Practice Test

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 of the following is not 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.
Encyclopedia Britannica.

Question 2

A celestial object which cannot produce its own light is...

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

Question 3

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

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 use ancient wisdom that has been preserved since the time of the Babylonians.
They make the horoscope generic enough that it will automatically match anyone who reads it.

Question 4

Which of the following numbers is the largest?

9 × 10⁴
5 × 10⁶
4 × 10⁵

Question 5

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

12
24
13

Question 6

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 7

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

Latitude 20° S, longitude 40° E
Latitude 40° S, longitude 20° E
Latitude 20° E, longitude 40° S

Question 8

What was the ancient Babylonian text on astrology called?

The Tetrabiblos.
Enuma Anu Enlil.
Almagest.

Question 9

Astrology is...

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.
A science, which means it is based on theories that are proven to be 100% correct and can never be disputed.

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

What is the Local Group?

A cluster of galaxies that the Milky Way belongs to.
A cluster of galaxies located near the Milky Way.
A cluster of stars that the Sun belongs to.

Question 12

What did Carlson's 1985 astrology experiment prove?

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

Question 13

What is Occam's razor?

The principle that says complex theories have more predictive value than simpler ones, and therefore should be preferred.
The principle that says simpler theories have more predictive value than complex ones, and therefore should be preferred.
The principle that says simpler theories are easier to understand than complex ones, and therefore should be preferred.

Question 14

In science, what is a hypothesis?

An idea that has not yet been tested.
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.

Question 15

When a planet is in retrograde...

You should avoid any big investments.
It looks to us like it's still moving forward in its orbit, but actually it's moving backwards.
It looks to us like it's moving backwards in its orbit, but actually it's still moving forward.

Question 16

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 17

"Last year, when Mars was in retrograde, I broke my arm. Clearly, there must be a connection!" This is an example of...

The appeal to tradition fallacy.
The correlation implies causation fallacy.
The appeal to popularity fallacy.

Question 18

The Greeks believed that the Earth was at the center of the universe...

Because they did not know about stellar parallax.
Because they observed stellar parallax.
Because they did not observe stellar parallax.

Question 19

Orion is...

A constellation.
A galaxy.
An asterism.

Question 20

A radio message was sent in 2150 from Earth to the distant planet Epsilon Eridani b, approximately 10 light-years away. When will the message get to the other planet? (Remember: radio waves travel at the speed of light.)

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

Question 21

What is stellar parallax?

The phenomenon where all stars appear to move together in the sky throughout the year.
The phenomenon where stars far from us appear to move relative to the fixed stars closer to us throughout the year.
The phenomenon where stars close to us appear to move relative to the fixed stars farther away from us throughout the year.

Question 22

Which planet's orbits are between the Sun and the Earth?

Mercury and Venus.
Venus and Mars.
Mercury and Mars.

Question 23

Are lab experiments a very important aspect of astronomy?

Yes.
They used to be in ancient times, but not anymore.
No.

Question 24

One full rotation of the Earth around its axis corresponds to...

A year.
A day.
A month.

Question 25

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

Ellipses.
Squares.
Epicycles.