Astronomy Concepts Quiz

Earth's Rotation and Star Trails

• Earth's rotation causes star trails.
• Polaris is near the center of concentric star trails.

Day Length and the Summer Solstice

• The longest day of the year is the summer solstice, when the Sun is highest in the sky.

Observer's Meridian Line

• An observer's meridian line is an imaginary North-South line in the sky that passes through the zenith.

Parallax and Apparent Shift

• Parallax is the apparent shift of an object due to a change in the observer's location.

Occam's Razor and Scientific Theories

• Occam's razor states that the best scientific theories have the fewest assumptions.

Constellations and Earth's Orbit

• Different constellations are visible in summer and winter because Earth orbits the Sun.

Moon Phases and Time of Rising

• If the Moon rises at noon, it's a first quarter moon.

Sun's Size and Angular Size

• If the Sun's size doubled, its angular size would be 1.06 degrees.

Moon Phase and Dawn

• A full moon sets at dawn.

Solar Eclipses and Moon's Shadow

• Solar eclipses occur when the Moon's shadow falls on Earth.

Total Solar Eclipses and Moon Phase

• During total solar eclipses, the Moon is in the new moon phase.

Earth's Rotation and Celestial Positions

• Stars rise in the east and set in the west, regardless of location.

Seasons and Earth's Tilt

• Seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis as it orbits the Sun.

Moon's Rotation and Earth

• The Moon rotates once per month to keep one face pointed consistently at Earth.

Earth's Rotation Speed and Night Length

• If Earth rotated twice as fast, nights would be shorter.

Moon's Orbit and Solar Eclipses

• If the Moon's orbit were smaller, total solar eclipses would be more frequent.

Moon's Angular Size and Distance

• The Moon's angular size is about ½ degree. At twice the distance, it appears at 1 degree.

Lunar Phase Order

• Lunar phases in order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous.

Temperature, Sun's Height, and Day Length

• Summers are warmer because the Sun is higher in the sky and days are longer.

Horizon Coordinate System and Altitude

• The maximum altitude angle of a star in the horizon coordinate system is 90 degrees.