales much longer than a human lifetime