NSCI 111 FINAL EXAM 7/06/2007 Dr. Holmes NAME: 

Answer all the questions. The worth of each question is indicated beside the question.

1) The constellations of the zodiac: Fill in the name, declination, right ascension for each of the constellations of the zodiac and then fill in the month that it crosses the meridian at noon (when the sun is in that constellation) and the month that it crosses the meridian at 9 pm (nice viewing time).

NAME	Dec	R.A.	Month it crosses meridian at noon	Month it crosses meridian at 9 pm
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.

2) a) What is the approximate declination and right ascension of the Big Dipper?

b) Draw the Big Dipper and place the North Star on the diagram also.

3) a) What is the ecliptic?

b) What is a heliacal rising?

c) What is the summer solstice?

4) Magnification of a telescope

a) A telescope has an objective lens of diameter 6 inches and focal length 120 cm. If an eyepiece of focal length 40 mm (40 mm = 4 cm) is used, what is the magnifying power of this telescope?

b) If a magnifying power of 60 is desired, what should the focal length of the eyepiece be for this telescope?

c) What is the maximum useful magnification of this telescope?

5) What are the three major properties of a telescope, and what does each depend on?

a)

b)

c) 

6) Effect of the atmosphere on light:

What are the three major ways the atmosphere affects light from astronomical objects? Give one example of each. (2 points for each way, 2 points for each example)

a)

example:

b)

example:

c) 

example:

7. List the planets in order of increasing distance from the sun (i.e., start with the closest planet and end with the farthest planet based on average distance) and give the approximate distance (in A.U.) from the sun for each of the planets.

#	NAME	Distance from sun (in A.U.)
1	.	.
2	.	.
3	.	.
4	.	.
5	.	.
6	.	.
7	.	.
8.	.	.
9	.	.

8. Draw a diagram (similar to the one drawn in class) showing where and how we on the earth see an superior planet. Label on the diagram the four major positions of the planet. Indicate on the diagram when the planet is seen as a “morning star” and when as an “evening star”.

 9) Tell when the moon rises when it is at the following four phases:

a) first quarter:

b) third quarter:

c) full moon:

d) new moon:

10) Fill in the following for two stars (excluding the sun)

Name	Constellation the star is in	Absolute Magnitude	Apparent Magnitude	Distance from Earth	Spectral Class
.	.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.	.

11) Draw an H-R diagram, labeling both axes and indicating where the main sequence, giants, supergiants and white dwarfs are located. Also, place the sun and the two stars of problem #1 on the diagram.

12. a) Distinguish between brightness and luminosity:

b) Distinguish between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude:

13) Draw another H-R diagram, labeling the axes and showing the position of the main sequence, and then draw in the life cycle of a star like the sun, and explain what is happening at each stage of the cycle.

14) What are the three main cosmological facts?

1.

2.

3.

15) a) Briefly describe the "Big Bang" theory:

b) Discuss how it explains the three main cosmological facts:

1.

2.

3.

16) a) According to the "Big Bang" theory, how old is the universe?

b) Describe two ways in which this age is determined:

1.

2.

17) Name four of the five major ways astronomical distances are measured:

1.

2.

3.

4.

18) Fill in the distances to the following:

#	Distance of this	In Miles	In A.U.	In lightyears
1	Circumference of the earth:	.	xxxxx	xxxxxxxxxx
2	Distance from the earth to the moon:	.	xxxxx	xxxxxxxxxx
3	Distance from the earth to the sun	.	.	Xxxxxxxxxx
4	Distance from the sun to Pluto	xxxxx	.	xxxxx
5	Distance from the sun to the nearest star	xxxxx	.	.
6	Distance across the Milky Way	xxxxx	xxxxx	.
7	Distance to the Andromeda galaxy	xxxxx	xxxxx	.
8	Distance to the cneter of our Super Cluster (to the Virgo cluster)	xxxxx	xxxxx	.
9	Distance to the furthest quasar	xxxxx	xxxxx	.

19) TRUE OR FALSE: (for each: +1 if correct, 0 if you leave it blank, -1 if wrong)

(or based on subtracting from 100: -0 if correct, -1 if blank, -2 if wrong)

__T___ a) Although the sun appears to move East to West through the sky, it appears to move from West to East (eastward) through the constellations of the zodiac, and it never moves westward.

__F___ b) While the moon follows approximately the same path as the sun through the sky, the planets do not. That is why the Greeks called them “wandering stars”.

__T___c) A star with a surface temperature the same as the sun’s and moving away from the sun (and earth) will have its energy peak in the orange (rather then in the green-yellow like the sun) when viewed from the earth. 

__T___ d) The winds in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counterclockwise around a low pressure center because the earth is spinning about its axis.

__T___ e) High tides are a little more than 12 hours apart This is due to the moon's gravity pulling on the earth and the direction of the moon's orbit.

__T___ f) Venus will never be viewed more than about 48^o away from the sun.

__T___ g) The diameter of the sun is about 1% of the earth-sun distance. Therefore it is larger than the earth to moon distance.

__T___ h) While the distance to the sun is several light minutes, the distance to the nearest star (excluding the sun) is several light years.

__F__ i) There appear to be both giant and dwarf spiral galaxies.

__F___ j) A closed universe would be one that is finite and has edges.

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