Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy (Arny), 7th Edition

Chapter 1: The Cycles of the Sky

Thought Questions

1
If you were standing on the Earth's equator, where would you look to see the north celestial pole? Could you see this pole from Australia?
2
Draw a sketch of the Earth and a distant North Star, and show that your latitude is the angle of the north celestial pole above the northern horizon.
3
Can you think of an astronomical reason why the zodiac may have been divided into 12 signs rather than 8 or 16?
4
Makes sketches to show the angles setting stars would make with the horizon at the equator, the north pole, and a mid-latitude.
5
When it is winter in New York, what season is it in Australia, and in Paris? If you see Orion in the evening in New York, would you see it in the evening in Australia or Paris?
6
If the shape of the Earth's orbit were unaltered but its rotation axis were shifted so that it had no tilt with respect to the orbit, how would seasons be affected?
7
Why does the position of sunrise along the eastern horizon change during the year?
8
Why do we have time zones? Sketch and label a diagram to justify your answer.
9
Provide two or three pieces of evidence you could use to explain to someone that the Moon's phases are not caused by the Earth's shadow.
10
If the Moon orbited the Earth in the opposite direction, but everything else remained the same, how would the sidereal and solar months change (if at all)? Create a drawing like figure 1.19 representing this situation.
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