Celestial Navigation Quiz

Why are stars considered reliable for navigation?

• They change positions frequently.

• They are visible only during certain seasons.

• They appear at predictable heights and distances.

• They are only visible in the Northern Hemisphere.

What is the first step in finding the North Star?

• Locate the Southern Cross.

• Find the Big Dipper.

• Identify the brightest star in the sky.

• Look for the Little Dipper.

How do you use the Southern Cross to find south?

• Locate the brightest star in the Cross.

• Draw a line through the shortest angle of the Cross.

• Connect the stars from the bottom-up to the horizon.

• Find the midpoint between the two pointer stars and draw a line to the horizon.

What is the purpose of a sextant in navigation?

• To calculate the position using stars.

• To predict weather patterns.

• To determine the direction of the wind.

• To measure the speed of a ship.

What is a key feature of a sextant?

• It has a 60 degree arc for adjustments.

• It uses a single mirror.

• It measures temperature changes.

• It is only used on land.

How did Apollo astronauts use sextants?

• To measure the speed of their spacecraft.

• To predict weather conditions in space.

• To align their gyroscopes with the stellar inertial frame.

• To communicate with Earth.

What was a common practice among Apollo astronauts regarding sextant use?

• They used it only during emergencies.

• They relied solely on ground radio tracking.

• They avoided using it due to complexity.

• They competed for the most accurate sightings.

What is the NICER instrument used for?

• To explore the surface of Mars.

• To track weather patterns on Earth.

• To measure Earth's gravitational pull.

• To study pulsars and their radiation blasts.

What is the significance of pulsars in modern navigation?

• They are used to measure Earth's rotation.

• They are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere.

• They emit radiation blasts that can be timed.

• They are unpredictable and inconsistent.

What is the potential future application of pulsar-based navigation?

• Navigating within Earth's atmosphere.

• Deep space navigation across the solar system.

• Predicting solar flares.

• Measuring ocean currents.