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

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

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

Question 2

Are lab experiments a very important aspect of astronomy?

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

Question 3

Orion is...

An asterism.
A constellation.
A galaxy.

Question 4

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

Question 5

What was the ancient Babylonian text on astrology called?

Almagest.
The Tetrabiblos.
Enuma Anu Enlil.

Question 6

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 7

In science, what is a theory?

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

Question 8

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 9

What is the Barnum effect?

The astrological phenomenon that ensures the horoscope actually describes each individual person accurately.
The cognitive bias that makes people think a horoscope describes them individually, while in fact it is intentionally vague enough to describe anyone.
The effect that produces astrological predictions.

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

The orbits of the planets in the solar system are...

Circles.
Ellipses.
Epicycles.

Question 12

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 13

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

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

Question 14

What is special about the constellations of the zodiac?

They allow astrologers to produce reliable horoscopes.
They are the constellations that the Sun appears to pass through over the course of a year.
The stars in these constellations are closer to Earth compared to those in other constellations.

Question 15

Which of the following numbers is the smallest?

9 × 10⁴
4 × 10⁵
5 × 10⁶

Question 16

Which supercluster does the Milky Way belong to?

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

Question 17

Two scientists have published competing hypotheses. Since they contradict each other, only one can be correct. How will we determine which hypothesis is correct?

The hypothesis from the scientist with a PhD from the more prestigious university is the correct one.
The hypothesis whose predictions have been verified in experiments is the correct one.
The hypothesis that is easier to understand is the correct one.

Question 18

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 19

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

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

Question 20

"All my friends believe in astrology. Clearly, it must be true!" This is an example of...

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

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

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

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

Question 23

What is stellar parallax?

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

Question 24

One full orbit of the Earth around the Sun corresponds to...

A day.
A month.
A year.

Question 25

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.