Sun and Stars- Regents

How many days are required for the Moon to complete a cycle of phases from the new Moon position represented in the diagram to the new Moon the following month?

• 2.2d
• 27.3d
• 29.5d
• 365.26d

Which statement best explains why some constellations are not seen during all four seasons?

• Earth revolves around the Sun
• Constellations revolve around the Sun
• The Moon revolves around Earth
• The Sun revolves around the center of the Milky Way

To a nighttime observer on Earth, how many degrees do the stars appear to move around Polaris in 3 hours?

• 60°
• 45°
• 3°
• 15°

Which sequence of stars is listed in order of increasing luminosity?

• Spica, Rigel, Deneb, Betelgeuse
• Polaris, Deneb, 40 Eridani B, Proxima Centaurri
• Barnards Star, Alpha Centauri, Rigel, Spica
• Procyon B, Sun, Sirius, Betelgeus

Base your answer to the question on the map of the night sky below, which represents the apparent locations of some of the constellations that are visible to an observer at approximately 40° N latitude at 9 p.m. in April. The point directly above the observer is labeled zenith.
Which motion causes the constellation Leo to no longer be visible to an observer at 40º N in October?

• spin of the constellation on its axis
• revolution of the constellation around the Sun
• spin of Earth on its axis
• revolution of Earth around the Sun

Base your answer on the diagram below, which represents Earth in its orbit around the Sun. The position of Earth on the first day of each season is labeled A, B, C, and D.
Which event is caused by Earth's revolution? 

• the apparent shift in the path of a Foucault pendulum
• deflection of planetary winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere
• the apparent rising and setting of the Sun
• different constellations observed in the night sky throughout the year

Which observation provides the best evidence that Earth revolves around the Sun?

• The constellation Orion is only visible in the night sky for part of the year.
• The North Star, Polaris, is located above the North Pole for the entire year.
• The Sun appears to move across Earth’s sky at
• The Coriolis effect causes Northern Hemisphere winds to curve to the right.

Energy is produced within a star's core by the process of

• insolation
• conduction
• nuclear fusion
• radioactive decay

To an observer on Earth, the Sun appears brighter than the star Rigel because the Sun is

• hotter than Rigel
• more luminous than Rigel
• closer than Rigel
• larger than Rigel 

During a total solar eclipse one might view

• sun spots
• the sun's corona
• the sun's solar winds 
• nothing of the sun, since it is totally blocked by the moon