ThatQuiz Test Library Take this test now
How to navigate by the stars, sun, and landforms
Contributed by: Kay
  • 1. Which celestial body is most reliable for determining direction during the day?
A) The Moon
B) Mars
C) Venus
D) The Sun
  • 2. The Sun rises roughly in the ______ and sets roughly in the ______.
A) West, East
B) North, South
C) East, West
D) South, North
  • 3. What star is most useful for navigation in the Northern Hemisphere?
A) Betelgeuse
B) Sirius
C) Polaris (North Star)
D) Alpha Centauri
  • 4. Polaris is part of which constellation?
A) Orion
B) Ursa Major (Big Dipper)
C) Ursa Minor (Little Dipper)
D) Cassiopeia
  • 5. In the Southern Hemisphere, what constellation is often used to find south?
A) Pleiades
B) Orion
C) Southern Cross
D) Big Dipper
  • 6. What is an astrolabe used for?
A) Purifying water
B) Measuring the altitude of celestial objects
C) Measuring distance on land
D) Predicting the weather
  • 7. What is declination in celestial navigation?
A) The color of a star
B) The brightness of a star
C) The distance to a star
D) The angular distance of a star north or south of the celestial equator
  • 8. Which landform is created by rivers?
A) Mountains
B) Glaciers
C) Valleys
D) Volcanoes
  • 9. What are contour lines on a topographic map used to represent?
A) Elevation
B) Temperature
C) Vegetation
D) Rainfall
  • 10. If contour lines are close together, what does that indicate?
A) Steep slope
B) Flat terrain
C) Water body
D) Gentle slope
  • 11. What is a ridgeline?
A) A flat area of land.
B) A dense forest.
C) A deep depression in the earth.
D) A line of high ground with slopes descending on either side.
  • 12. What is a saddle on a topographic map?
A) The highest point on a mountain.
B) A steep cliff face.
C) A low point between two areas of higher ground.
D) A lake.
  • 13. What is a valley on a topographic map?
A) A volcano.
B) A depression in the land, often containing a stream.
C) A flat plain.
D) A high peak.
  • 14. How can prevailing winds affect the shape of trees?
A) Trees will grow shorter against the wind.
B) Prevailing winds have no impact on tree growth.
C) Trees will only grow straight up regardless of wind.
D) Trees may be bent in the direction the wind frequently blows from.
  • 15. In what direction does moss typically grow?
A) Moss does not grow on trees
B) On the north side of trees (in the Northern Hemisphere)
C) On all sides of trees equally
D) On the south side of trees
  • 16. How can sunrise and sunset positions be used for navigation?
A) They provide a precise north-south reference.
B) They are not useful for navigation.
C) They provide a general east-west reference.
D) They can only be used in the tropics.
  • 17. What is magnetic declination?
A) The distance to the North Star.
B) The height of a mountain.
C) The speed of the wind.
D) The angle between true north and magnetic north.
  • 18. Why is it important to account for magnetic declination?
A) To avoid getting lost.
B) To predict the weather.
C) To find water sources.
D) To accurately use a compass with a map.
  • 19. If the magnetic declination is 10 degrees East, what does that mean?
A) Magnetic North and True North are aligned.
B) True North is 10 degrees east of Magnetic North.
C) Magnetic North is 10 degrees east of True North.
D) The compass is broken.
  • 20. What natural feature indicates a potential water source?
A) A valley or gully
B) A desert
C) A flat plain
D) A hilltop
  • 21. Which of the following is NOT a landform?
A) Mountain
B) Atmosphere
C) Hill
D) River
  • 22. What does the term 'bearing' refer to in navigation?
A) The direction from one point to another, measured in degrees.
B) The altitude of a mountain.
C) The distance between two points.
D) The color of the soil.
  • 23. How can you estimate direction using a watch and the sun in the Northern Hemisphere?
A) Point 12 o'clock at the sun, and north is halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock.
B) Point the minute hand at the sun.
C) The watch is not useful for determining direction.
D) Point the hour hand at the sun, and south is halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock.
  • 24. What is a benchmark?
A) A type of compass
B) A type of tree
C) A type of cloud
D) A permanently fixed marker indicating a known elevation.
  • 25. How can snowdrifts indicate wind direction?
A) Snowdrifts are not related to wind direction.
B) Snowdrifts form randomly.
C) Snowdrifts typically form on the leeward (downwind) side of objects.
D) Snowdrifts always form on the windward side.
  • 26. Why is it important to have multiple navigation methods?
A) Because one method is always superior.
B) To account for errors and redundancy in case one method fails.
C) Because it's fun.
D) To make navigation more complicated.
  • 27. What is triangulation?
A) A method of cooking.
B) A method of determining a location using bearings from two or more known points.
C) A type of map.
D) A type of knot.
  • 28. What is the prime meridian?
A) The International Date Line.
B) The North Pole.
C) The equator.
D) The line of 0° longitude.
  • 29. What type of map is most useful for hiking in mountainous terrain?
A) Political Map
B) Topographic Map
C) Road Map
D) Weather Map
  • 30. If you are traveling westward and see the sun setting to your right, you are likely headed which direction?
A) South
B) East
C) West
D) North
Created with That Quiz — the site for test creation and grading in math and other subjects.