Q&A Hero

Q: A line of equal longitude is called a(n) ______________.

Q: In the United States, the southernmost point of the Sun is known as the ______________.

Q: When the Sun is on the meridian, it is by definition ______________ local solar time.

Q: ______________ is defined as the angular measurement, in degrees, east or west of the reference meridian.

Q: A line of equal latitude is called a(n) ______________.

Q: The maximum value of longitude is ______________.

Q: The ______________ of a surface position on Earth can be defined as the angular measurement, in degrees, north or south of the equator.

Q: When Daylight Saving Time is initiated in the spring, people in the United States who continue to go to work at the same time leave A) when it is lighter (more daylight). B) with the same light. C) when it is darker.

Q: The elapsed time between two successive crossings of the same meridian by a star other than the Sun is known as A) the tropical year. B) one sidereal day. C) the sidereal year. D) none of these.

Q: The farthest point of the Sun from the equator is known as the A) declination. B) solstice. C) latitude. D) equinox.

Q: The time interval from one vernal equinox to the next is called one ______________ year. A) sidereal B) celestial C) solar D) tropical

Q: The elapsed time between two successive crossings of the same meridian by the Sun is known as ______________ day. A) one sidereal B) an apparent solar C) a 24-hour D) a mean solar

Q: Which of the following divisions of time cannotbe changed by a human decision?A) 60 minutes in an hourB) 365.2422 days in a yearC) 7 days in a weekD) 24 hours in a day

Q: The Gregorian calendar assumed that there were ______________ days in a year. A) 365 B) 365 C) 366 D) 365.2422

Q: The Julian calendar assumed that there were ______________ days in a year. A) 365 B) 365 C) 366 D) 354.2422

Q: Consider the following pairs of points: F: 0N, 40W G: 10N, 60W 0N, 20W 10N, 40W H: 20S, 130E J: 30S, 170E 20S, 150E 30S, 150E Which pair is closest together? A) J B) F C) G D) H E) All are the same distance apart.

Q: Consider the following pairs of points:F: 0°N, 40°W G: 70°N, 60°W 0°N, 20°W 70°N, 40°W H: 20°S, 130°E J: 30°S, 170°E 20°S, 150°E 30°S, 170°WWhich pair is closest together?A) JB) FC) GD) HE) All are the same distance apart.

Q: It is generally believed that there are 7 days in a week because A) there are 7 stars in the Big Dipper. B) it is necessary to have 52 weeks in a year. C) there are 7 visible bodies in the sky that move against the background of the fixed stars. D) it is easy to multiply by 7.

Q: Earth's axis completes a precession every A) 25,800 years. B) 30 days. C) day. D) 365 days.

Q: If Earth's axis were tilted at 40, the seasons of the year would A) be shorter. B) be harsher. C) be longer. D) not change. E) be milder.

Q: If Earth's axis were tilted at 10, the seasons of the year would A) be shorter. B) be harsher. C) be longer. D) not change. E) be milder.

Q: If Earth's axis were tilted at 30, the daylight hours in Washington, D.C., in June would A) remain the same. B) be greater. C) be less. D) be equal to the hours of darkness.

Q: The tropical year is shorter than the sidereal year because Earth's A) orbit is an ellipse rather than a true circle. B) axis precesses westward. C) orbital speed is not constant. D) axis is tilted by 23.5.

Q: The plane of Earth's equator is tilted ______________ with respect to the plane of Earth's orbit about the Sun. A) 90 B) 18 C) 5 D) 23.5 E) 180

Q: The altitude of the North Star (Polaris) is approximately A) 90. B) equal to the observer's local latitude. C) equal to the observer's local longitude. D) dependent on the time of day. E) none of these

Q: At different times of the year, the Sun appears to be in different parts of the sky among different groups of stars. This is so because A) Earth revolves about the Sun. B) the Sun rotates on its axis. C) the Sun moves through space. D) stars move. E) Earth rotates on its axis.

Q: The longest-daylight day for people in the Northern Hemisphere at latitudes greater than 25N occurs when the noon Sun is overhead at the A) Greenwich meridian. B) Tropic of Cancer. C) equator. D) Tropic of Capricorn.

Q: The shortest-daylight day for people in the Northern Hemisphere at latitudes greater than 30N occurs at the A) summer solstice. B) vernal equinox. C) winter solstice. D) autumnal equinox.

Q: The shortest-daylight day for people in the Southern Hemisphere at latitudes greater than 30S occurs at the A) summer solstice. B) vernal equinox. C) winter solstice. D) autumnal equinox.

Q: The longest-daylight day for people in the Northern Hemisphere at latitudes greater than 30N occurs at the A) summer solstice. B) vernal equinox. C) winter solstice. D) autumnal equinox.

Q: The longest-daylight day for people in the Southern Hemisphere at latitudes greater than 30S occurs at the A) summer solstice. B) vernal equinox. C) winter solstice. D) autumnal equinox.

Q: The number of daylight hours at 35N is greatest during the month of A) May. B) August. C) June. D) July.

Q: The number of daylight hours before 12 noon is ______________ the number of daylight hours past 12 noon. A) greater than B) less than C) approximately the same as

Q: The number of daylight hours at 40S is greatest during the month of A) June. B) December. C) September. D) March.

Q: The number of hours of daylight at any place on Earth depends on A) the latitude only. B) the day of the year only. C) both the latitude and the day of the year. D) none of these.

Q: Which of the following is true? The number of daylight hours depends on A) the International Date Line. B) the longitude. C) the latitude. D) all of these.

Q: The present standard for time is based on A) the transition of an electron between two energy levels of the cesium-133 atom. B) Earth's rotation. C) Earth's orbit. D) none of these.

Q: The four seasonsspring, summer, fall, and winterare caused by the Sun's changing its daily altitude over a period of 1 year. The Sun's altitude changes A) simply because Earth revolves eastward about the Sun. B) simply because Earth rotates on its axis. C) simply because Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 from the normal to the ecliptic plane. D) because of the combined effects of (A) and (C).

Q: At the time of the summer solstice, in the United States, A) the number of hours of daylight is greater than the number of hours of darkness. B) the number of hours of daylight is equal to the number of hours of darkness. C) the number of hours of daylight is less than the number of hours of darkness. D) none of the above is true.

Q: The Greenwich meridian is also known as the A) zero, or prime, meridian. B) reference circle. C) east"west coordinate parallel. D) hour meridian.

Q: Six months of darkness at the North Pole begins when the Sun is at the A) winter solstice. B) summer solstice. C) autumnal equinox. D) vernal equinox.

Q: Six months of daylight at the North Pole begins when the Sun is at the A) winter solstice. B) summer solstice. C) autumnal equinox. D) vernal equinox.

Q: Six months of daylight at the South Pole begins when the Sun is at the A) winter solstice. B) summer solstice. C) autumnal equinox. D) vernal equinox.

Q: Six months of darkness at the South Pole begins when the Sun is at the A) winter solstice. B) summer solstice. C) autumnal equinox. D) vernal equinox.

Q: Latitude is the angular measurement in degrees A) east or west of the prime meridian. B) north or south of the prime meridian. C) north or south of the equator. D) north or south of the celestial equator.

Q: Pope Gregory XIII decreed that 10 days would be skipped in 1582 because A) the calendar and the seasons were out of sync. B) of a meteor impact. C) he was insane. D) skipping his birthday would prevent his removal.

Q: The Julian calendar, which has 365 days and a leap day every 4 years, was no longer used in Europe after 1582 because A) it is slightly inaccurate and after 1600 years of use caused large problems. B) leap years are rough on people born on February 29. C) people realized that the Roman calendar is better. D) it had 13 months, which is unlucky. E) none of the above; we still use it.

Q: The ______________ calendar is most used around the world. A) Roman B) Julian C) Gregorian D) Babylonian

Q: The most southern latitude from which an observer on Earth can see the North Star (Polaris) is A) 66.5S. B) 23.5S. C) 0. D) 23.5N.

Q: The Sun is at the vernal equinox within one or two days of which of the following dates? A) March 21 B) September 22 C) December 22 D) June 21

Q: The Sun appears to travel daily in the sky A) one degree in 4 minutes. B) 7 in one hour. C) 360 in 12 hours. D) 23.5 in one year.

Q: The ______________ occurs on June 21. A) autumnal equinox B) winter solstice C) summer solstice D) vernal equinox

Q: Los Angeles, California, is in the ______________ Standard Time zone. A) Mountain B) Pacific C) Central D) Eastern

Q: Most of the Rocky Mountains, in the western United States, lie in the ______________ Standard Time zone. A) Mountain B) Eastern C) Central D) Pacific

Q: The 120W longitude meridian is the center of the ______________ Standard Time zone in the United States. A) Pacific B) Mountain C) Eastern D) Central

Q: The 105W longitude meridian is the center of the ______________ Standard Time zone in the United States. A) Pacific B) Mountain C) Eastern D) Central

Q: The 90W longitude meridian is the center of the ______________ Standard Time zone in the United States. A) Pacific B) Mountain C) Eastern D) Central

Q: The 75W longitude meridian is the center of the ______________ Standard Time zone in the United States. A) Pacific B) Mountain C) Eastern D) Central

Q: At which latitude is the noonday Sun overhead only once a year? A) 10S B) 23S C) 4N D) 30N

Q: At which latitude is the noonday Sun overhead twice a year? A) 30S B) 23S C) 24N D) 30N

Q: At noon on June 21, the Sun is directly overhead at a latitude of A) 23.5N. B) 23.5S. C) 32.5N. D) 0.

Q: If it is 2:00 P.M. EST in Washington, D.C., what is the time in San Diego, California, the longitude of which is 45 more westerly? A) 1:00 P.M. PST B) 11:00 A.M. PST C) NoonPST D) 5:00 P.M. PST

Q: If it is 10:00 A.M. EST in Washington, D.C., what is the time in San Diego, California, the longitude of which is 45 more westerly? A) 1:00 P.M. PST B) 7:00 A.M. PST C) 10:00 A.M. PST D) 9:00 A.M. PST

Q: If it is 1:00 P.M. EST in Washington, D.C., what is the time in Denver, Colorado, the longitude of which is 30 more westerly? A) 9:00 A.M.MST B) 11:00 A.M. MST C) 3:00 P.M. MST D) Noon. MST

Q: If it is 10:00 A.M. EST in Washington, D.C., what is the time in Denver, Colorado, the longitude of which is 30 more westerly? A) 12 noon MST B) 8:00 A.M. MST C) 10:00 A.M. MST D) 9:00 A.M. MST

Q: The longest day (daylight) of the year for the Northern Hemisphere occurs at the time of the A) autumnal equinox. B) vernal equinox. C) winter solstice. D) summer solstice.

Q: An observer measures the North Star (Polaris) at an altitude of 40. The observer's latitude is A) 5N. B) 50N. C) 75N. D) 40N. E) none of these.

Q: An observer measures the North Star (Polaris) at an altitude of 30. The observer's latitude is A) 40N. B) none of these. C) 60N. D) 30N.

Q: On September 22 or 23, the noonday Sun is overhead at what latitude? A) 0 B) 23.5N C) 23.5S D) That of the Tropic of Cancer

Q: On June 21, the noonday Sun is overhead at what latitude? A) 0 B) 23.5N C) 23.5S D) That of the Tropic of Cancer

Q: On March 21, the noonday Sun is overhead at what latitude? A) 0 B) 23.5N C) 23.5S D) That of the Tropic of Cancer

Q: On December 21, the noonday Sun is overhead at what latitude? A) 0 B) 23.5N C) 23.5S D) That of the Tropic of Cancer

Q: The complementary angle of the angle of an object above the horizon is the A) zenith angle. B) altitude. C) latitude. D) noon angle.

Q: The ______________ angle added to the altitude angle equals 90. A) inclination B) declination C) altitude D) zenith

Q: The ______________ angle is measured between the horizon and the line of sight to the object. A) declination B) altitude C) inclination D) zenith

Q: A ______________ is always shorter than a ______________ . A) solar day; sidereal day B) solar day; mean solar day C) sidereal day; solar day D) mean solar day; solar day

Q: A ______________ is always longer than a ______________ . A) solar day; sidereal day B) solar day; mean solar day C) sidereal day; solar day D) mean solar day; solar day

Q: The actual amount of time it takes for Earth to rotate 360 on its axis is called a A) meridian day. B) 24-hour day. C) sidereal day. D) mean solar day. E) solar day.

Q: The apparent amount of time it takes for Earth to complete a rotation on its axis is called a A) meridian day. B) 24-hour day. C) sidereal day. D) mean solar day. E) solar day.

Q: An attempt to remedy the difference in apparent solar days was the calculation of a A) meridian day. B) 24-hour day. C) sidereal day. D) mean solar day.