AST 3043
Hour Test 1, Fall 2007
QQ 1 The object considered to be at the center of the 
(imaginary) celestial sphere is the 
AA S 1 (1) Earth
(2) Sun
(3) Moon
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 2 The imaginary circle dividing the part of the 
celestial sphere that is visible (the sky) from the 
part that is blocked by the ground is called the 
AA S 1 (1) horizon 
(2) celestial meridian
(3) celestial equator
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 3 The altitude of the celestial pole (north in the 
Northern Hemisphere, south in the Southern) equals 
AA S 1 (1) the observer's latitude
(2) the observer's longitude
(3) 90 degrees minus the observer's latitude
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 4 The approximate date on which the Sun is farthest 
south of the celestial equator is 
AA S 1 (1) Dec. 21
(2) June 21
(3) Sept.  21
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 5 The imaginary point at which the Sun crosses the 
celestial equator moving from N to S is the 
AA S 1 (1) autumnal equinox
(2) vernal equinox 
(3) the ascending node 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 6 The equatorial coordinate that is measured in units 
of time (hours, minutes, seconds) from the vernal 
equinox eastwards along the celestial equator is 
AA S 1 (1) right ascension
(2) declination
(3) celestial latitude
(degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds)
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 7 The time interval for the Moon to go 
around the celestial sphere with respect to 
the fixed stars is called the 
AA S 1 (1) sidereal month
(2) synodic month
(3) nodical month
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 8 The Moon at first quarter should set 
approximately at 
AA S 1 (1) midnight
(2) noon
(3) 6 a.m.
(4) 6 p.m.
(5) NVA

QQ 9 The Moon's minor standstills occur when the 
ascending node is lined up with the 
AA S 1 (1) autumnal equinox 
(2) vernal equinox
(3) summer solstice
(4) winter solstice
(5) NVA

QQ 10 The term megalith refers to 
AA S 1 (1) large stones such as those at Stonehenge 
(2) large circles of holes like the Aubrey Circle 
at Stonehenge
(3) very old wooden structures such as Woodhenge 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 11 Which of the following suggested astronomical 
connections for Stonehenge is the most unlikely?
AA S 1 (1) use of the Aubrey holes to predict eclipses 
(2) alignment of the center and the Heel stone with 
summer solstice (midsummer) sunrise
(3) alignment of the trilithons with the solstice sunrises 
and sunsets
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 12 The term heliacal rising for an object (star 
or planet) refers to its 
AA S 1 (1) first appearance in the morning sky before 
sunrise 
(2) last appearance in the evening sky before disappearing 
(3) rising with the Sun  
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 13 The passageway into the Newgrange structure is 
aligned with which direction?
AA S 1 (1) winter solstice sunrise
(2) major standstill southern moonrise
(3) summer solstice sunrise
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 14 The ceques in Cuzco, the Inca capital, are 
lines which are 
AA S 1 (1) marked by huacas (shrines) having 
various associations, not all astronomical 
(2) all of astronomical significance, such as the 
directions of solstice sunrises and sunsets 
(3) laid out in the shapes of dark constellations 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 15 The Inca ceque system has shrines for 328 
days of the year.  The other 37 days correspond to 
AA S 1 (1) the days during which the Pleiades are 
invisible because they are too close to the Sun
(2) the time between the heliacal rising of the 
Pleiades and the June solstice 
(3) the synodic month 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 16 The four columns on the mountain Cerro Picchu west 
of Cuzco were used by the Inca to note the times for 
planting, which were essentially based on the Sun's 
passage through the  
AA S 1 (1) antizenith (also called the nadir)
(2) zenith 
(3) autumnal equinox
(4) NVA
(5) NVA
 
QQ 17 Which of the following is an inferior planet?
AA S 1 (1) Mercury
(2) Mars
(3) Earth
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 18 When Venus is at greatest eastern elongation 
it 
AAS 1 (1) can be seen as an evening star
(2) can be seen as a morning star 
(3) is invisible 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 19 The interval between successive heliacal risings of a 
given planet is 
AA S 1 (1) that planet's synodic period  
(2) that planet's orbital (sidereal) period  
(3) one sidereal year
(4) NVA
(5) NVA 

QQ 20 For the Maya the time when Venus is at heliacal 
rising was an occasion for 
AA S 1 (1) fear of bad things happening
(2) celebration of the return of Kukulcan, the Venus god 
(3) starting a new year
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 21 We know that the Maya understood the 
relation between the "sacred year" (tzolkin) 
and the synodic period of Venus because of a 
table in which of the following?
AA S 1 (1) Dresden Codex
(2) Codex Mendoza
(3) the Venus clay tablet
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 22 The Mayan "Long Count" used a "year" of 
AA S 1 (1) 360 days
(2) 260 days
(3) 365 days
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 23 Which kind of alignment has not been 
found yet with the Bighorn Medicine Wheel?
AA S 1 (1) planetary
(2) solar 
(3) stellar
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 24 The Soyal ceremony of the Hopi around the time 
of the winter solstice is a celebration of 
AA S 1 (1) the new year (death and rebirth)
(2) the harvest
(3) passage into adulthood
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 25 Navigation by the stars as practiced by the 
Pacific Islanders took advantage of the fact that 
in the tropics 
AA S 1 (1) the stars rise and set straight up and down 
(2) the stars circle nearly parallel to the horizon
(3) the Sun can be directly overhead twice a year 
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 26 The so-called Sothis period of the Egyptians was 
the 
AA S 1 (1) 1500-year interval for the date of the 
heliacal rising of Sirius ("Sothis") to move 
completely through the administrative or civil year 
(2) time interval between heliacal risings of Sirius 
(3) 26000-year interval between the times when Sirius 
was the pole star
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 27 The twenty-four hours of the day had their origin in 
AA S 1 (1) the decans of the Egyptians and their use to 
mark the "hours" of the night
(2) the Chinese division of the ecliptic into twenty-four parts
(3) the vigesimal number system of the Maya
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 28 Sightings of such things as comets, meteors, 
and "guest stars" were supposed to be recorded by which 
branch of the Chinese astronomical bureau? 
AA S 1 (1) tianwen
(2) lifa
(3) hsiu
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 29 The Chinese calendar (the one used in the later 
period), which involved adding an extra month in certain 
years over a 19-year cycle, was of which type?
AA S 1 (1) lunisolar with intercalation by rule
(2) pure lunar
(3) lunisolar with empirical intercalation
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 30 The first known star catalogue was compiled by 
AA S 1 (1) Shih Shen
(2) Guo Shou-jing
(3) Hipparcos
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 31 The Jupiter cycle recognized by the Chinese is the 
time interval 
AA S 1 (1) for the location of opposition on the celestial 
sphere to go completely around the sky
(2) between successive oppositions of Jupiter
(3) between successive conjunctions of Jupiter with the Moon
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 32 The observatory which was constructed with a long 
measuring scale stretching out to the north of a masonry 
tower that could be used to precisely determine the length 
of the tropical year was that of  
AA S 1 (1) Guo Shoujing
(2) Shih Shen
(3) Mao Zedong
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 33 The simple instrument which serves not only to 
establish that the Sun is at the zenith but also to find the 
Sun's altitude generally as well as the time of day is the 
AA S 1 (1) gnomon
(2) zenith tube
(3) backsight
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 34 The vernal equinox moves westwards around the ecliptic 
because of precession.  Since the Sun moves eastwards with 
respect to the stars, this means that the sidereal year is 
AA S 1 (1) longer than the tropical year
(2) shorter than the tropical year
(3) the same length as the tropical year
(4) NVA
(5) NVA

QQ 35 The point across which the observer sights when 
looking along an alignment such as the ones at Stonehenge 
(not the one where he/she is standing) is termed the 
AA S 1 (1) foresight
(2) backsight
(3) baseline
(4) NVA
(5) NVA