ASTR 1P01/02: Introduction to Astronomy I/II

Practice Exam

Please solve the following questions. This is not a real exam, it will not be graded, and you do not need to submit your solutions to anyone. The questions are simply intended to help you practice for the real exam.

These questions will not appear in the exam itself. Students who don't genuinely attempt to solve the questions on their own, and only memorize the solutions, will have a very hard time in the actual exam!

This sample exam is online, but the real exam will be given in person, at a time and place indicated on the course website.

THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL EXAM!
THIS IS JUST A PRACTICE EXAM!
THE REAL EXAM IS IN PERSON!

If you need any clarifications for these questions, you can ask for them on the course Teams channel.

Question 1

Which planet's orbits are larger than the Earth's orbit?

Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury and Venus.
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Question 2

An ellipse has...

Three focal points.
One focal point.
Two focal points.

Question 3

Who collected the accurate orbital data on planetary motions?

Johannes Kepler.
Tycho Brahe.
Nicolaus Copernicus.

Question 4

I am in the south pole. What is directly above me?

The south celestial pole.
The celestial equator.
The north celestial pole.

Question 5

Ptolemy's model...

Accurately describes the structure of the solar system.
Accurately described the structure of the solar system in Ptolemy's time, but this structure has changed since then.
Does not accurately describe the structure of the solar system.

Question 6

Which book was the first to accurately describe how gravity works?

On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres.
Almagest.
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.

Question 7

What was Ptolemy's important text on astronomy?

Enuma Anu Enlil.
The Tetrabiblos.
Almagest.

Question 8

I drop two objects in a vacuum. One has a mass of 1 kg and the other has a mass of 2 kg. What will happen?

Both objects will fall at the same rate.
The 2 kg object will fall faster.
The 1 kg object will fall faster.

Question 9

Which of the following aspects of Copernicus's heliocentric model was correct?

It assumed the epicycles moved at a constant speed.
It assumed the planets orbited the Sun.
It assumed the planets moved in epicycles.

Question 10

Why can't we feel the Earth moving?

Because it's moving at a constant speed, and we only feel acceleration.
Because, according to the geocentric model, it's not moving.
Because it's accelerating, and we only feel movement at constant speed.

Question 11

What did Carlson's 1985 astrology experiment prove?

That astrologers can correctly predict a person's personality test results given the person's time and place of birth.
That astrologers cannot correctly predict a person's time and place of birth given the person's personality test results.
That astrologers cannot correctly predict a person's personality test results given the person's time and place of birth.

Question 12

When the Earth is farthest from the Sun...

It moves the fastest.
It moves the slowest.
It moves at the same rate as when it is at any other point.

Question 13

A radio message was sent in 2150 from Earth to the distant planet Wolf 359 c, approximately 8 light-years away. When will the message get to the other planet? (Remember: radio waves travel at the speed of light.)

In the year 2150.
In the year 2158.
In the year 2160.

Question 14

Did the Greeks believe that the Earth was at the center of the universe?

Yes, because they observed stellar parallax.
Yes, because they did not observe stellar parallax.
No, because they did not observe stellar parallax.

Question 15

Which supercluster does the Milky Way belong to?

The Leo Supercluster.
The Virgo Supercluster.
The Pisces Supercluster.

Question 16

Which of the following numbers is the smallest?

2 × 10⁷
4 × 10⁵
5 × 10⁶

Question 17

Why were Galileo's books banned?

Because the Catholic Church feared his scientific discoveries would undermine the Church's authority.
Because scientists of the time rejected his theories.
Because the Catholic Church feared the wrath of God due to his blasphemy against the holy scriptures.

Question 18

When a planet is in retrograde...

You should not start any new relationships.
It is moving backwards in its orbit.
The Earth is passing by it and temporarily moving faster than it.

Question 19

A scientific theory's predictions were verified by every single experiment for 50 years. However, more recently, several new experiments, which have been peer-reviewed, failed to match the theory's predictions. What is most likely happening?

The experiments must have been done incorrectly, as the theory has been established beyond reasonable doubt.
The theory is inaccurate, and must be replaced with a new one which will be consistent with both the old and new experiments.
The laws of nature have changed over time, and the theory must be modified in light of the new changes.

Question 20

Galileo's discoveries which supported the Copernican model included:

The fact that the Milky Way is composed of many individual stars.
The phases of the Moon.
The moons of Jupiter.

Question 21

A very important part of the scientific method in astronomy is:

Testing hypotheses by comparing them against observations.
Testing hypotheses by comparing them against important books such as Ptolemy's Almagest.
Testing hypotheses by comparing them against experimental results in the lab.

Question 22

The Big Dipper is...

An asterism.
A constellation.
A planet.

Question 23

Which of the following is a reliable source of information about astronomy?

Social media posts.
The website for the James Webb Space Telescope, a space telescope operated by NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the European Space Agency.
Any YouTube channel that has "astronomy" in the title.

Question 24

A celestial object which can produce its own light is...

A planet.
A star.
Either a star or a planet.

Question 25

According to Aristotle, the natural state of matter is...

Being at rest.
Moving at a constant speed.
Either being at rest or moving at a constant speed.

Question 26

I am located 20 degrees north of the equator and 40 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. What are my coordinates?

Latitude 20° N, longitude 40° W.
Latitude 20° W, longitude 40° N.
Latitude 40° S, longitude 20° E.

Question 27

How many constellations does the Sun appear to pass through over the course of a year?

13
12
24

Question 28

In science, what is a hypothesis?

An idea that is 100% correct and will never be replaced.
An idea that has been rigorously tested and is correct to the best of our current knowledge.
An idea that has not yet been tested.

Question 29

What tools do astrologers use to ensure that horoscopes correctly match each sign?

They use ancient wisdom that has been preserved since the time of the Babylonians.
They carefully study the forces acting on us from the planets of the solar system, and deduce how our lives will be affected by them.
They make the horoscope generic enough that it will automatically match anyone who reads it.

Question 30

Ptolemy's geocentric model lacked predictive value because...

It was only able to explain the complicated motions of the planets using a simple model.
It was only able to explain the complicated motions of the planets using an equally complicated model.
It was only able to explain the motions of the planets, but not the motions of the Sun and the Moon.

Question 31

The orbits of the planets in Ptolemy's model are...

Epicycles.
Squares.
Ellipses.

Question 32

Astrology is...

A science, which means it is based on theories that are proven to be 100% correct and can never be disputed.
A pseudo-science, which means it claims to be a science but does not use the scientific method to test the validity of hypotheses.
A science, which means it uses the scientific method to test the validity of hypotheses.

Question 33

Planet A has an orbital period of 200 Earth days. Planet B has an orbital period of 100 Earth days. Which planet is closer to the Sun?

Planet B.
There is not enough information to answer this question.
Planet A.