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Night Sky Assessment Practice

Total questions: 70

Worksheet time: 42mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
What is the name of the star closest to the Celestial North Pole?
a)
Rigel
b)
Vega
c)
Polaris
d)
Orion
2.
What the celestial equivalent of "latitude?" 
a)
Inclination
b)
Left Ascension
c)
Right Ascension
d)
Declination
3.
What are the units for right ascension?
a)
degrees
b)
hours
c)
arc milliseconds
d)
kilometers
4.
What is the name of the day that has the greatest amount of daylight (Northern Hemisphere)?
a)
Summer Solstice
b)
Fall Equinox
c)
Spring Equinox
d)
Winter Solstice
5.
The Sun rise at the same time tomorrow as it did today.
a)
True
b)
False
6.
The solar day is longer than the sidereal day.
a)
true
b)
false
7.
Autumnal equinox the day and night time are equal.
a)
true
b)
false
8.

Right ascension measures an object's _______ .

a)

fixed horizontal direction compared to the solar system

b)

changing horizontal direction compared to the viewer's cardinal directions.

c)

fixed vertical direction compared to the solar system

d)

changing vertical direction compared to the viewer's horizon

9.

What does azimuth measure?

a)

horizontal angle from north

b)

vertical angle off the horizon

c)

vertical angle north or south of the celestial equator

d)

horizontal angle from the direction of the vernal equinox

10.

What does altitude measure?

a)

horizontal angle from north

b)

vertical angle off the horizon

c)

vertical angle north or south of the celestial equator

d)

horizontal angle from the direction of the vernal equinox

11.

What does right ascension measure?

a)

horizontal angle from north

b)

vertical angle off the horizon

c)

vertical angle north or south of the celestial equator

d)

horizontal angle from the direction of the vernal equinox

12.

What does declination measure?

a)

horizontal angle from north

b)

vertical angle off the horizon

c)

vertical angle north or south of the celestial equator

d)

horizontal angle from the direction of the vernal equinox

13.

Which system is the same regardless of time or place on Earth and is very precise?

a)

right ascension and declination

b)

azimuth and altitude

c)

constellations

14.

Which system is the same regardless of time or place on Earth, and is easy to use?

a)

right ascension and declination

b)

azimuth and altitude

c)

constellations

15.

Which system is easy to use, is very precise and is based on the local time and place?

a)

right ascension and declination

b)

azimuth and altitude

c)

constellations

16.

Angular measurement is a method of __.

a)

estimating distance and size in the sky as it appears to an observer

b)

measuring the exact distance or size of something in the sky

c)

estimating the distance between two objects are in space

d)

measruing the exact light years between two objects in space.

17.

What is the point directly over the observer?

a)

horizon

b)

zenith

c)

celestial pole

d)

celestial equator

e)

ecliptic

18.

What is the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet?

a)

horizon

b)

zenith

c)

celestial pole

d)

celestial equator

e)

ecliptic

19.

What is the plane of the Earth’s orbit, seen from Earth as the apparent path of the Sun?

a)

horizon

b)

zenith

c)

celestial pole

d)

celestial equator

e)

ecliptic

20.

What is the direction in space directly above or below the axis of Earth's rotation?

a)

horizon

b)

zenith

c)

celestial pole

d)

celestial equator

e)

ecliptic

21.

What is the direction in space on the plane of the Earth's equator?

a)

horizon

b)

zenith

c)

celestial pole

d)

celestial equator

e)

ecliptic

22.
Constellations that never rise or set in  year are called..?
a)
Circumpolar 
b)
All Day 
c)
Never Setting 
23.
The zodiac signs are determined by 12 constellations that exist on the...
a)
ecliptic
b)
celestial equator
c)
horizon
d)
celestial meridian
24.

The zodiac signs are determined by 13 constellations that exist on the...

a)

ecliptic

b)

celestial equator

c)

horizon

d)

celestial meridian

25.
Day and night is caused by the _____________ of earth on its axis.
a)
revolution
b)
orbit
c)
rotation
26.
What is the azimuth of south east?
a)
135
b)
225
c)
150
d)
90
27.
A scientist makes a video of stars during the night. The scientist is near the North Pole. What path will the stars appear to follow?
a)
circle
b)
zigzag
c)
back and forth line
d)
straight line
28.
A solar day is:
a)
the time it takes for the sun to return to the same position relative to you and your horizon.
b)
the average time from sunrise to the next.
c)
exactly 24 hours.
d)
all of the above are correct.
29.
A sidereal day is:
a)
when the Earth turns less than once relative to the sun while it turns exactly once relative to the stars.
b)
shorter than a solar day.
c)
both a. and b.
d)
neither a. nor b.
30.
The sun's path (ecliptic) and the celestial equator cross at 
a)
the equinoxes
b)
the zodiac
c)
the nexus
d)
the precession
31.
On June 21, the summer solstice, you are vacationing on a cruise ship in the Pacific      Ocean. The Captain tells you that the ship is located on the Tropic of Cancer. (It is summer in the northern hemisphere, and the Tropic of Cancer is the northern tropic.) That noon, you can expect the sun to pass 
a)
23.5 degrees north of the southern horizon. 
b)
23.5 degrees north of the zenith.
c)
23.5 degrees south of the zenith.
d)
directly overhead.
32.
Diurnal motions are caused by
a)
the rapid rotations of heavenly bodies.
b)
the motion of the Moon about the Earth.   
c)
the motion of the Sun about the Earth.
d)
the motion of the Earth on its rotation axis.
33.
Stars in a constellation generally lie in the same direction in space as seen from the Earth but may be very different ________ from the earth.
a)
areas
b)
places
c)
distances
d)
directions
34.
The_______ is the imaginary surface on which all astronomical objects seem to reside, as seen from earth.
a)
analemma
b)
constellation
c)
ecliptic
d)
celestial sphere
35.
What is the sequence of the following three terms in order from Largest to Smallest- 
a)
galaxy, universe, solar system
b)
universe, galaxy, solar system
c)
solar system, galaxy, universe
36.
The ________ of the Sun's rays determine their intensity
a)
angle
b)
position
c)
distance
37.
A light year is a measure of _______.
a)
Distance
b)
Time
c)
Disney Character 
38.
The seasons ______ caused by the precession of Earth's axis.
a)
are
b)
are NOT
39.
The vernal equinox marks the begining of _______.
a)
fall
b)
spring
c)
winter
d)
summer
40.
at the winter soltice the day is _______.
a)
shortest
b)
longest
c)
equal
41.
Autumnal equinox the day and night time are ______.
a)
totally different 
b)
equal
42.
Approximately how many degrees of the Earth's total circumference does each time zone cover?
a)
45
b)
25
c)
35
d)
15
43.
As the Earth orbits around the sun, the direction of the tilt of its axis changes.
a)
True
b)
False
44.
Which letter on the diagram represents the Earth's position on the autumnal equinox?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
45.
Which letter on the diagram represents the Earth's position on the vernal equinox?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
46.
Which letter on the diagram represents the Earth's position on the summer solstice?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
47.
Which letter on the diagram represents the Earth's position on the winter solstice?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
d)
D
48.
On the day of the summer solstice, the sun's vertical rays strike the Earth along the _____.
a)
Arctic Circle
b)
Antarctic Circle
c)
Tropic of Cancer
d)
Tropic of Capricorn
49.
At position C, which hemisphere would have winter?
a)
Northern hemisphere
b)
Southern hemisphere
50.

Because of precession, ____.

a)

Earth has seasons

b)

the direction of the tilt changes very, very gradually

c)

the direction of the tilt changes as Earth orbits the Sun

d)

sidereal days are shorter than synodic

51.

The timing zodiac constellations are different than astrology labeled them mainly because of __.

a)

revolution

b)

rotation

c)

precession

d)

human error when they were selected.

52.
The sun appears to rise in the _______________ and set in the ______________. 
a)
East and West
b)
East and South 
c)
West and East
d)
West and North 
53.
In the summer, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted ____________ the Sun. 
a)
East of 
b)
Away from 
c)
Towards
d)
South of 
54.

The terminator (terminus) is __.

a)

the line between morning and afternoon (noon)

b)

the line between lit and unlit (sunset/sunrise)

c)

the International Date Line

d)

the line that separates winter and fall

55.

What time is it on spot on Earth directly facing the Sun that is neither turning towards or away from the Sun?

a)

sunset

b)

sunrise

c)

midnight

d)

morning

e)

noon

56.

How do we know the Earth rotates counterclockwise?

a)

the order that we see the season constellations at night

b)

the fact that the sun and stars rise in the east and set in the west

c)

angular measureemtn of circumpolar constellations

d)

the fact that the Sun is higher in summer

57.

How do we know the Earth revolves counterclockwise?

a)

the order that we see the season constellations at night

b)

the fact that the sun and stars rise in the east and set in the west

c)

angular measureemtn of circumpolar constellations

d)

the fact that the Sun is higher in summer

58.
When it is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ______________ in the Southern Hemisphere.
a)
Easter
b)
Christmas
c)
Winter
d)
Spring
59.

When the altitude of the Sun is higher, the

a)

hours of daylight are longer

b)

hours of daylight are shorter

c)

hours of daylight are unaffected by altitude

60.

When the altitude of the Sun is higher, the

a)

intensity of the sunlight is greater

b)

intensity of the sunlight is less

c)

ntensity of the sunlight is unaffected by altitude

61.

Seasons occur because the Earth tilt makes it closer to the Sun in summer

a)

true

b)

false

62.

Within a constellation, the alpha star is the

a)

brightest

b)

closest

c)

biggest

d)

hottest

63.

An object that has 0 hours of right ascension is best seen in ___.

a)

Summer

b)

Spring

c)

Winter

d)

Fall

64.

If Polaris has an altitude of 60 degrees, where is the observer?

a)

On the equator

b)

On the Tropic of Cancer

c)

Half-way between the pole and the equator (~45 degrees latitude)

d)

Near the arctic circle (~60 degrees of latitude)

e)

at the North Pole

65.

At the North Pole, ____.

a)

There are no circumpolar stars

b)

All visible constellations are zodiacs

c)

All visible stars are circumpolar

d)

Objects appear to rise straight up off the horizon

66.

What constellaton would be easiest to see at night from Earth?

a)

Leo

b)

Scorpius

c)

Taurus

d)

Aquarius

67.

What constellaton would be easiest to see at night from Earth 3 months after the date depicted in the diagram?

a)

Leo

b)

Scorpius

c)

Taurus

d)

Aquarius

68.

What constellation would be the "sign" for the date depicted?

a)

Leo

b)

Scorpius

c)

Taurus

d)

Aquarius

69.

On the Winter Solstice, __.

a)

the Sun is at Zenith at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5oN)

b)

The Sun will be the lowest in the sky as viewed from WI

c)

The tilt of the Earth is perpendicular to the Sun

d)

There is 24 hours of daylight in the North Pole

70.

What is true of a sidereal day?

a)

It is measured as a true 360o rotation of the Earth

b)

It is measured by the position of the Sun and takes the revolution of the Earth into consideration

c)

It is shorter that a synodic day.

d)

It is cuased by the tilt of the Earth and the precession of the pole.

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