Astronomy and Space Exploration Quiz

Which of the following is included in the study of astronomy?

• Stars

• Spacecraft

• Space travel

• Trajectories in space

Where is the big dipper visible during the fall in the US and Canada?

• On the horizon

• It is not visible in the fall

• High in the sky to the northwest

• High in the sky to the southwest

Where do you have to be for the stars to move in concentric circles?

• At the equator

• In Australia

• At the North Pole

• In Africa or Latin America

What did ancient civilizations believe created the rotation of the stars?

• The gods

• The rotation of the Earth

• The tilt of the Earth

• A large sphere that rotated Earth

How did ancient civilizations use constellations?

• To determine the best time to plant

• To determine the time of day

• To identify directions and locations

• To identify the desires of the gods

Which Polish astronomer studied a sun-centered model of the universe?

• Ptolemy

• Kepler

• Aristotle

• Copernicus

How did Ptolemy’s model reveal major flaws over time?

• The position of the planets changed by as much as two degrees

• Additional epicycles had to be added to ensure the positioning of the planets were correct

• Scientific tools advanced and provided evidence that the theory had major flaws

• The Roman Catholic church did not approve of the Ptolemaic model

Why was the idea of a sun-centered model a challenge for Copernicus?

• The scientific evidence didn’t allow for this model

• The scientific community would ridicule him

• He was a devout Catholic

• He was good friends with Ptolemy

Which of the following is true of the geocentric model?

• It provided an accurate method for predicting the planets positions

• It could not explain the changes in the brightness of the planets

• It could not explain the phases of the Moon

• It had unapparelled precision with its predictions

Who came up with the heliocentric model?

• Ptolemy

• Kepler

• Aristotle

• Copernicus