Quiz: Modern Astronomy

In GEOCENTRISM, what object is at the center of the solar system?

• The Sun

• The Earth

• Mars

• The Moon

Which scientist first developed the idea of geocentrism?

• Nicolaus Copernicus

• Galileo Galilei

• Claudius Ptolemy

• Isaac Newton

In HELIOCENTRISM, what is at the center of the solar system?

• The Sun

• The Earth

• The Moon

• Mars

Kepler developed ________ laws of planetary motion.

• One

• Two

• Three

• Four

The first law of planetary motion states that the orbit of a planet is:

• A perfect circle

• An ellipse

• A retrograde line

• A perfect spiral

Scientists were afraid of publishing ideas about heliocentrism because:

• They feared persecution by religious authorities.

• They lacked scientific evidence.

• They were concerned about public opinion.

• They were unsure of their own theories.

The law of universal gravitation was developed by:

• Albert Einstein

• Isaac Newton

• Galileo Galilei

• Nikola Tesla

Which astronomer discovered the cepheid variable luminosity relationship?

• Annie Jump Cannon

• Henrietta Swan Leavitt

• Maria Mitchell

• Albert Einstein

Which of these options would have an eccentricity value of zero?

• a straight line
• a large ellipse
• a circle
• a small ellipse

Calculate the eccentricity for the following orbit. 

Formula: eccentricity = distance from focus to center/semi-major axis

• 0.90

• 0.80

• 0.60

• 0.25