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155 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
The celestial equator is the
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imaginary circle midway between the celestial poles
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At the Earth’s North Pole the stars
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move parallel to the horizon, neither rising nor setting
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The changes in the Sun’s rising and setting points and where it crosses the celestial meridian over the course of the year are evidence that the Sun moves
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north and south with respect to the celestial sphere
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The term heliacal rising refers to
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first appearance before sunrise after an object has been invisible near the Sun
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Newgrange’s alignment together with the finding of human remains inside suggests a connection
between |
winter solstice, death, and rebirth
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The Hopi Soyal ceremony occurs around the time of
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the winter solstice
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The 19-year Metonic cycle for fitting
together the tropical year and the synodic month is an example of |
intercalation by rule
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Our division of the day into 24 hours originated with the
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Egyptian decans used to divide the nighttime
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At Ballochroy the distance from the megalith to the mountain is 19 miles, while the distance
from the center of Stonehenge to the Heel Stone is several hundred feet. What can one infer about the relative precision of the two alignments? |
Ballochroy is more precise
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The altitude of the celestial pole in the observer’s sky is equal to
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the observer’s latitude
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The approximate date on which the Sun is farthest north of the celestial equator is
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June 21
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Which ecliptic coordinate is measured eastward from the vernal equinox along the ecliptic?
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celestial longitude
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The full Moon should set approximately at
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6 a.m.
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When the Moon’s ascending node is on top of the vernal equinox, the Moon will pass through its
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major standstills
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Which of the following suggested astronomical connections for Stonehenge is definitely not
currently accepted? |
use of the Aubrey holes to predict eclipses
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The Torreon at Machu Picchu has an alignment towards the northeast that is essentially the
same as that of the main axis of the Coricancha. What alignment(s) is/are involved? |
June solstice sunrise and Pleiades rise
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Mars has its retrograde motion around the time that it is at
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opposition
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We know that the Maya understood the relationship between Venus’s synodic period and the 260-day "sacred year" because
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it appears in a table in the Dresden Codex
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Which of the following types of alignments does the Bighorn Medicine Wheel have?
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stellar
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The regular astronomical phenomena such as the calendar were the responsibility of which
branch of the Chinese astronomical bureau? |
lifa
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Kidinnu (known to the Greeks as Cidenas) has been identified as the person who devised
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the zigzag approximation for the variable motion in longitude
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The date of antizenith passage of the Sun, which was associated with the alignment from the center of Cuzco to the stone columns on the western skyline, could have been identified by the Inca by
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marking where the Sun rises on the day it passes through the zenith and then noting
when it sets exactly opposite |
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Which of the following is a superior planet?
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Jupiter
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The instrument that could be used to tell the time of day as well as the Sun’s altitude was the
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gnomon
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The hippopede was introduced by Eudoxus to represent what?
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retrograde motion
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Comets are a phenomenon in the upper level of Earth’s atmosphere according to Aristotle because
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they change, whereas everything in the superlunary region is immutable
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Aristarchus is noteworthy in part
for having |
first proposed a heliocentric theory of the Universe
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The first reasonably close value for the Moon’s geocentric parallax (and the first distance of a celestial body) was obtained by
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Hipparchus
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In the Greek way of reckoning (with respect to the Earth), a superior planet’s period of revolution around its epicycle is
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its synodic period
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The "guest star" of 1054 AD, whose appearance was recorded in the Chinese records but not in
European ones, was what we now know as a |
supernova
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Which of the following had its origins in the Babylonians’ sexagesimal number system?
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60 minutes in an hour
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The totally dark part of the Moon’s shadow is called the
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umbra
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The saros is
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a pattern of eclipse series over a period of slightly more than 18 years
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The object at the center of the cosmos according to Philolaus, a disciple of Pythagoras, was the
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central fire (not the Sun)
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The actual size of the Earth, as distinct from its relative size compared to the Sun and Moon,
was first determined by |
Eratosthenes
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The most controversial aspect of
Ptolemy’s models was |
the equant, which violated uniform circular motion
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Which of the following instruments was used for measuring the ecliptic coordinates of objects?
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zodiacal armillary sphere
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The approximate date of Hipparchus was
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150 BC
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The object at the center of the (fictitious) celestial sphere is the
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The Earth
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The celestial poles are located on the celestial sphere directly above
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the geographic poles
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The latitude of Hven, where Tycho Brahe's observatories were located, is 56 degrees N. What is the altitude of the North Celestial Pole at that location?
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56 degrees
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At the Earth's equator, stars move which way?
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they rise and set perpendicular to the horizon
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The coordinate in the altazimuth system (for the observer's sky) that is measured around the horizon from north or sometimes south is
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azimuth
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Which of the following facts is evidence that the Sun moves eastwards with respect to the fixed stars?
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the solar day is longer than the sidereal day
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The point on the celestial sphere at which the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving from south to north is usually termed the
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vernal equinox
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The approximate date of the vernal equinox is
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March 21
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The equatorial coordinate which is measured north or south of the celestial equator is
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declination
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Equatorial coordinates change over time because of
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Precession
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Our calendar is most nearly based on which of the
following intervals? |
tropical year
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Successive heliacal risings of the bright star Sirius occur at intervals of one
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sidereal year
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The Moon's phase immediately following third or last quarter is
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waning crescent
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At which of the following phases does the Moon rise approximately at noon?
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first quarter
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Which of the following months is shortest?
(Remember, the nodes regress.) |
nodical month
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The Moon's minor standstills occur when the descending node is at the
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vernal equinox
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At Stonehenge the alignment of the center and the Heel Stone is towards
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midsummer (that is, summer solstice) sunrise
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In his book Stonehenge Decoded Hawkins put forward which highly controversial idea?
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the Aubrey holes were used to predict eclipses
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What did Hawkins do that was new in his study of Stonehenge as described in Stonehenge Decoded?
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used a computer to search for
possible astronomical alignments (rising and setting) |
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Newgrange is an example of a structure having an alignment associated with death (reinforced by the presence of human remains) and rebirth, namely
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winter solstice
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The most notable symbolism of the Coricancha in Cuzco, exemplified by a large disc of solid gold and the alignment of the central axis, is associated with which astronomical object or objects?
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The sun
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The number of huacas in Cuzco's ceque system equals
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the number of days in the year when the Pleiades are visible
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The date of antizenith passage of the Sun, which was associated with the alignment from the center of Cuzco through the stone columns on the western skyline, could have been identified by the Inca by
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marking where the Sun rises on the day when it passes through the zenith and then noting when it sets exactly opposite that point
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Which of the following is a superior planet?
(1) Mars (2) Earth (3) Venus |
Mars
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At which aspect or configuration is a superior planet brightest in the sky?
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opposition
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Retrograde motion of a superior planet occurs when
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the Earth overtakes the slower-moving planet
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The heliacal rising of Venus, which terrified the Maya, occurs at intervals of
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Venus's synodic period
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Which of the following does not have a table
in the Dresden Codex? (1) Jupiter (2) Venus (3) eclipses |
Jupiter
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Which of the following types of alignments has not yet been found at the Bighorn Medicine Wheel?
(1) lunar (2) solar (3) stellar |
lunar
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The lunisolar calendar that uses signs such as the ripening of crops to determine when a
thirteenth month is needed is referred to as employing |
empirical intercalation
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The "air shaft" through the north face of the Great Pyramid of Khufu is lined up with
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upper culmination of Thuban, the
pole star at the time it was built |
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The decans that were used by the Egyptians to mark a series of intervals throughout the year would have heliacal risings at intervals of approximately
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ten days
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The point in an alignment where the observer stands is called the
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backsight
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Looking from the north towards the south (as when looking down at an Earth globe), the eastwards direction is
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counterclockwise
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According to the rule given in class, the altitude of the
celestial pole at a given latitude on the Earth is equal to |
the latitude
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At the Earth's North Pole the stars
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move parallel to the horizon, neither rising nor setting
|
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The changes in the Sun's rising and setting points and where it crosses the celestial meridian over the course of the year are evidence that the Sun moves
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north and south with respect to the celestial sphere
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The approximate date of the autumnal equinox is
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September 21
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The equatorial coordinate which is expressed in units of time -- hours, minutes, seconds -- is
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right ascension
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The time for the Sun to complete its trip around the ecliptic with respect to the fixed stars is the
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siderial year
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The term heliacal rising refers to
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first appearance before sunrise after an object
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The interval between successive heliacal risings of a
star (or star cluster like the Pleiades) is |
the siderial year
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The imaginary point directly below the observer is termed the
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nadir or antizenith
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The approximate date on which the Sun is farthest north of the celestial equator is
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June 21
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The Sun rises farthest north of east at intervals of a
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tropical year
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Which ecliptic coordinate is measured eastward from the vernal equinox along the
ecliptic? |
celestial longitude
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The sidereal month is defined as
the Moon's period with respect to the |
fixed stars
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The full Moon should set approximately at
|
6 a.m.
|
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When the Moon's ascending node is on top of the vernal equinox, the Moon will pass through its
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major standstills
|
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The fact that the Moon's nodes regress, i.e. move westwards with respect to the fixed stars, while the Moon moves eastwards means that;
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the nodical month will be shorter
than the sidereal month |
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The alignment of the passageway into Newgrange is approximately in the direction of
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winter solstice (midwinter) sunrise
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The alignment in Cuzco, the Inca capital, associated with the Sun's (unseen) passage through
the antizenith was |
the one from the Ushnu towards
the four stone columns on Cerro Picchu |
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The number of huacas in the Inca ceque system of Cuzco, which is 328, approximately equals the number of days in 12 sidereal months. It also
roughly matches which of the following? |
the number of nights in the year during which the Pleiades is visible
|
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The Torreon at Machu Picchu has an alignment towards the northeast that is essentially the
same as that of the main axis of the Coricancha. What alignment(s) is/are involved? |
June solstice sunrise and Pleiades
rise |
|
Mars has its retrograde motion around the time that it is at:
|
opposition
|
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The interval between successive heliacal risings of a given planet is:
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that planet's synodic period
|
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The alignment with the southernmost rising point of Venus that was discussed at some length
in lecture was associated with |
the "Palace of the Governor" (Spaniards' name for it) at Uxmal
|
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We know that the Maya understood the relationship between Venus's synodic period and the 260-day "sacred year" because
|
it appears in a table in the
Dresden Codex |
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The Mayan "haab" calendar employed for agricultural purposes used a "year" of
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365 days
|
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Which of the following types of alignments does the Bighorn Medicine Wheel have?
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stellar
|
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Celestial navigation as practiced by the Pacific Islanders was primarily based on
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the directions of stars' rising and
setting |
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Intercalation of a thirteenth synodic month into the year based on signs such as the blooming of plants or ripening of crops is termed
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empirical intercalation
|
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The 12-year cycle recognized by the Chinese ("Year of the Rat" etc.) was associated with which of the following time intervals?
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Jupiter's oppositions going completely around the celestial sphere
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Kidinnu (known to the Greeks as Cidenas) has been identified as the person who devised
|
the zigzag approximation for the
variable motion in longitude |
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Which of the following Babylonian documents on astronomy that we have considered is earlier?
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the Venus tablet of King Ammizaduga
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Which of the following statements is correct?
(1) Solar eclipses can occur only when the Moon is new. (2) Solar eclipses can occur when the Moon is either new or full. (3) Whenever the Moon is new a solar eclipse will occur. |
Solar eclipses can occur only when the Moon is new.
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The eclipse seasons occur at intervals of approximately
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173 1/3 days
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Ephemerides are
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tables of astronomical occurrences
day-by-day, like the almanac |
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The long measuring scale of Guo Shoujing's observatory ("Sky Measuring Scale")
along which the shadow was measured was situated so that it ran outward from the main structure in which direction? |
north
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With an alignment such as the one at Ballochroy, the term baseline refers to
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the distance between the backsight
and the foresight |
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The imaginary point directly overhead is termed the
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zenith
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Which equatorial coordinate is measured eastward from the vernal equinox along the
celestial equator in units of time (hours, minutes, seconds)? |
right ascension
|
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The synodic month is defined as
the Moon's period with respect to the |
Sun (cycle phases)
|
|
When the Moon's ascending node is on top of the vernal equinox, the Moon will pass through its
|
major standstills
|
|
The fact that the Moon's nodes regress, i.e. move westwards with respect to the fixed stars, while the Moon moves eastwards means that
|
the nodical month will be shorter
than the sidereal month |
|
Venus is an evening star around the time that it is at
|
greatest eastern elongation
|
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Intercalation of a thirteenth synodic month into the year based on signs such as the blooming of plants or ripening of crops is termed
|
empirical intercalation
|
|
Which of the following statements is correct?
1) Solar eclipses can occur only when the Moon is new. (2) Solar eclipses can occur when the Moon is either new or full. (3) Whenever the Moon is new a solar eclipse will occur. |
Solar eclipses can occur only when the Moon is new.
|
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The precision of an alignment
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is greater when the baseline is
longer |
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The equatorial coordinate declination is measured:
|
N or S of the celestial equator in units of angle (degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds)
|
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The Moon at third or last quarter should set approximately at
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noon
|
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Which of the following can occur when the Moon's descending node is aligned with the vernal equinox?
|
lunar minor standstills
|
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The term trilithon refers to
|
two large vertical stones with a
third resting across the top |
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Which of the following suggested astronomical connections for Stonehenge is universally accepted?
|
alignment of the center and the Heel Stone with summer solstice (midsummer) sunrise
|
|
The central axis of the Coricancha was roughly, though not exactly, aligned with
|
June solstice sunrise
|
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The Inca ceque system in Cuzco had alignments that were defined for each ceque by:
|
a number of huacas or shrines,
some but not all astronomical, which did not lie precisely on a line |
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Planting was supposed to be done when the Sun passes through the antizenith according to the Inca. How could this time be determined?
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from the Sun setting opposite the
point on the horizon where it rose on the day it passed through the zenith |
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When Venus is at inferior conjunction it
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is invisible
|
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The structure at Uxmal that was called the "Palace of the Governor" has carvings that clearly establish that its alignment was not accidental but rather was quite intentional. That alignment was towards
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southernmost rise of Venus, which
planet was associated with the god Kukulcan |
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The time of the Nile flood at Memphis in ancient Egypt was found to coincide with
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heliacal rising of Sirius
|
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The effect of atmospheric refraction on measurements of obliquity and latitude like those made by Guo Shoujing is an example of
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systematic error
|
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The first known star catalogue was compiled by
|
Shi Shen
|
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The Jupiter cycle recognized by the Chinese is the time interval
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for the location of opposition on the celestial sphere to go completely around the sky
|
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The long measuring scale of Guo Shoujing's observatory, stretching out to the north of a masonry tower, was not (so far as is known) used to determine
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the moon's regression period
|
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The imaginary circle running around the celestial sphere midway between the celestial poles
is called the |
celestial equator
|
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The equatorial coordinate right
ascension is measured |
E along the celestial equator from the vernal equinox in units of time (hours, minutes, seconds)
|
|
The Moon at first quarter should set approximately at
|
midnight
|
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The central axis of the Coricancha was roughly, though not exactly, aligned with
|
June solstice sunrise
|
|
When Venus is at greatest eastern elongation it is
|
an evening star
|
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The Soyal ceremony of the Hopi is a celebration of the new year (death and rebirth). The time for this observance is marked by
|
winter solstice sunset
|
|
Intercalation of a thirteenth synodic month into the year based on a fixed pattern over a certain number of years, like the Metonic cycle, is termed
|
intercalation by rule
|
|
The idea that disorder on Earth, namely misrule by the ruler, causes disorder in the heavens was a part of
|
Chinese astrology
|
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The irregular astronomical phenomena, such as the appearance of "guest stars" and comets, were supposed to be the responsibility of which
branch of the Chinese astronomical bureau? |
tianwen
|
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The long measuring scale of Guo Shoujing's observatory, stretching out to the north of a
masonry tower, was used to accurately determine (among other things) |
(1) the length of the tropical year
(2) the obliquity of the ecliptic |
|
The astronomical instrument called the {\bf zenith tube} is a
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vertical shaft sunk in the ground
|
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The point from which the observer is looking in an alignment is termed the
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backsight
|
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The approximate date on which the Sun is farthest south of the celestial equator is
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Dec 21
|
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The Sun rises in the east (not N or S of east)
|
at the time of the equinoxes
|
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Which equatorial coordinate is measured N or S of the celestial equator in units of angle (degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds)?
|
declination
|
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Lunar minor standstills occur when
the Moon's descending node is coincident with (i.e., on top of) |
vernal equinox
|
|
The central axis of the Coricancha was roughly, though not exactly, aligned with
|
June solstice sunrise
|
|
The Mayan "Long Count" employed for purposes of chronology used a "year" of
|
360 days
|
|
The intervals, roughly a month long, during which eclipses are possible are separated by about 173 1/3 days. They are referred to as
|
the eclipse seasons
|
|
The long measuring scale of Guo Shoujing's observatory "Sky Measuring Scale") was used to determine the observatory's latitude and the obliquity of the ecliptic using observations of
|
the Sun's altitude at the solstices
|
|
The equatorial coordinate declination is measured
|
N or S of the celestial equator in
units of angle (degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds) |
|
The Torreon at Machu Picchu had an alignment discussed in class in addition to those from the
Coricancha in Cuzco. It was |
the rising point of the Collca (Tail
of the Scorpion) |
|
The point at the opposite end of the baseline from the observer is termed the
|
forsight
|