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WorksheetsHistory of Astronomy
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
According to the Big Bang Theory, which of the following is true?
a)
All matter in the universe began at a central point and then expanded outward.
b)
All matter in the universe began to shrink to a central point rapidly.
c)
The universe started with a loud explosion.
d)
The universe has be a constant shape since the beginning of time.
2.
The formula P2 = a3 is an expression of
a)
Kepler's 3rd Law
b)
Newton's 2nd Law
c)
Kepler's 1st Law
d)
Kepler's 2nd Law
3.
The name for the average sun-to-earth distance is
a)
A Year
b)
A Light Year
c)
An Astronomical Unit
d)
A Parsec
4.
What did Galileo NOT see?
a)
Mountains on the earth's moon.
b)
Uranus's moons Titania and Oberon.
c)
Jupiter's 4 largest moons.
d)
The phases of Venus.
5.
Which astronomer of antiquity measured the size of the earth?
a)
Aristarchus
b)
Ptolemy
c)
Copernicus
d)
Eratosthenes
6.
Which astronomer of antiquity made elaborate models of an earth-centered universe?
a)
Copernicus
b)
Aristarchus
c)
Ptolemy
d)
Tycho Brahe
7.
Which astronomer of antiquity first applied a telescope to astronomical observation?
a)
Ptolemy
b)
Galileo Galilei
c)
Tycho Brahe
d)
Copernicus
8.
Ancient Greeks believed, the earth to be the centr of the universe. What do we call this model?
a)
Ptolemic System
b)
Geocentric Universe
c)
Heliocentric Universe
d)
Copernican Model
9.
Who first suggested that earth rotated on its axis?
a)
Tycho Brahe
b)
Aristarchus
c)
Aristotle
d)
Copernicus
10.
Ancient astronomers used 'epicycles' to explain...?
a)
Retrograde Motion
b)
Constellation Movement
c)
Moon's Phases
d)
Planetary Transits
11.
Tycho Brahe's biggest contribution to astronomy was...?
a)
Accurate Observations of the stars and planets
b)
His telescopic observations
c)
Heliocentric Universe
d)
His Silver Nose
12.
Astronomer Johannes Kepler...
a)
Published Almagest
b)
Invented the first Radio Telescope
c)
Suggested elliptical orbits for the planets
d)
Was made head astronomer for the Church
13.
Ancient astronomers believed the earth did not move because...?
a)
No parallax was observed in stars.
b)
It could explain all planetary motions.
c)
Other models could not explain retrograde motion.
d)
Because it was a First Principle.
14.
Examine the Diagram of the Solar System below. Which of the following astronomers held and promoted this view of the solar system?
a)
Aristarchus
b)
Ptolemy & Tycho Brahe
c)
Copernicus
d)
Johannes Kepler & Tycho Brahe
15.
What is the following diagram developed by Ptolemy attempting to explain?
a)
How the relative distance of the earth can be determined
b)
Heliocentric model
c)
Geocentric model with stellar parallax
d)
Geocentric model with the retrograde motion of Mars
16.
What problems did early astronomers face when trying to justify a geocentric model?
a)
Retrograde motion of planets farther out than the Earth
b)
Bodies in the night sky moved from horizon to horizon making people think the Sun was the center
c)
No observations of bodies in the night sky were observable to make any logical conclusions about celestial orbits
d)
The lack of evidence for stellar parallax
17.
The observation that everything moved across the night sky from east to west caused early astronomers to believe... ( choose one )
a)
Retrograde motion did not exist
b)
Stellar parallax did not exist
c)
The sun was the center of the solar system
d)
The earth was the center of the solar system
18.
Which of the following words shows the similarity between Aristarchus and Copernicus?
a)
Geocentric
b)
Heliocentric
c)
Retrograde
d)
Epicycle
19.
Which of the following was not a motivation for ancient people to who studied astronomy?
a)
religion
b)
weather prediction
c)
agriculture
d)
architecture
20.
This early Greek scientist was able to classify stars into six categories according to their brightness.
a)
Aristarchus
b)
Aristotle
c)
Ptolemy
d)
Hipparchus
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