Astronomy Review

Scientists who proposed the Big Bang Theory were attempting to explain

• the origin of the universe

• why stars have different luminosities

• the formation of our solar system

• how Earth’s atmosphere evolved

The red shift in light from stars located in very distant galaxies suggests that these stars are

• decreasing in temperature

• increasing in temperature

• moving toward the Milky Way

• moving away from the Milky Way

A Foucault pendulum provides evidence that Earth

• orbits the Sun

• has a nearly spherical shape

• is tilted on its axis

• spins on an axis

Which star type has a surface temperature of 4000 K and a luminosity 1000 times greater than the Sun?

• dwarf

• main sequence

• giant

• supergiant

The photographs show two celestial objects just before, during, and just after a total solar eclipse as viewed by an observer located in Kingston, Tennessee, on August 21, 2017.

Which diagram represents the location of the Moon in its orbit at the time that each of these three photographs (1, 2, and 3) were taken? (Diagrams are not drawn to scale.)

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Base your answer on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents the elliptical orbit for one planet in our solar system. The two foci of the orbit are shown as the Sun and F2.

Which condition would produce an orbit with a greater eccentricity?

• a decrease in the distance between the Sun and F2

• an increase in the distance between the Sun and F2

• a constant decrease in the orbital velocity of the planet

• a constant increase in the orbital velocity of the planet

Base your answer on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents the elliptical orbit for one planet in our solar system. The two foci of the orbit are shown as the Sun and F2.

The arrangement and movement of celestial objects in our solar system is best described by the

• spiral model

• cosmic model

• geocentric model

• heliocentric model

Base your answer to question on the diagram and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents one position of Earth in its orbit around the Sun and 12 constellations that can be seen in the night sky by an observer in New York State at different times of the year. The approximate locations of the constellations in relation to Earth’s orbit are shown. Point A represents another position in Earth’s orbit

When Earth is located in the orbital position shown on the diagram, which constellation is visible to an observer in New York State at midnight?

• Gemini

• Pisces

• Scorpius

• Virgo

Base your answer to question on the diagram and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents one position of Earth in its orbit around the Sun and 12 constellations that can be seen in the night sky by an observer in New York State at different times of the year. The approximate locations of the constellations in relation to Earth’s orbit are shown. Point A represents another position in Earth’s orbit

Approximately how many days (d) does it take for Earth to orbit from its present position to point A?

• 27 d

• 91 d

• 183 d

• 365 d

Most asteroids in our solar system are located in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. What is the approximate distance from the Sun to the asteroid belt?

• 129 million km

• 210 million km

• 403 million km

• 1103 million km