Env Sci/Physics 141: How The Solar System Works

Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
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1. According to Kepler's First Law, a planet's orbit is ------- with the sun ---------
   1. Circular .... At the center
   2. Elliptical ....... At the center
   3. Circular ...... Not at the Center
   4. Elliptical ....... At one focus
2. According to Kepler's Second Law, a line between the planet and the sun:
   1. Sweeps out equal areas in equal times
   2. Stays constant in length
   3. Changes length at a steady rate
   4. Sweeps out equal angles in equal times
3. Kepler's Third Law relates what two quantities:
   1. Diameter and mass of a planet
   2. Diameter of a planet and distance from the sun
   3. Distance and period of a planet
   4. Distance and diameter of a planet
4. In order to completely describe the orbit of a planet, we need six quantities called
   1. Nodes
   2. Dimensions
   3. Occultations
   4. Elements
5. The quantity that determines how circular or elliptical an orbit is is called its:
   1. Aberration
   2. Eccentricity
   3. Perihelion
   4. Right Ascension
   5. Declination
6. When Venus or Mercury appear to cross in front of the Sun, this event is called a(n):
   1. Transit
   2. Occultation
   3. Eclipse
   4. Declination
   5. Aberration
7. Eclipses tend to occur during brief windows of opportunity roughly _______ months apart
   1. Two
   2. Three
   3. Six
   4. Nine
   5. Twelve
8. Eclipses of the Sun can only occur at _______ Moon
   1. New
   2. First Quarter
   3. Last Quarter
   4. Full
9. Because it rotates uniformly but moves at varying speeds in its orbit, the Moon appears to rock as seen from Earth. These motions are called:
   1. Aberrations
   2. Vibrations
   3. Occultations
   4. Perturbations
   5. Librations
10. In order for an eclipse or transit to occur, the Moon or a planet must be at the_______ of its orbit:
    1. Node
    2. Perihelion
    3. Aphelion
    4. Focus
    5. Inclination
11. When the Moon appears to pass in front of a star or planet, this event is called a(n):
    1. Transit
    2. Occultation
    3. Eclipse
    4. Declination
    5. Aberration
12. In summer north of the Arctic Circle
    1. Every place gets six months of continuous daylight
    2. The Arctic Circle gets six months of continuous daylight
    3. Only the pole gets six months of continuous daylight
    4. Every place north of 60 N gets six months of continuous daylight
13. The time when Venus and Mercury appear farthest from the Sun in the sky:
    1. Opposition
    2. Inferior Conjunction
    3. Superior Conjunction
    4. Greatest Elongation
14. When can transits of Venus and Mercury occur?
    1. Opposition
    2. Inferior Conjunction
    3. Superior Conjunction
    4. Greatest Elongation
15. If the Moon is a bit too small to cover the Sun, we have
    1. A partial eclipse
    2. A total eclipse
    3. An annular eclipse
    4. This can never happen
16. Total eclipses of the Sun can last
    1. Only a few seconds
    2. Several minutes
    3. Half an hour
    4. An hour or more
17. During an eclipse of the Moon, an observer on the Moon would see
    1. An eclipse of the Sun
    2. An eclipse of the earth
    3. The Moon's shadow cast on the Earth
    4. The Sun passing in front of the Earth
18. During an eclipse of the Sun, an observer on the Moon would see
    1. An eclipse of the Sun
    2. An eclipse of the earth
    3. The Moon's shadow cast on the Earth
    4. The Sun passing in front of the Earth
19. During an eclipse of the Moon, the eclipsed Moon appears red because
    1. Sunlight is refracted through earth's atmosphere and strikes the Moon
    2. The Moon emits infrared radiation
    3. Only light from the outermost part of the Sun is hitting the Moon
    4. Light from the Moon is absorbed by Earth's atmosphere

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Created 25 September 2008; Last Update 14 December 2009

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