EARTH SCIENCE TEST

Astronomy Test #1

Name: _______________________________________________________________ Period:_______

Part 1: Multiple Choice ( 27 points)

1. The modern heliocentric model of planetary motion states that the planets travel around

(1) the Sun in slightly elliptical orbits (3) Earth in slightly elliptical orbits

(2) the Sun in circular orbits (4) Earth in circular orbits

2. Earth, the Sun, and billions of stars are contained within

(1) a single constellation (2) the Milky Way galaxy (3) the solar system (4) a giant cloud of gas

3. During the month of January, at which location in New York State is the Sun lowest in the sky at solar noon?

(1) Massena (2) Niagara Falls (3) Utica (4) New York

4. As seen from New York State, the noon Sun is

(1) directly overhead every day. (3) directly overhead on the first day of summer.

(2) directly overhead on the first day of spring. (4) never directly overhead.

5. Which diagram best represents the correct orientation of the North Pole [NP] as Earth revolves around the

Sun?

[Diagrams are not drawn to scale.]

6. The diagram below represents a portion of the constellation Ursa Minor. The star Polaris is identified.

Ursa Minor can be seen by an observer in New York State during all four seasons because

Ursa Minor is located almost directly

(1) above Earth’s equator (3) overhead in New York State

(2) above Earth’s North Pole (4) between Earth and the center of the Milky Way

7. Which characteristics best describe the star Betelgeuse?

(1) reddish orange with low luminosity and high surface temperature

(2) reddish orange with high luminosity and low surface temperature

(3) blue white with low luminosity and low surface temperature

(4) blue white with high luminosity and high surface temperature

8. Which sequence of stars is listed in order of increasing luminosity?

(1) Spica, Rigel, Deneb, Betelgeuse (3) Barnard’s Star, Alpha Centauri, Rigel, Spica

(2) Polaris, Deneb, 40 Eridani B, Proxima Centauri (4) Procyon B, Sun, Sirius, Betelgeuse

9. Which list shows stars in order of increasing temperature?

(1) Barnard’s Star, Polaris, Sirius, Rigel (3) Rigel, Polaris, Aldebaran, Barnard’s Star

(2) Aldebaran, the Sun, Rigel, Procyon B (4) Procyon B, Alpha Centauri, Polaris, Betelgeuse

10. The diagram below represents some constellations and one position of Earth in its orbit around the Sun.

These constellations are visible to an observer on Earth at different times of the year.

When Earth is located in the orbital position shown, two constellations that are both visible to an observer on

Earth at midnight are

(1) Libra and Virgo (2) Gemini and Taurus (3) Aquarius and Capricorn (4) Cancer and Sagittarius

11. The diagram below represents positions of Earth in its orbit around the Sun and twelve

constellations that can be seen in the midnight sky by an observer in New York State at different times of

the year. The approximate locations of the constellations in relation to Earth’s orbit are shown.

Which date is correctly paired with two constellations that can be seen in the sky at midnight?

(1) May 21: Scorpius and Taurus (3) November 21: Gemini and Capricorn

(2) August 21: Libra and Virgo (4) February 21: Leo and Cancer

Base your answers to questions 12 and 13 on the diagram below, which represents the Sun’s apparent

paths and the solar noon positions for an observer at 42° N latitude on December 21, September 23, and

June 21.

12. In which direction will sunrise occur on June 21?

(1) north of due west (2) north of due east (3) south of due west (4) south of due east

13. How many hours occurred between sunrise and solar noon on September 23?

(1) 6 (2) 8 (3) 12 (4) 24 __________________________________________________________________________________________

14. The model below represents the apparent path of the Sun across the sky on March 21 as seen by an observer

on Earth.

15. Positions 1, 2, and 3 in the diagram below represent the noon Sun above the horizon on three different

days during the year, as viewed from Binghamton, New York.

16. The diagram below represents the apparent path of the Sun as seen by an observer at 65° N on March 21.

The Sun’s position shown in the diagram

was observed closest to which time of

day?

(1) 9 a.m.

(2) 11 a.m.

(3) 3 p.m.

(4) 6 p.m.

At which position was the noon Sun on January 21,

as viewed from Binghamton?

(1) above position 1

(2) below position 3

(3) between position 1 and position 2

(4) between position 2 and position 3

At which latitude is the observer located?

(1) 90° N

(2) 42° N

(3) 23.5° N

(4) 0°

Base your answers to question 18 on the diagram below, which shows a model of Earth’s orbit

around the Sun. Letters A, B, C, and D represent Earth’s position at the beginning of each season.

19. The Foucault pendulum provides evidence of Earth’s

(1) revolution around the Sun in a geocentric solar system

(2) revolution around the Sun in a heliocentric solar system

(3) rotation on its axis in a geocentric solar system

(4) rotation on its axis in a heliocentric solar system

20. Seasonal changes on Earth are primarily caused by the

(1) parallelism of the Sun's axis as the Sun revolves around Earth

(2) changes in distance between Earth and the Sun

(3) elliptical shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun

(4) tilt of Earth's axis as Earth revolves around the Sun

18.. Which position of Earth

represents the first day of summer in

the Northern Hemisphere?

(1) A

(2) B

(3) C

(4) D

17. Which diagram best represents the regions

of Earth in sunlight on June 21 and December

21?

[NP indicates the North Pole and the shading

represents Earth’s night side. Diagrams are not

drawn to scale.]

21. At a location in the Northern Hemisphere, a camera was placed outside at night with the lens pointing

straight up. The shutter was left open for four hours, resulting in the star trails shown below.

Base your answers to questions 22 and 23 on the time-exposure photograph shown below. The photograph

was taken by aiming a camera at a portion of the night sky above a New York State location and

leaving the cameras shutter open for a period of time to record star trails.

22. Which celestial object is shown in the photograph near the center of the star trails?

(1) the Sun (2) the Moon (3) Sirius (4) Polaris

23. During the time exposure of the photograph, the stars appear to have moved through an arc of 120°. How

many hours did this time exposure take?

(1) 5 h (2) 8 h (3) 12 h (4) 15 h

At which latitude were these star trails

observed?

(1) 1° N

(2) 30° N

(3) 60° N

(4) 90° N

Base your answers to questions 24 through 27 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth

science. The diagram represents Earth’s revolution around the Sun. Points A, B, C, and D represent Earth’s

positions in its orbit on the first day of each of the four seasons. The major axis and the foci (the center of the

Sun and the other focus) of Earth’s orbit are shown.

24. Approximately how many days (d) does it take Earth to travel from position A to position C?

(1) 91 d (2) 182 d (3) 274 d (4) 365 d

25. Since Earth has an elliptical orbit, the

(1) distance between the Sun and Earth varies (3) length of Earth’s major axis varies

(2) distance between the Sun and the other focus varies (4) length of Earth’s period of revolution varies

26. At positions A, B, C, and D, the north end of Earth’s axis of rotation is pointing toward

(1) Betelgeuse (2) Polaris (3) the center of the Milky Way (4) the center of our solar system

27. At which two positions will an observer in New York State experience approximately 12 hours of daylight

during one rotation of Earth?

(1) A and B (2) A and C (3) B and C (4) B and D

EARTH SCIENCE TEST

Astronomy Test #1 (Part 2) Name: _______________________________________________________________ Period:_______

Part 2 (9 points) Place all final answers on the answer sheet.

28. List the following astronomical features, in order of relative size, from smallest to largest. [1]

Sun

Jupiter

Milky Way Galaxy

Universe

Our solar system

29. The diagram on the answer sheet shows a view of the ground from directly above a flagpole in New

York State at solar noon on a particular day of the year. The flagpole’s shadow at solar noon is shown. Draw

the position and relative length of the shadow that would be cast by this flagpole three hours later. [2]

30. The diagram on the answer sheet shows the yearly range of altitudes of the noontime Sun as seen by an

observer in New York State. The letters A, B, C, and D represent the position of the earth on the following

dates:

A = March 21 B = June 21 C = September 21 D = December 21

Write the letters for each of the Earth positions in the circles on this diagram to identify when the observer

will see the Sun at these noontime altitudes in New York State. More than one letter may be written in a

circle, [l]

Base your answer to question 31 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth Science. The

diagram represents the present position of our solar system in a side view of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The distance across the Milky Way Galaxy is measured in light-years.

31. What is the distance, in light-years, from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy to our solar system? [1]

32. Identify the motion of Earth that causes these stars to appear to move in a circular path. [1]

33. Determine the number of hours it took to record the star trails labeled on the diagram. [1]

34. The diagram below represents Earth as viewed from space. The dashed line indicates Earth’s axis.

Some latitudes are labeled.

On the diagram, draw an arrow that points from the North Pole toward Polaris. [1]

35. Record, to the nearest whole degree, the altitude of Polaris when it is viewed from the top of New York

State’s Mt. Marcy. [1]

Base your answers to questions 32 and 33 on

the diagram at the right and on your

knowledge of Earth science. The diagram

represents a time-exposure photograph taken

by aiming a camera at Polaris in the night

sky and leaving the shutter open for a period

of time to record star trails. The angular arcs

(star trails) show the apparent motions of

some stars.

Answer Sheet

Earth Science Test Astronomy Test #1

Name:_____________________________________________Date:_______Period:_____

Multiple Choice [+27]

1.) _____ 15.) _____

2.) _____ 16.) _____

3.) _____ 17.) _____

4.) _____ 18.) _____

5.) _____ 19.) _____

6.) _____ 20.) _____

7.) _____ 21.) _____ 30.

8.) _____ 22.) _____ 30. [+1]

9.) _____ 23.) _____

10.) _____ 24.) _____

11.) _____ 25.) _____

12.) _____ 26.) _____

13.) _____ 27.) _____

14.) _____

31. [+1] __________________light years

Part 1 (27) = ________ Total (36) = ________

Part 2 (9) = ________ % = ________

Bonus (3) = ________

29. [+2]

28. [+1] ____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

32. [+1] ____________________________ 33. [+1] ________________hours

34. [+1]

35. [+1] _____________________

Bonus:

Base your answers to questions 36 through 38 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth

Science. The diagram represents the orbits of Earth, Venus, and Mercury. Earth, Venus, and Mercury are

shown with a dot on each of their orbital paths. The numbers on each orbital path indicate the planet’s

positions on successive days in its revolution. Point M is a position on Earth’s orbit. Each season in the

Northern Hemisphere on Earth is labeled.

36. On the diagram below place an X on each planet’s orbital path to show the positions of

Earth, Venus, and Mercury on the 55th day of each planet’s orbit. [1]

37. Approximately how many revolutions does Mercury make around the Sun during one Earth year? [1]

38. What latitude on Earth receives the vertical rays from the Sun when Earth is at position M? [1]