Questions and answers for exam Preparation

MCQs

Total Questions : 10

Question 1.

Which of the following is not a general difference between a planet and a star?

Planets are smaller than stars.
Planets are dimmer than stars.
Planets are made of rock and stars are made of gas.
Planets orbit stars, while stars orbit the center of the galaxy.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> Planets are made of rock and stars are made of gas.
:
C

Question 2.

The precession of the Moon's nodes means that

there is a lunar eclipse every 6 months
there is a solar eclipse every 6 months
the eclipse seasons occur less than 6 months apart
the vernal equinox will be in Aquarius in a few hundred years

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> the eclipse seasons occur less than 6 months apart
:
C

Question 3.

Which of the following statements about circumpolar stars is true at all latitudes?

They are the stars close to the north celestial pole.
They always remain above your horizon.
They make relatively small circles, travelling clockwise around the north celestial pole.
Like all other stars, they rise in the east and set in the west.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option B. -> They always remain above your horizon.
:
B

Question 4.

What conditions are required for a lunar eclipse?

The phase of the Moon must be new, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
The phase of the Moon can be new or full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
The phase of the Moon must be new, and the Moon's orbital plane must lie in the ecliptic.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option B. -> The phase of the Moon must be full, and the nodes of the Moon's orbit must be nearly aligned with Earth and the Sun.
:
B

Question 5.

At approximately what time would a first quarter moon rise?

6 A.M.
9 A.M.
noon
6 P.M.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> noon
:
C

Question 6.

Why is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere when it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere?

The Northern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the Southern Hemisphere.
The Northern Hemisphere is "on top" of Earth and therefore receives more sunlight.
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and receives more direct sunlight.
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun and receives more indirect sunlight.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> The Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and receives more direct sunlight.
:
C

Question 7.

If part of the full moon passes through Earth's umbra, we will see a(n)

total lunar eclipse
penumbral lunar eclipse
partial lunar eclipse
partial solar eclipse

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> partial lunar eclipse
:
C

Question 8.

About how many stars are visible to the naked eye on a clear, dark night away from city lights?

a few dozen
a couple thousand
several million
a few hundred billion

Discuss Question

Answer: Option B. -> a couple thousand
:
B

Question 9.

When are eclipse seasons?

in the spring and fall
in the summer and winter
when the nodes of the Moon's orbit are nearly aligned with the Sun
when Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are exactly aligned for an eclipse

Discuss Question

Answer: Option C. -> when the nodes of the Moon's orbit are nearly aligned with the Sun
:
C

Question 10.

What happens during the apparent retrograde motion of a planet?

The planet rises in the west and sets in the east.
The planet appears to move eastward with respect to the stars over a period of many nights.
The planet moves backward through the sky.
The planet moves backward in its orbit around the Sun.

Discuss Question

Answer: Option B. -> The planet appears to move eastward with respect to the stars over a period of many nights.
:
B