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