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