Rebecca McKenney Astronomy 101 Mrs. Alburg 25 March 2017 Chapter 1 Review Questions 1. What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory? (Pages 2 – 3) a. When you make a hypothesis, you have an idea that could potentially explain a phenomenon. A theory, on the other hand, is a hypothesis “that has withstood experimental tests” completed by numerous scientists independently. (Slater) 3. How are constellations useful to astronomers? How many stars are not part of any constellation? (Page 5 – 8) a. Constellations can be useful to astronomers because the asterisms located in the constellations help astronomers navigate the sky. b. All stars fall into one of the eight-eight constellations. 5. Why are different stars overhead …show more content…
The Earth is continuously rotating on its axis. One rotation of Earth is equal to twenty-four hours. Between 10:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M., four hours have past. Twenty-four divided by four is six, so the Earth has rotated by one-sixth since the last you looked into the sky. As the Earth rotates, the night sky also rotates. b. As the Earth orbits the Sun, a particular location faces a different part of the night sky. 6. What is the celestial equator? How is it related to Earth’s equator? How are the north and south celestial poles related to Earth’s axis of rotation? (Page 11 – 13) a. The celestial equator is an imagery line which splits “the sky into a northern and southern half.” …show more content…
As the Sun rises in altitude, it can “strike the ground” at an angle that can efficiently heat the Earth. (Slater) 11. What are the March and September equinoxes? What are the northern and southern solstices? How are the four points related to the ecliptic and celestial equator? (Page 15 – 17) a. The March and September Equinoxes marks the beginning of spring and fall in the Northern hemisphere respectfully. b. The Northern and Southern Solstices marks the beginning of summer and winter in the Northern hemisphere respectfully. c. During the March Equinox, the Sun begins to move towards the northern part of the Northern celestial sphere. When the Sun reaches the “point of the elliptic farthest north in the celestial equator”, the Northern Solstice begins. (Slater) During the September Equinox, the Sun begins to move towards the southern part of the Southern celestial sphere. When the Sun reaches the point “farthest south of the celestial equator”, the Southern Solstice begins. (Slater) 14. Explain the difference between sunlight and moonlight. (Page 17) a. Sunlight is light that can produce itself. Moonlight, on the other hand, cannot produce light by itself. Instead, the light of the moon is the reflection of