Exploring Space Chapter 1

What is Ursa Major an example of?

• Zodiac
• Constellation
• Astrology
• Parallax

Approximately how many days does the Sun take to revolve around the celestial sphere?

• 365.25 days
• 365.33 days
• 365.50 days
• 365.66 days

What happens when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun?

• The Moon is in its Gibbous phase
• The Moon appears as a full moon
• The Moon appears as the palest sliver of moonlight
• The Moon appears in its third quarter phase

Why does it look as if Mars is going backward for a time?

• Earth moves faster than Mars in its orbit
• Mars’s orbit is shaped differently than Earth’s
• Mars moves faster than Earth in its orbit
• Earth’s atmosphere causes optical illusions

Why did the ancient Greeks study astronomy?

• To search for the meaning behind current affairs on earth
• To make crop forecasts
• To see how the sky controlled events on Earth
• To understand how the universe works

What did Thales of Miletus believe about the Sun and other stars?

• They were gods
• They were balls of fire
• They followed elliptical orbits around the Earth
• They controlled events on Earth

What controlled all motion in the universe, according to the Pythagoreans?

• Earth
• The Moon
• The Zodiac
• A central “fire”

What effect did Aristotle notice that helped support his belief that Earth was the center of things?

• Parallax effect
• Zodiac effect
• Ecliptic effect
• Celestial effect

What did Ptolemy believe the universe was based on?

• Elliptical orbits
• Perfect circles
• Irrational movement of stars
• Gravitational pull of the Sun

What was the midpoint between the imperfect Earth and the perfect heavens, according to Ptolemy?

• The Sun
• Mars
• The Moon
• Ursa Major