Astronomy Study Guide

According to Kepler's 2nd law, at which place in orbit does the planet move the fastest?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Listed are the orbital periods of 4 different planets around a star. Which planet is closest to the star?

• Planet X with an orbital period of 10.72 yrs

• Planet Y with an orbital period of 1.33 yrs 

• Planet Z with an orbital period of 14.80 yrs

• Planet W with an orbital period of 4.96 yrs 

To solve for a planet's orbital period, which of these would we use for the distance variable?

• the closest distance of the planet from the sun

• the furthest distance of the planet from the sun

  
  

• the average distance of the planet from the sun

• he distance of the planet from the sun when travelling the fastest in its orbit

Which planet will have a shorter orbital period than Earth?

• Venus

• Mars

• Neptune

• Saturn

Venus has an orbital period of 0.62 years. What is its average distance to the sun?

• 0.14 AU

• 0.92 AU

• 0.37 AU

• 0.72 AU

Name Each of Newton's Laws

Answer explanation

1st - an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force

2nd - an object accelerates in the same direction of the force applied

3rd- for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

Name all of Kepler's laws and explain.

Answer explanation

1st-the planets move around the sun in ellipses

2nd-the imaginary lines connecting the sun to each planet sweeps equal areas in equal time

3rd- the farther a planet is from the sun, the longer it will take to complete and orbit and the slower its average speed of motion

Which astronomer formulated the theory of stellar evolution?

• Kepler

• Hubble

• Galileo

• Herschel

• Eratosthenes

The closer a planet gets to the sun, the faster it rotates on its axis.

• True

• False

Which astronomer accurately confirmed the heliocentric model?

• Aristarchus

• Copernicus

• Galileo

• Kepler