Planetary Motion Quiz Review

Daily motion that repeat on a 24 hour cycle are called ___ motions. Examples are sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset, and the rising and setting of the planets.

• proper

• diurnal

• rotational

• precession

Ptolemy used epicycles to explain the motions of the sun, moon, and planets in his ____ model of the solar system. that had everything orbiting Earth.

• heliocentric

• geocentric

• orrery

Answer explanation

According to Kepler's 1st Law, planets orbit the sun in _____ orbits.

• circular

• oval

• elliptical

• epicycle

Answer explanation

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

Earth has a variety of motions. It orbits the sun, with a period of 1 year. It rotates on it's axis once a day. It also "wobbles" on its axis over a period of 26,000 years. Currently our north pole points at Polaris. In the distant past, it pointed at Thuban, in the constellation Draco. This "wobble" is called _____.

• nutation

• precession

• retrograde motion

What is an astronomical unit?

• a light year

• a parsec

• the average distance from the Earth to the Sun

• the average distance from the Earth to the Moon

Answer explanation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

How long is the period of Earth's revolution?

• one day

• one month

• one year

When does the Earth have the highest speed - when close to the sun, or when far from the sun?

• close to

• far from

Which planet has an orbit with the lowest eccentricity?

• Mercury

• Venus

• Earth

• Mars

When a planet is at perihelion it is ___.

• closest to the sun in its orbit

• farthest from the sun in its orbit

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

In orbits with low eccentricity ___.

• The foci are far apart

• The foci are close together