1.2-Astronomy and Orbital Mechanics

What does eccentricity measure in an orbital system?

• Total orbital velocity
• Deviation from a perfect circular orbit
• Gravitational pull
• Rotational speed

The barycenter represents the:

• Highest point of an orbit
• Common center of mass between two orbiting bodies
• Point of maximum gravitational attraction
• Exact center of a planet

What causes Earth's seasons?

• Distance from the Sun
• Earth's rotation speed
• Axial tilt of 23.5°
• Orbital eccentricity

How long does it take Earth to complete one rotation?

• 365.25 days
• 24 hours
• 12 hours
• 48 hours

Spring tides occur during:

• First quarter moon
• Third quarter moon
• New moon or full moon
• Gibbous moon phases

Which factor most directly influences gravitational force between celestial bodies?

• Color of the bodies
• Mass and distance
• Orbital speed
• Atmospheric density

Neap tides result in:

• Higher than normal high tides
• Lower than normal high tides
• No change in tide levels
• Unpredictable tide patterns

In Kepler's first law of planetary motion, planets orbit in:

• Perfect circles
• Parabolic paths
• Elliptical paths
• Straight lines

Earth's revolution around the Sun takes approximately:

• 24 hours
• 365.25 days
• 12 months
• 180 days

The second Kepler's law states that a planet sweeps out:

• Equal distances in equal time
• Equal areas in equal time
• Unequal areas in unequal time
• Maximum orbital velocity