AST 115 Ch. 3

The great contribution of Tycho Brahe was to______. A. Observe planetary positions with sufficient so that Kepler could later use the data to discover the laws of planetary motion B. Discover that planets orbit the Sun in elliptical orbits with varying speed C. Discover four moons orbiting Jupiter, thereby lending strong support to the idea that they Earth is not the center of the universe D. Offer the first detailed model of a Sun-centered solar system, thereby beginning the process of overturning the Earth-centered model of Greeks

Which of the following way was not observed by Galileo? A. Mountains and valleys on the moon B. Four moons orbiting Jupiter C. Stellar Parallax D. Phases of Venus

All the following statements are true. Which one follows directly form Kepler's third law (p2=a3)? A. Venus is more massive than Mercury B. Venus orbits the Sun at a slower average speed than Mercury C. Venus takes longer to rotate than it does to orbit the Sun D. Venus has a thicker atmosphere

When Copernicus first created his Sun-centered model of the universe, it did not lead to substantially better predictions of planetary positions than the ptolemaic model. Why not? A. Copernicus used perfect circles for the orbits of the planets B. Copernicus placed the Sun at the center, but did not realize that the moon orbits the Earth C. Copernicus misjudged the distance between the planets D. Copernicus placed the planets in the wrong order going outward from the sun

The point along a planet's orbit where it is closest to the sun is called the orbit's A. Aphelion B. Eccentricity C. Semi-major axis D. Perihelion E. Period

Kepler's third law, p2=a3, means that A. All orbits the same semi-major axis have the same period B. Planets that are farther from the sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets C. A planet's period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit D. The period of a planet does not depend on its mass E. All of the above are correct

He discovered that Jupiter has moons. A. Aristotle B. Tycho Brahe C. Galileo D. Kepler E. Ptolemy

Scientific models are used to ______. A. make specific predictions that can be tested through observations or experiments B. Present the scale of the solar system to the general public C. Prove that past paradigms no longer hold true D. Make miniature representations of the univers

The earth is instantly replaced in its orbit by a speck of dust. Which statement best describes the subsequent orbital motion of that piece of dust? A. The dust particle will be ejected from the solar system B. The dust particle will move to a larger orbit and orbit the Sun in more than 1 year C. The dust particle will spiral into the Sun D. The dust particle will move to a smaller orbit and orbit the Sun in less than 1 year E. The dust particle will continue in the same orbit as the Earth did, orbiting the Sun in 1 year

Why did Ptolemy have the planets orbiting Earth on "circles upon circles" in his model of the universe? A. To properly account for the varying distances of the planets from Earth B. To explain why the Greeks were unable to detect stellar parallax C. To explain why Venus goes through phases as seen from Earth D. To explain the fact that planets sometimes appear to move westward, rather than eastward, relative to the stars in our sky E. To explain why more distant planets take longer to make a circuit through the constellations of the zodiac

Earth is farthest form the Sun in July and closest to the Sun in January. During which Northern Hemisphere season is Earth moving fastest in its orbit? A. Fall B. Spring C. Winter D. Summer

Galileo challenged the idea that object in the heavens were perfected by______. A. Showing that heavy objects fall at the same rate as lighter objects B. Proving Kepler's laws were correct C. Observing sunspots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon D. Inventing the telescope

Which of the following is not one of, nor a direct consequence of Kepler's Laws? A. The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus B. More distant planets orbit the Sun at slower speeds C. As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times D. The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the distance between their centers

Tycho used his accuracy observation to conclude that Earth revolves around the sun.

What do we mean by a geocentric model of the universe? A. A model of the Milky Way Galaxy that has our solar system located at its center B. A model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having the Earth located in the center of the universe C. The name given to sphere-shaped models that show all the constellations as they appear in our sky on the celestial sphere D. A model designed to explain what we see in the sky while having the Earth orbit the Sun

What practical value did astronomy offer to ancient civilizations? A. It helped them finds uses for ancient structures like Stonehenge B. It helped them understand our cosmic origins C. It allowed them to predict eclipse with great accuracy D. It helped them keep track of time and seasons, and it was used by some cultures for navigation

Kepler's second law which states as a planet moves around its orbit it sweeps out equal areas in equal times, mean that A. A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the sun and slower when it is farther form the Sun B. A planets period does not depend on the eccentricity of its orbit C. planets have circular orbits D. Planets that are farther from the Sun move at slower average speeds than nearer planets E. The period of a planet does not depend on its mass

The controversial book of this famous person, published in 1543 (the year of his death) suggested that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun A. Kepler B. Tycho Brahe C. Ptolemy D. Galileo E. Copernicus

He discovered that they orbits of planets are ellipses A. Tyco Brahe B. Ptolemy C. Copernicus D. Galileo E. Kepler

The names of the seven days of the week are based on_____. A. The seven most prominent constellations in the summer sky B. The names of prophets in the Bible C. The seven naked-eye objects that appear to move among the constellations D. The name of the seven planets closest to the sun