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AST 3043 exam 3
All the past test questions you can handle
180
Astronomy
Undergraduate 4
04/16/2012

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Term
New Atlantis
Definition
Work of Francis Bacon that described an ideal society based on organized and applied science and which had a part in the formation of what was to become the Royal Society
Term
the philisophical system of Rene Descartes was based on critical doubt and the 
Definition
deductive method
Term
Historically, the first scientific society was the
Definition
Accademia dei Lincei in Italy
Term
The largest satellite of Saturn, Titan, was discovered by
Definition
Christiaan Huygens
Term
According to Newton's first law of motion, an object that is not acted on by any external forces
Definition
moves with constant velocity
Term
Uniform circular motion is caused by the operation of a
Definition
Centripetal force
Term
Newton's universal gravitation
Definition
Acts throughout the universe and is of infinite range
Term
According to Newton, an object fired from the earth with more than the escape velocity will follow a trajectory that is part of a
Definition
hyperbolic orbit
Term
Newton's version of Kepler's Third Law (the Harmonic Law) is extremely important because it
Definition
allows us to estimate the masses of astronomical bodies (planets, stars, and galaxies)
Term
The Earth's oblateness is caused by
Definition
its rotation and the resulting centrifugal "force"
Term
The tidal force caused by the Moon at the place on Earth opposite the moon is directed 
Definition
Away from the moon
Term
If the earth were perfectly spherical instead of oblate
Definition
there would be no precession
Term
Which of the following did Halley not do in connection with Newton's Principia?
Definition
write a portion of it
Term
The most accurate star positions measured without using a telescope were those of
Definition
Hevelius
Term
Ole Roemer introduced the practice of measuring one of the equatorial coordinates by recording the sidereal time at which a star transits the celestial meridian. Which coordinate was it?
Definition
right ascension
Term
To measure the shape of the Earth, one measures the length of a degree of latitude at different latitudes. If the Earth is prolate, a degree of latitude is
Definition
longer at the Equator than at the poles
Term
The first expedition to bring back data to show that the Earth is in fact oblate was that headed by
Definition
Maupertuis
Term
The straight-line (collinear) solution for the gravitational three-body problem was put forward by
Definition
Euler
Term
The branch of astronomy that deals with orbital motions of astronomical bodies is
Definition
celestial mechanics
Term
The "Great Inequality" involves slight orbital irregularities associated with a resonance between the planets
Definition
Jupiter and Saturn
Term
The planet Uranus was discovered by
Definition
Galle and d'Arrest
Term
A numerical calculation of the orbit of Halley's Comet that accurately predicted the comet's return in 1759 was carried out by
Definition
Clairaut and Madame Lepaute
Term
The fact that the "fixed" stars actually shift their positions on the celestial sphere very slowly because of their individual motions through space (the shifts we call {\it proper motions}) was discovered by
Definition
Halley
Term
The first proof that the Earth goes around the Sun was the aberration of starlight discovered by
Definition
Bradley
Term
Longitude on the Earth is determined by
Definition
comparing local time witht hat at the Prime Meridian
Term
Mayer's tables of the moon's motuon were
Definition
calculated using Mayer's lunar theory with some perameters determined from observation (semi-empirical)
Term
Observations of the transits of Venus in 1761 and 1769 were made for the purpose of finding out
Definition
the length of the astronomical unit (AU)
Term
The type of reflecting telescope having a paraboloidal primary mirror with a hole in the center and a convex secondary mirror is the 
Definition
Cassegrain reflector
Term
The instrument used to discover the aberration of starlight and nutation was the
Definition
zenith sector
Term
The solution to the problem of chromatic aberation (though only partial) was the achromatic reflector patented by
Definition
Dollond
Term
The approximate date of the Principia is
Definition
1690
Term
Saturn's peculiar apperance and the disappearance of its "companions were first explained in terms of rings by
Definition
Christiaan Huygens
Term
Newton's theory of gravitation was finally shown to be incomplete or incorrect when which of the following was explained?
Definition
advance of Mercury's perihelion
Term
Toward the end of Newton's life he precipitated the great controversy over priority in inventing the branch of mathematics known as calculus; his antagonist was
Definition
Leibniz
Term
The concept of impetus introduced by Buridana nd Oresme to correct Aristotle's theory of forced motion could be used to invalidate
Definition
The argumane of fall
Term
The medieval astronomy text dealing with the celestial sphere and much of the other material covered in the first part of the course was
Definition
Tractatus de sphaera (Treatise on the Sphere) by Sacrobosco (John of Hollywood)
Term
The first extensive series of fairly accurate observations in Europe were those made by
Definition
Bernhard Walther
Term
The Copernican theory presented in De revolutionibus was of major importance because
Definition
it removed the Earth from the center of the Universe
Term
We usually speak of the Copernican theory as heliocentric, yet is this strictly true of the theory in De revolutionibus?
Definition
No, the center of the Earth's orbit -- the "mean Sun" -- is the true center
Term
The unsigned preface to De revolutionibus (On the revolutions) was written by 
Definition
Osiander
Term
The first planetary tables based on the Copernican theory were the
Definition
Prutenic tables
Term
Tycho Brahe's observations of the "new star" of 1572 were very important in showing that
Definition

contrary to Aristotle's view, change is possible in the superlunary (celestial) region

 

Term
Tycho Brahe's refraction tables for the Sun differed from those for the stars because
Definition
He used Ptolemy's value for the sun's geocentric parallax, which was badly off
Term
Kepler's first two laws of planetary motion were first presented (for the case of Mars) in
Definition
Astronomia nova (New Astronomy)
Term
Kepler's First Law says that the orbits of planets are
Definition
ellipses with the sun at one focus
Term
the collision of the Copernican theory with the Roman Catholic Church was caused by Galileo's
Definition
Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina
Term
Galileo's discovery that Venus has the same phases as the moon
Definition
proved the Ptolemaic theory was wrong
Term
Which of the following was probably NOT a contributing cause of Pope Urban VIII's anger at at Galileo over the Dialogues?
Definition
the book's unmistakable attack on church doctrin
Term
Learning about nature by extracting general principles from specific observations and/or experiments was advocated by
Definition
Francis Bacon
Term
The first known scientific society was the
Definition
Accademia dei Lincei in Italy
Term
Four small satellites of Saturn were discovered by
Definition
G.D. Cassini = Cassini I
Term
The first accurate pendulum clock was invented by
Definition
Christiaan Huygens
Term
The most accurate positional measurements made with the naked eye were those of
Definition
Hevelius
Term
Newton's method used in the Principia was
Definition
a combination of the inductive and deductive methods
Term
According to Newton, in addition to the elliptical orbits found by Kepler, two bodies could also move around each other in
Definition
parabolic and hyperbolic orbits
Term
According to Newton, precession is caused by
Definition
the Sun and Moon trying to pull the Earth's equatorial bulge into the ecliptic plane, which is prevented by Earth's rotation
Term
Ole Roemer showed how the transit telescope could be used which of the following accurately?
Definition
right ascension and declination
Term
The person who played the most important part in publishing the Principia after Newton, who wrote it, was
Definition
Edmond Halley
Term
If the length of a degree of latitude decreases as one goes from the Earth's equator to its poles, it means that the Earth's shape is 
Definition
prolate, as the French originally thought
Term
The naked-eye instrument that was used for telling latitude from the Pole Star and for telling the time of night was the
Definition
nocturnal
Term
The type of telescope having a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece lens is the
Definition
Galilean refractor
Term
The aberration in which different colors have different focal lengths is
Definition
chromatic aberration
Term
The main disadvantage of the early reflectors was
Definition
the necessity of having to polish the metal mirror quite often because it tarnished
Term
The speed of light was first determined by
Definition
Roemer
Term
The most accurate early determination of the Earth's oblateness was obtained by
Definition
Bouger and La Condamine
Term
The proper motions of the stars were discovered by
Definition
Halley
Term
According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, the gravitational force is proportional to
Definition
the inverse square of the distance
Term
The approximate date of Newton was
Definition
1690
Term
Philosophers in the medieval European universities believed that the correct model of the universe was that of
Definition
Aristotle
Term
The Treatise on the Sphere was
Definition
Sacrobosco's basic textbook on the celestial sphere (John of Holywood)
Term
The "Epitome" of Ptolemaic astronomy was a collaboration between Georg Peurbach and
Definition
Regiomantanus (Johannes Mueller)
Term
Copernicus placed the sun
Definition
More or less at the center of the universe
Term
Besides changing the title of Copernicus's book, what did Andreas Osiander, who oversaw its publication, do to deflect criticism by Protestants?
Definition
Added an unsigned preface saying that the heliocentric model was not intended to be a true picture but only useful for calculations
Term
The first planetary tables based on the Copernican theory, the Prutenic Tables, were produced by
Definition
Erasmus Reinhold
Term
Tycho Brahe was
Definition
A Danish aristocrat
Term
Tycho Brahe showed the "new star" of 1572 to contradict Aristotle by 
Definition
Measuring that it had no geocentric parralax
Term
Kepler's work in which he first "explained" the planets' distances from the sun using the regular solids (cube, tetrahedron, etc) was
Definition
"Cosmographic Mystery"
Term
According to Kepler's Second Law (Law of Areas), a given planet moves fastest in its orbit at
Definition
perihelion
Term
Galileo's first discoveries with the telescope were reported in his book
Definition
"Starry Messenger"
Term
Galileo's discovery that venus goes through all the phases that the moon does
Definition
Proved that the Ptolemaic model was wrong
Term
Which of the characters in Galileo's "Dialogue on the Two Great World Systems" presented Pope Urban VIII's argument at the end?
Definition
Simplicio
Term
How did Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's four large moons support the Copernican theory?
Definition
it showed that moons could orbit something that was itself moving without being left behind, countering one argument against the earth's motion
Term
The advocate of the inductive method in natural philosophy was
Definition
Francis Bacon
Term
The idea that comets are burnt-out stars passing from one vortex to another and can only pass through the solar system once was due to
Definition
Rene Descartes
Term
The idea that there are infinitely many planetary systems and many planets with living beings was suggested by
Definition
Giordano Bruno
Term
The first scientific society was the
Definition
Accademia del Lincei (Academy of the Lynx-Eyed)
Term
The "aerial" telescope, with only a rope between the objective lens and the eyepiece lens, was devised by
Definition
Christiaan Huygens
Term
The first reasonably correct determination of the length of the astronomical unit (AU) was obtained through measurement of Mars's geocentric parallex at opposition by
Definition
Giovanni Domenico Cassini
Term
The most accurate measurements of star positions made without benefir of telescopic sights were those of
Definition
Johannes Hevelius
Term
In his "Principia," Newton used
Definition
A combination of the inductive and deductive methods
Term
According to Newton's second law of motion, if the same force is applied to two objects, one more massive than the other,
Definition
the less massive one is accellerated more
Term
According to the law of Universal Gravitation, the attractive force is
Definition
inversely proportional to the square of the distance
Term
Which of the following is a possible form of the orbits in the gravitational two-body problem not found by Kepler?
Definition
hyperbola
Term
Newton's explanation of the tides was that they are caused by 
Definition
differences between the gravitational acceleration due to the moon (and Sun) at various points and the acceleration of the Earth as a whole
Term
The first map of stars in the southern sky made by a European was that of some 350 stars by
Definition
Edmond Halley
Term
The first determination that the Earth is oblate rather than prolate as Newton and Huygens had predicted, ws that of
Definition
Maupertuis and the Lapland expedition
Term
Tycho Brahe introduced the use of transversals (zigzag patterns of dots) on angular scales in order to
Definition
increase the precision of the measurement
Term
Which of the following is an advantage of the Galilean refractor over the Keplerian (astronomical) refractor?
Definition
upright image instead of inverted
Term
The reflector having a solid primary mirror (ie no hole in its center) and a flat secondary mirror that reflects light to the side is the
Definition
Newtonian reflector
Term
The failure of a refractor to bring all colors of light to a focus at the same distance from the objective lens is called
Definition
chromatic aberration
Term
The instrument used for correcting the altitude of Polaris to find one's latitude as well as for telling the time at night was the
Definition
nocturnal
Term
The approximate date of Johannes Kepler is
Definition
1620
Term
The approximate date of Newton is
Definition
1690
Term
In his original correspondence with Kepler in 1597, Galileo wrote that he
Definition
was a Copernican but chose not to go public because he didn't wish to be bothered about it
Term
Which of Galileo's discoveries with the telescope is more an argument against Aristotle than it is an argument against Ptolemy?
Definition
The moon's surface is rough, with craters and mountains
Term
A special emphasis was placed on the practical application of scientific knowledge by
Definition
Francis Bacon
Term
The approach to natural philosophy by reasoning from scientific experiments or observations to general principles is called the
Definition
inductive method
Term
The PLENUM was
Definition
Descarte's idea of a universe that is nowhere empty
Term
The organization that formally (if not financially) sponsored Newton's "Principia" and indirectly led to its being written was
Definition
The Royal Society of London
Term
The largest satellite of Saturn, Titan, was discovered by
Definition
Huygens
Term
The Paris Observatory was founded by
Definition
G.D. Cassini = Cassini I
Term
The speed of light was first successfully measured by
Definition
Roemer
Term
The method used by Newton in his "Principia" was
Definition
a combination of the inductive and deductive methods
Term
The gravitational force
Definition
is proportional to the inverse square of the distance and therefore has infinite range
Term
Which of the following is NOT a possible orbit shape in the two-body problem?
Definition
figure eight
Term
Jupiter's mass is approximately 0.001 that of the sun. The center of mass of the Sun-Jupiter system (considering just those two) is located
Definition
Very near the sun's center
Term
The critical speed for an object to go into Earth orbit is termed the Earth's 
Definition
circular or orbital velocity
Term
Newton's version of Kepler's Third (Harmonic) Law, is very important mainly because it is used to
Definition
estimate masses of stars and galaxies
Term
The Earth's oblateness is caused by
Definition
centrifugal force arising from its rotation
Term
The tidal acceleration caused by the Moon at the point on the Earth midway between the nearest point and the farthest point (diagram)
Definition
is directed inwards, toward's the earth's center
Term
The tides that occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are at syzygy (along a straight line), so that their tidal forces are reinforcing each other, are called
Definition
spring tides
Term
The phenomenon that results when the tidal forces of the Sun try to pull the Moon's orbit plane into allignment with the ecliptic plane is
Definition
regression
Term
The publication cost of Newton's "Principia" was paid mainly by
Definition
Newton's friend Halley
Term
The second Astronomer Royal was
Definition
Halley
Term
If the earth is oblate, the distance corresponding to one degree change in latitude
Definition
increases from the equator to the pole
Term
The expedition whose measurements gave the first accurate measurement of the Earth's oblateness was led by
Definition
Bouger and La Condamine
Term
The first proof that the earth goes around the sun was
Definition
the discovery of the aberration of starlight
Term
The prediction of the return of Halley's comet based on Newton's gravitational theory, which confirmed the theory in addition to disproving Descarte's idea about comets, was made by
Definition
Clairaut and Lepaute
Term
The so-called "Great Inequality" is
Definition
a near-resonance between Jupiter and Saturn
Term
Expeditions were sent out from France and England to observe the Venus transits of 1761 and 1769 in order to determin
Definition
the length of the astronomical unit (through solar parallax)
Term
The first lunar theory that was good enough to be used for finding longitude was
Definition
Tobias Mayer's semiempirical theory
Term
The astronomical or Keplerian refractor has the advantage over the Galilean refractor in which of the following respects?
Definition
a real image, which can be viewed simultaneously with wires at the focus, as with crosshairs
Term
The type of reflector having a paraboloidal primary mirror and a flat secondary mirror reflecting the light to a focus out to the side near the front is the
Definition
Newtonian
Term
The kind of aberration in which rays that come  in at an oblique angle to the central axis of a paraboloidal mirror are focused in a comma- or teardrop-shaped region at the edge of the field of view is
Definition
coma
Term
With the transit telescope, a star's declination is found by
Definition
calculation from its measured altitude, correcting for the observor's latitude
Term
The approximate date of Newton's "Principia" was
Definition
1690
Term
At his trial in 1633, Galileo's sentence was
Definition
house arrest for life, recitation of a penitential psalm once a week, and prohibition on publication
Term
Newton himself considered the most productive time of his life for mathematics and science (natural philosophy) to have been when he was
Definition
home at Woolsthorpe during the plague years
Term
Newton's "Principia" originated
Definition
as a followup to a conversation among members (Fellows) of the Royal Society--Wren, Hooke, and Halley
Term
Which of the following did Halley not do in connection with Newton's "Principia"?
Definition
Write a considerable portion of it
Term
The methodology employed by Newton in his "Principia" was
Definition
a combination of the inductive and deductive methods
Term
The mathematics of "Principia" was
Definition
almost calculus, but not quite, yet very difficult
Term
According to Newton's Laws of Motion, an object in not being acted on by a net external force so long as
Definition
its velocity isn't changing
Term
Which is accelerated more by their forces on each other, the Earth or the Moon? (Earth is more massive)
Definition
the Moon
Term
Uniform circular motion is caused by the operation of a
Definition
centripetal force
Term
If two planets have the same mass but different radii, which will have the larger surface gravity?
Definition
the smaller one
Term
Which of the following orbits is a periodic orbit in the two-body problem
Definition
Ellipse
Term
According to Newton, an object fired from the earth with exactly the escape velocity will follow a trajectory that is part of a
Definition
parabolic orbit
Term
The Earth's mass is about 81 times greater than the Moon's. Then the center of mass of the Earth-Moon system is located
Definition
Near the center of the earth
Term
Newton showed that Kepler's Law of Areas (Second Law) is actually a result of the conservation of
Definition
angular momentum
Term
Which of the following quantities doesn't appear in Newton's version of Kepler's Third Law?
Definition
1. eccentricity
Term
The tidal force caused by the moon at the place on the earth farthest from the moon is directed
Definition
Away from the moon
Term
The tides that occur when the sun, moon, and earth lie nearly along a straight line are called
Definition
spring tides
Term
The earth's oblateness is caused by
Definition
its rotation and the resulting centrifugal "force"
Term
The Earth's precession (of the equinoxes) is caused by
Definition
tidal forces of the Sun and Moon trying to pull its equatorial bulge into alignment with the ecliptic plane
Term
To measure the shape of the Earth, one measures the length of a degree of latitude at different latitudes. If the earth is oblate, a degree of latitude is
Definition
shorter at the equator than at the poles
Term
Toward the end of Newton's life he precipitated the great controversy over priority in inventing the branch of mathematics now known as calculus; his antagonist was
Definition
Leibniz
Term
The first expedition to bring back accurate data which indicated the actual oblateness of the earth was that headed by
Definition
Godin, La Condamine, and Bouger
Term
The branch of astronomy that deals with the positions of astronomical bodies on the sky is
Definition
astrometry
Term
The "great inequality" is a 900-year cycle associated with a resonance between the planets
Definition
Jupiter and Saturn
Term
A numerical calculation of the orbit of Halley's Comet that accurately predicted the comet's return in 1759 was carried out by
Definition
Clairaut, Madame Lepaute, and Lalande
Term
The fact that the "fixed" stars actually shift their positions on the celestial sphere very slowly because of their individual motions through space (the shifts we call proper motions) was discovered by
Definition
Halley
Term
The first proof that the Earth goes around the sun was the aberration of starlight discovered by
Definition
Bradley
Term
Longitude on the Earth is determined by
Definition
Comparing local time with time at the Prime Meridian
Term
Mayer's tables of the Moon's motion were
Definition
calculated using Mayer's lunar theory with many parameters determined from observation (semi-empirical)
Term
Halley pointed out that observations of the transits of Venus in 1761 and 1769 would give an accurate value for
Definition
The length of the Astronomical Unit
Term
The "Treatise on Celestial Mechanics which was the high point of eighteenth century celestial mechanics was written by
Definition
Laplace
Term
Newton's theory of gravitation was finally shown to be incomplete or incorrect when which of the following was explained?
Definition
advance of mercury's perihelon
Term
The refracting telescope having a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece lens is known as the 
Definition
Gallilean Refractor
Term
The reflecting telescope having a concave primary mirror and a concave secondary mirror is the
Definition
Gregorian
Term
The problem with the refracting telescope that causes color fringes around images and motivated Newton to turn to mirrors for the main optical element instead of lenses was
Definition
chromatic aberration
Term
the solution to the problem of chromatic aberration (though only partially) was the achromatic refractor patented by 
Definition
Dollond
Term
The instrument used to discover the aberration of starlight and nutation was the
Definition
zenith sector
Term
The approximate date of Newton
Definition
1690
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