Name: ______Date: ______

Astronomy NJASK Review

Multiple Choice (1-25): Circle the best answer for each question below.

  1. Planets began to form as:
  1. Planetesimals collided and combined.
  2. Planetesimals flattened into rotating disks
  3. Temperatures in the solar nebula fell
  4. Gravity held together the solar nebula
  1. Which of the planets below takes the longest to revolve around the sun?
  1. Uranus
  2. Jupiter
  3. Mars
  4. Venus
  1. How long does it take the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun?
  1. One year
  2. One season
  3. One month
  4. One day
  1. Which of the following does not influence seasonal changes?
  1. The revolution of the Earth around the Sun
  2. The tilt of the Earth
  3. The distance between the Earth and the Sun
  4. The day’s length
  1. Phases of the Moon appear during each month. Which of the following statements explains why the Moon’s appearance changes?
  1. The Earth rotates
  2. The Moon rotates
  3. The moon revolves around the Earth
  4. The Earth revolves around the Moon
  1. During which of the dates below does New Jersey experience its longest day of the year?
  1. March 20th
  2. June 21st
  3. September 22nd
  4. December 21st

  1. Which of the following models below shows the correct relationship between the Earth-Moon-Sun system?
  1. B.

C. D.

  1. Model A
  2. Model B
  3. Model C
  4. Model D
  1. Which of these is the next moon phase of the sequence?

Waxing Gibbous Full  Waning Gibbous ______

  1. Third Quarter
  2. New
  3. Waxing Crescent
  4. Waning Crescent
  1. About how long does it take the Earth to rotate once on its axis?
  1. 24 hours
  2. 365 days
  3. 29 days
  4. 12 hours
  1. About how long does it take the Earth to revolve once around the Sun?
  1. 24 hours
  2. 365 days
  3. 29 days
  4. 12 hours
  1. Why is there night and day on Earth?
  1. The sun rotates
  2. The Earth rotates
  3. The Earth’s axis is tilted
  4. The Earth revolves around the Sun
  1. Which statement best describes the motion of the Earth?
  1. It rotates as it revolves around the Sun
  2. It rotates as it revolves around the Moon
  3. The Earth rotates at the same speed that it revolves around the Sun
  4. The Earth revolves around both the Moon and the Sun
  1. The gravitational force between the Earth and an object depends on the object’s mass &
  1. The object’s distance from Earth
  2. The object’s volume
  3. The object’s state of matter
  4. The object’s shape
  1. During which phase of the moon can a solar eclipse occur?
  1. New moon
  2. Full moon
  3. Third Quarter
  4. First Quarter
  1. During which phase of the moon can a lunar eclipse occur?
  1. New moon
  2. Full moon
  3. Third Quarter
  4. First Quarter
  1. A student watches the moon appear to get larger over several nights. She draws the diagram below to show how the moon changes.
  1. Waning
  2. Rotating
  3. Waxing
  4. Eclipsing
  1. What two factors affect a planet’s revolution?
  1. Gravity and Inertia
  2. Gravity and volume
  3. Inertia and Mass
  4. Inertia and Volume
  1. If the time for the Earth to rotate once on its axis increased, what would happen?
  1. A day would be longer.
  2. A day would be shorter.
  3. A year would be longer.
  4. A year would be shorter.
  1. The diagram below shows Earth in four different positions in its orbit around the sun. Which position shows Earth in the summer in New Jersey?

  1. Position 1
  2. Position 2
  3. Position 3
  4. Position 4
  1. Earth’s seasons are caused by:
  1. The moon’s revolution around the Earth
  2. The distance between Earth and the sun.
  3. Earth’s gravitational attraction to the sun.
  4. Earth’s revolution and the tilt of the Earth’s axis.
  1. Which season would the diagram below produce in the Southern Hemisphere?
  1. Fall
  2. Winter
  3. Spring
  4. Summer
  1. Which of the following statements is true?
  1. The universe is expanding outward
  2. The universe is condensing inward
  3. The universe has stayed the same since the big bang
  4. Scientists do not know if the universe is getting larger or smaller
  1. Each planet moves around the sun in
  1. The path of a circle
  2. The path of an ellipse
  3. The path of a spiral
  4. Planets do not move around the sun
  1. The Earth’s temperature appears to be colder in the winter because:
  1. The Sun is lower in the sky and the length of day is shorter
  2. The Earth is further from the Sun in the winter
  3. The Sun is not as strong in the winter
  4. The Sun is higher in the sky and the length of day is longer
  1. If the Earth were to be double the distance from the Sun, the gravitational force between the Earth and the Sun would be affected how?
  1. The force would double
  2. The force would decrease by ½
  3. The force would decrease by ¼
  4. The force would quadruple

Open Ended (26-28): Answer all 4 questions below. Be as descriptive as possible.

  1. What type of eclipse is depicted below? Explain what is occurring in the picture. Which moon phase must be occurring for this eclipse to happen?

  1. What type of eclipse is depicted below? Explain what is occurring in the picture. Which moon phase must be occurring for this eclipse to happen?

  1. Draw the moon phases below. Explain why we only see one side of the moon. Approximately how long does one moon phase take?