Julian Date: 2459222.18
2020-2021: LXVIII
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Friday, January 8, 2021
Exploratorium III: Week 1 Quiz
The first quiz of the Exploratorium!
We combine the two night sky calendars with the introduction and the first exploration to create a 10-question quiz that we hope will prove enjoyable and instructive. During the "Remote Planetarium" we would sometimes mention the following week's agenda on Friday. Now that we're on the Exploratorium, our destination is somewhat uncertain. We leave it to the Universe to guide us. That scheme makes short shrift of free will, RUSH, but it certainly makes life deliciously good fun.
See you on Monday!
1. Which of the following statements about the constellation "Quadrans Muralis" is/are true?
a. it is one of Ptolemy's 48 constellations
b. it is "extinct"
c. it was devised by astronomer Jerome Lalande
d. it consists of more bright stars than any other northern hemisphere constellation.
2. When at perihelion, Earth is about _____________ miles closer to the Sun than it is during aphelion.
a. 1 million
b. 2 million
c. 3 million
d. 10 million
3. _____________ is the date of the latest sunrise at our latitude.
a. January 1
b. January 4
c. January 8
d. January 12
4. When in superior solar conjunction, a planet is _______________.
a. between the Sun and Earth
b. on the far side of the Sun relative to Earth
c. on the far side of Earth relative to the Sun
d. at a ninety degree angle relative to the Earth-Sun line
5. Which one of the following names is not generally applied to the January full moon?
a. Moon After Yule
b. Wolf Moon
c. Strawberry Moon
d. Old Moon
6. Where will observers find Venus this month?
a. early evening western sky
b. eastern pre-dawn sky
c. up all night. East in the evening; west after midnight
d. Venus isn't visible this month
7. According to recent estimates, the visible parts of the Universe represent about ______% of the Universe.
a. 4 - 5
b. 10 - 14
c. 20 - 25
d. 30-35
8. Who discovered infrared radiation?
a. William Herschel
b. Edwin Hubble
c. Johann Wilhelm Ritter
d. Isaac Newton
9. Which ONE of the following animals did Anasi not have to deliver to the god Nyame?
a. hornets
b. leopard
c. gorilla
d. python
10. The theory that a Universe is created to accommodate every quantum state is known as ________________.
a. The Matrix Theory
b. The Many Worlds Theory
c. The Spectrum Theory
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
f. both d and e
ANSWERS
1. Which of the following statements about the constellation "Quadrans Muralis" is/are true?
b. it is "extinct"
c. it was devised by astronomer Jerome Lalande
Quadrans Muralis was not included in the list of 88 constellations adopted by the International Astronomical Union. The stars that once comprised Quadrans Muralis are now within the region of Bootes and Ursa Major
2. When at perihelion, Earth is about _____________ miles closer to the Sun than it is during aphelion.
c. 3 million
When Earth is at perihelion, its distance from the Sun is approximately 91.5 million miles. When at aphelion, the distance is approximately equal to 94.5 million. This difference, though substantial by terrestrial standards, is not enough to affect the weather.
3. _____________ is the date of the latest sunrise at our latitude.
b. January 4
Even though the Sun spends less time above the horizon on the December solstice than on any other date, the date of latest sunrise here is January 4th. The date of the earliest sunset, however, is December 9th.
4. When in superior solar conjunction, a planet is _______________.
b. on the far side of the Sun relative to Earth
Every planet can be in superior solar conjunction. However, only Mercury and Venus can be in inferior solar conjunction, or between the Sun and Earth.
5. Which one of the following names is not generally applied to the January full moon?
c. Strawberry Moon
The term "strawberry moon" refers to the June full moon.
6. Where will observers find Venus this month?
b. eastern pre-dawn sky
Early risers will find Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise. Venus is drawing closer to the Sun, however.
7. According to recent estimates, the visible parts of the Universe represent about ______% of the Universe.
a. 4 - 5
Most of the Universe consists of dark matter and dark energy. Unfortunately, we still don't know the true nature of dark matter or dark energy. Consequently, the Universe remains largely mysterious.
8. Who discovered infrared radiation?
a. William Herschel
Herschel, the same man who discovered Uranus, is also known for having discovered infrared radiation. He used a prism to split sunlight into its component colors. He then placed a thermometer along the spectrum to determine if temperatures varied along it. (They did.) He then placed the thermometer just beyond the red region and discovered that the temperature was highest there. He referred to that area as "infrared," or "below red."
9. Which ONE of the following animals did Anasi not have to deliver to the god Nyame?
c. gorilla
By delivering hornets, a python and a leopard to Nyame, Anasi was able to learn all of the stories. In this manner he became the story keeper.
10. The theory that a Universe is created to accommodate every quantum state is known as ________________.
b. The Many Worlds Theory
It is staggering to ponder the ramifications of having a Universe created to accommodate every possibility.
If that were true, we'd have myriad Universes created constantly.
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