Astronomy: The Original Science

Astronomers define a day, a month, and a year based on which of the following?

• The movements of the Earth and Moon relative to the Sun

• The phases of the Moon only

• The position of stars in the sky

• The temperature changes on Earth

The difference between Ptolemy's and Copernicus' theories about the universe is:

• Ptolemy places Earth at the center, while Copernicus places the Sun at the center.

• Both theories place the Sun at the center of the universe.

• The Copernican theory states that planets do not move in orbits.

• The Ptolemaic theory claims that the universe is infinite.

The contributions of Brahe, Kepler, Newton, Galileo, and Hubble to astronomy include which of the following?

• Advancing the understanding of planetary motion, gravity, telescopic observation, and the expanding universe

• Developing the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics

• Inventing the microscope and discovering bacteria

• Establishing the periodic table of elements

People in ancient cultures marked the passage of time using which of the following methods?

• Sundials and lunar calendars

• Digital clocks

• Smartphones

• Atomic clocks

What is the scientific definition of one day?

• the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once on its axis

• the time it takes for the Moon to orbit the Earth

• the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun

• the time it takes for the Sun to rise and set

What is the scientific definition of one month?

• about the same amount of time that the moon takes to orbit the Earth once

• about the same amount of time that the Earth takes to orbit the Sun once

• about the same amount of time that the Sun takes to rotate once

• about the same amount of time that the Earth takes to rotate once

Astronomers have changed their theories about the universe over time because:

• new evidence and discoveries have been made

• the universe has stopped changing

• astronomers prefer to guess rather than use evidence

• theories never needed to be changed

Which part of Copernicus’s theory was wrong?

• The planets move in perfect circles around the Sun.

• The Sun is at the center of the solar system.

• The Earth revolves around the Sun.

• The planets orbit the Sun.

Ptolemy thought :

• The Earth is at the center, and everything else revolves around it.

• The moon is at the center, and the stars revolve around it.

• The sun and Earth both revolve around Mars, which is at the center.

• The planets move randomly and do not orbit anything.

Tycho Brahe’s work helped astronomers by:

• providing accurate observations of planetary positions

• inventing the telescope

• proving the heliocentric model

• discovering new planets