IQ Solar eclipses can happen only near New Moon. True False

IQ True. New Moon is the correct answer! A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun is blocked by the Moon. This can only happen when the moon is between the Earth and the Sun, which is New Moon.

IQ Lunar eclipses can only happen at: A. New Moon B. First quarter C. Full Moon D. Third quarter

IQ C. Full Moon is correct. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the Sun’s light from the Moon. This can only happen when the Moon is opposite the Sun as seen from the Earth - that is, the Earth is between the Sun and Moon. That happens only at Full Moon!

IQ The planets known to the Greek astronomers of 50 BC were: A. Only the Earth - and it wasn’t really known if Earth was a planet B. The Earth and Moon C. Earth, Venus and Jupiter D. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn

IQ D. The Greeks knew of five “wanderers:” Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The Earth wasn’t really known to be a planet.

IQ The Full Moon always rises at: A. Midnight B. Sunset C. Sunrise D. It is always in the sky

IQ B. Sunset is correct. The phases of the moon refer to the pattern of illumination on the hemisphere facing Earth. Full Moon occurs when the entire hemisphere is illuminated, which can only occur when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun as seen from the Earth. The full moon must rise just as the sun sets.

IQ This silver-nosed gentleman, a Danish astronomer, made precise visual observations that started a scientific revolution. He was: A. Bradford Smith B. Harlan J. Smith C. Tycho Brahe D. Homer Smith

IQ C. Tycho Brahe. Tycho made observations from his observatory, Uraniborg, on the island of Hven off the Danish coast. (As a young man, Brahe lost the tip of his nose in a duel, so he wore a silver prosthetic forever after.)

IQ Polaris (the North Star) just happens to be near the Earth’s rotation axis. T F

IQ The answer is True. Polaris just happens to be near the pole. As time progresses, the Earth’s precession will move the rotation axis away from Polaris.

IQ The sun appears in the zenith from Albuquerque: A. On the summer solstice B. On the winter solstice Only when the sun is farthest from the Earth Never!

IQ D. Never! The sun can appear directly overhead, in the zenith, only if one lives within 23.5° of the equator. The latitude of ABQ is 32°, so the sun can never be directly overhead.

IQ Astrology is a science. True False

IQ False is the correct answer. Astrology does not use the scientific method to verify its techniques and predictions. Principally because of the Earth’s precession, the constellations and sky signs of astrology no longer match the true positions of astronomical objects.