In-class test 2 for ASTR 201: The Sun and its Planets

Test will be the first 15 mins of class on Tues Oct 5, and will comprise one of the following questions.

(1) Explain what it means for a theory to be falsifiable by means of two examples (one of a theory that is falsifiable, one a theory which is not).

(2) An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Sun's disk is not fully obscured, but leaves a bright ring around the dark center. We know that, because of tidal forces, the Moon's distance from the Earth has been slowly increasing. Were annular eclipses more or less common in the past? Explain briefly why.

(3) What would the seasons be like if the Earth's rotation axis was in the same plane as the ecliptic (ie the North pole would point at one zodiacal constellation, and the South pole at another) and its rotation and orbital period were unchanged?

(4) Explain how a satellite can be in a geosynchronous orbit, and how its distance from Earth differs from a satellite which orbits once an hour. (ie is it closer in? further out? by much?) Which of Kepler's Laws are you using here? State this law explicitly.

(5) How does the position (azimuth) of sunrise seen from Cleveland vary from July to January? Explain why this occurs.