the observed changing positions of the stars during a night is the result of the
A tilt of the Earth's axis.
B rotation of the Earth on its axis.
C rotation of the stars on their axes.
D revolution of the Earth around the sun.
E the premise is false. the stars show no motion.
at what time of night would you expect to see a full moon highest in the sky?
A 6 pm.
B 9 pm.
C 12 midnight.
D 3 am.
E 6 am.
Paris is about 1/4 of the way around Earth from Chicago. on a night when people in Chicago see a first quarter moon, people in Paris see
A a new moon.
B a first quarter moon.
C a full moon.
D a third quarter moon.
E any of the above, depending upon the time of night.
if the sun rises at 6:00 a.m. a third quarter moon will set, on average, at about:
A 6:00 p.m.
B 6:00 a.m.
C noon.
D midnight.
the greater the fraction of the moon we see brightly illuminated
A the closer the moon is to the horizon.
B the closer the time is to sunrise.
C the closer the moon is to the Earth.
D the closer the moon appears to the sun in the sky.
E the farther the moon appears from the sun in the sky.
if you observe the moon rising in the east as the sun is setting in the west, then you know that the phase of the moon must be
A new.
B first quarter.
C full.
D third quarter.
E any of the above, depending upon other factors.
the seasons on Earth occur primarily because the
A Earth rotates on its axis.
B Earth's axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic.
C Earth's distance from the sun changes through the year.
D moon revolves around the Earth.
E Earth's orbit is an ellipse.
if the moon revolved around the Earth in the opposite direction, but with the same period,
A it would not exhibit phases.
B it would exhibit crescent phases but not gibbous phases.
C it would exhibit gibbous phases but not crescent phases.
D we would see it rise in the west and set in the east.
E none of the above.
under which of the following conditions do we see lit up one fourth of the moon's total surface?
A when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth.
B when the sun and moon are on the same side of the Earth.
C when the moon is partly turned away from the Earth.
D when the light rays from the sun to the moon and from the moon to the Earth form a right angle.
E any of the above, depending upon our location on Earth.
if the sun sets at 6:00 p.m. a first quarter moon will set, on average, at about:
A 6:00 p.m.
B 6:00 a.m.
C noon.
D midnight.
you escape from an underground prison with no idea what time it is. you see a third quarter moon rising. it must be approximately
A 6 am.
B 12 noon.
C 6 pm.
D 12 midnight.
E this cannot be estimated from the information given.
if the Earth rotated east-to-west instead of west-to-east,
A our seasons would occur in reverse order.
B we would not have seasons.
C daylight periods would be longer in winter and shorter in summer.
D winter in the northern hemisphere would occur in July.
E none of the above.
the phases of the moon are caused by
A the moon moving in and out of Earth's shadow
B different fractions of the moon being illuminated by the sun
C different degrees of darkness on the moon
D different amounts of the illuminated half of the moon being visible from Earth
the appearance of the planets in the spring sky
A is different each year
B is the same each year
C repeats every four years
D is completely unpredictable
stars rise in the east and set in the west because of
A the Earth's motion around the sun
B the Earth's rotation about its axis
C the moon's rotation around the Earth
D none of the above
seasons on the Earth are caused primarily by which of the following?
A the differences in its distances from the sun.
B the tilt of its rotational axis.
C the length of the year.
D its precession or wobbling of its axis of rotation
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