How to track a comet - Exam
  • 1. What is the first step in tracking a comet?
A) Predicting its future path
B) Locating the comet's initial position
C) Building a specialized telescope
D) Calculating its mass
  • 2. What resource is typically used to find initial comet positions?
A) Astronomical catalogs and databases
B) Dream interpretations
C) Newspaper articles
D) Personal telescopes only
  • 3. Which type of telescope is best for observing comets?
A) Refracting telescope
B) Reflecting telescope
C) Binoculars
D) Radio telescope
  • 4. What type of chart or software is used to plot a comet's position?
A) Stock market graph
B) Road map
C) Star chart or planetarium software
D) Weather forecast
  • 5. What is Right Ascension and Declination?
A) Chemical compositions
B) Time zones
C) Political boundaries
D) Celestial coordinates
  • 6. How frequently should observations be made to accurately track a comet?
A) Once a year
B) Only during a full moon
C) Once a month
D) As often as possible, ideally nightly
  • 7. What causes a comet's tail?
A) Atmospheric friction
B) Internal combustion
C) Earth's gravity
D) Solar radiation and solar wind
  • 8. What is the nucleus of a comet made of?
A) Liquid water
B) Pure gold
C) Gaseous helium
D) Ice, dust, and rock
  • 9. What unit of measurement is typically used for distances in space?
A) Inches
B) Kilometers
C) Miles
D) Astronomical Units (AU)
  • 10. What is an ephemeris?
A) A telescope accessory
B) A scientific theory
C) A type of comet
D) A table of predicted positions of a celestial object
  • 11. What is the purpose of astrometry?
A) Precise measurement of star positions
B) Studying black holes
C) Analyzing weather patterns
D) Predicting earthquakes
  • 12. Which software is commonly used for astrometry?
A) Microsoft Word
B) Astrometrica
C) Minecraft
D) Adobe Photoshop
  • 13. What is needed to perform astrometry on an image?
A) Only the image itself
B) Accurate time and location data
C) A crystal ball
D) A lucky charm
  • 14. What is orbital determination?
A) Flying a kite
B) Naming a comet
C) Melting ice cream
D) Calculating the orbit of a comet
  • 15. What data is needed for orbital determination?
A) Guesswork
B) Multiple position measurements
C) Wishful thinking
D) A single position measurement
  • 16. What force primarily influences a comet's orbit?
A) Magnetism
B) Friction
C) Wind
D) Gravity
  • 17. What can perturb a comet's orbit?
A) Eating ice cream
B) Sunlight
C) Planetary gravitational influences
D) Telescope alignment
  • 18. What is the Oort cloud?
A) A distant reservoir of comets
B) A type of telescope
C) A constellation
D) A cloud of smog
  • 19. What is the Kuiper Belt?
A) A region near Mars with sand dunes
B) A region near Jupiter with auroras
C) A region beyond Neptune containing icy bodies
D) A region inside Mercury filled with lava
  • 20. What does 'perihelion' refer to?
A) The point farthest from the Sun
B) The speed of light
C) The name of a famous astronomer
D) The point in a comet's orbit closest to the Sun
  • 21. What does 'aphelion' refer to?
A) The point in a comet's orbit farthest from the Sun
B) The name of a spaceship
C) The point closest to the Sun
D) The study of apples
  • 22. Why is tracking a comet over time important?
A) To change its color
B) To teach it tricks
C) To refine its orbital parameters
D) To make it disappear
  • 23. What is a light curve?
A) A diagram of a comet's tail
B) A recipe for a comet-shaped cake
C) A measurement of a comet's speed
D) A graph of a comet's brightness over time
  • 24. What can a light curve tell you about a comet?
A) Its chemical composition directly
B) Its political opinions
C) Its activity level
D) Its favorite color
  • 25. What is important to record along with your observations?
A) The type of food you ate
B) Weather conditions and seeing quality
C) Your mood at the time
D) The music you were listening to
  • 26. Why is it important to submit your observations to the Minor Planet Center?
A) To win a prize
B) To contribute to scientific knowledge
C) To get your name on the comet
D) To impress your friends
  • 27. What is the role of the Minor Planet Center (MPC)?
A) Manages space travel tourism
B) Collects and disseminates asteroid and comet observations
C) Sells telescopes
D) Creates new constellations
  • 28. What is a sungrazing comet?
A) A comet that passes very close to the Sun
B) A comet made of sunlight
C) A comet that eats the Sun
D) A comet that only appears during the day
  • 29. What is a periodic comet?
A) A comet that appears only once
B) A comet with a well-defined orbit and period
C) A comet made of metal
D) A comet that sings songs
  • 30. What can amateur astronomers contribute to comet tracking?
A) Building rockets
B) Valuable observations and data
C) Funding for space missions
D) Nothing of importance
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