Which of the following statements about the celestial equator is true at all latitudes?

• It extends from your horizon due north, through your zenith, to your horizon due south.

• It extends from your horizon due east, through your zenith, to your horizon due west.

• It lies along the band of light we call the Milky Way

• It represents an extension of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere.

• It cuts the dome of your sky exactly in half.

In its original form, Kepler's third law states that p² = a³. What units must p and a use?

• p must be months and a must be kilometers.

• p must be days and a must be miles.

• p must be months and a must be astronomical units.

• p must be years and a must be kilometers.

• p must be years and a must be astronomical units.

A comet has an elliptical orbit around the Sun. Its total orbital energy is

• greatest when it is closest to the Sun.

• greatest when it is farthest from the Sun.

• the same throughout its orbit.

While the historical definition of a constellation is "a pattern or figure of stars in the sky," the modern definition used by astronomers is

• any grouping of very bright stars in our galaxy, often hosting a star cluster.

• a specifically named and bordered region of the celestial sphere.

• no definition; astronomers no longer use the term constellation.

• a group of stars in the sky that are all very close to each other.

Which of the following objects does not produce a spectrum that is a close approximation to a thermal radiation spectrum?

• a star

• a filament in an ordinary (incandescent) light bulb

• you

• a planet

• a hot, transparent gas

The line representing latitude 45 degrees north runs through the state of Michigan. In Michigan, when is the Sun is directly overhead, at your zenith?

•  only on the summer solstice, noon           

•  never

•  only on the spring and fall equinoxes

•  every day

Which of the following was not observed by Galileo?

•  sunspots

•  Jupiter's moons

•  craters on the Moon

•  stellar parallax

•  phases of Venus

About how long does it take our solar system to complete one orbit around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?

•  10,000 years

•  230 million years

•  4-1/2 billion years

•  1 million years

•  14 billion years

How much energy is needed to power a 100-watt light bulb for 1 second?

•  6000 watts

•  6000 joules

•  1 joule 

• 100 watts

•  100 joules

Which person below wrote a book, published in 1543 (the year of his death), suggesting that Earth and other planets orbit the Sun?

• Galileo

•  Ptolemy              

•  Tycho Brahe     

• Kepler

•  Copernicus