Name: 

A. Definition of terms 
Instructions: Answer the following questions. 
1. Comets - a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of
gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.

2. Asteroids - a small rocky body orbiting the sun. Large numbers of these, ranging in size from nearly
600 miles (1,000 km) across (Ceres) to dust particles, are found (as the asteroid belt ) especially
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits, and a few pass
close to the earth or enter the atmosphere as meteors.

3. Meteors - a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth's atmosphere, becoming
incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light.

4. Stars - a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the
sun.

5. Galaxies - a system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by
gravitational attraction.

6. Constellations - a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its
apparent form or identified with a mythological figure. Modern astronomers divide the sky into eighty-
eight constellations with defined boundaries.

7. Universe - all existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos. The universe is
believed to be at least 10 billion light years in diameter and contains a vast number of galaxies; it
has been expanding since its creation in the Big Bang about 13 billion years ago.

8. Milky way - The Milky Way gets its name from a Greek myth about the goddess Hera who sprayed milk
across the sky. In other parts of the world, our galaxy goes by other names. ... This is what the Milky
Way Galaxy looks like from Earth.

9. Planets - a celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.

10. Solar Radiation - Solar radiation, often called the solar resource or just sunlight, is a general term for the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. Solar radiation can be captured and turned into useful
forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using a variety of technologies.9

      B. Identification/ Definition/ Explanation 

Instructions: Give the correct answer to each given question and define it with a short explanation. 

1. The  seven (7) Properties of Stars. 

 BRIGHTNESS - This is not a fundamental property, but a combination of the luminosity and distance
to a star (and in some cases also dependent on the amount of absorption in the direction of a star).
 DISTANCE - From trigonometric and spectroscopic parallaxes. Determining distances to stars is how
we figure out the scale of things in the Galaxy and is CRUCIAL to understanding stars because we
can use the inverse square law for light dimming along with apparent brightness of stars to figure out
how much energy is being produced and radiated away.
 LUMINOSITY - This is the amount of energy generated in the star and released as electromagnetic
radiation.
 RADIUS - ``Size''. From Stephan's Law.
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION -  From the absorption line spectra. This one is tied up in a semi-
complicated way with the next one.
 TEMPERATURE. We have talked about Wien's Law and using colors to derive stellar temperatures,
but, there are some complications. To REALLY get to surface temperatures of stars, we need to learn
about and understand stellar Spectral Types.
  COLOR - A star's color depends on its surface temperature. Cooler stars tend to be redder in color,
while hotter stars have a bluer appearance.
2. The three (3) Star groupings. 
 Globular clusters were given this name because they are nearly symmetrical round
systems of, typically, hundreds of thousands of stars. The most massive globular cluster in
our own Galaxy is Omega Centauri, which is about 16,000 light-years away and contains
several million stars.
 Open clusters are found in the disk of the Galaxy. They have a range of ages, some as old
as, or even older than, our Sun. The youngest open clusters are still associated with the
interstellar matter from which they formed. Open clusters are smaller than globular clusters,
usually having diameters of less than 30 light-years, and they typically contain only several
dozen to several hundreds of stars.
 Association is a group of extremely young stars, typically containing 5 to 50 hot, bright O
and B stars scattered over a region of space some 100–500 light-years in diameter. As an
example, most of the stars in the constellation Orion form one of the nearest stellar
associations. Associations also contain hundreds to thousands of low-mass stars, but these
are much fainter and less conspicuous. The presence of really hot, luminous stars indicates
that star formation in the association has occurred in the last million years or so. Since O
stars go through their entire lives in only about a million years, they would not still be around
unless star formation has occurred recently.

3. The two (2) Divisions of the Milky way.

4. The twelve (12) Constellations of the zodiac.

 The Sagittarius constellation -At the end and of every year, approximately between
November 23 and December 21, the sun passes through the Sagittarius constellation. The
Greeks called Sagittarius The Archer, because it reminded them of the centaur, who was
represented by the symbol of a bow and arrow, in their mythology.
 The Capricorn constellation - The sun transits through the Capricorn constellation in
January through February. It’s sometimes called The Sea Goat, since the ancient Greeks
compared it to a goat with a fish instead of a tail. It is one of the four cardinal signs and it
traditionally marked the winter solstice. The name Capricorn is a direct heritage from the
ancient Greeks. As the myth goes, Capricorn was the first hybrid creature created by
Hermes, the messenger god. Capricornus is actually the smallest of the 12 zodiac
constellations, covers 413.95 square degrees of the southern sky.
 The Aquarius constellation - In February, it’s Aquarius, or the Water Bear, which is on the
path of the sun along the ecliptic. This constellation is one of the oldest we know, as it was
coined by the ancient Babylonians, who thought it resembled an old man pouring water from
a pitcher. This metaphor meant to them that Aquarius was the bringer of rain. It was also a
symbol of knowledge and wisdom. Covering an area of 979.85 square degrees, Aquarius is
the second largest zodiac constellation and the tenth largest constellation in our sky.
 The Pisces constellation - Pisces, or “The Fishes”, becomes prominent in the ecliptic every
year in the month of March. The Pisces constellation represents the Greco-Roman goddess
Venus, or Aphrodite in its Greek name. The myth says the goddess turned herself into a fish
in order to escape from an evil monster.
 The Aries constellation - Aries shows up in the month of April. This constellation of the
Zodiac is also known as “The Ram”, and is one of the four cardinal signs. This is yet another
heritage from Greek mythology, in which Aries was a legendary ram with wings, and also
represented Ares, the god of war. For the ancient Babylonians, however, the Aries
constellation represented the Spring equinox and was a symbol of fertility.
 The Taurus constellation - The constellation of Taurus reaches its highest point between
the months of April and May. Cultures all over the world recognize the Taurus constellation
as the shape of a bull. It’s named after the Roman god Jupiter, or Zeus according to the
Greek tradition, who would turn himself into a bull to visit the world of the mortals. It also
traditionally symbolized the coming of spring and was considered a sign of fertility.
  The Gemini constellation - The constellation most prominent along the ecliptic during the
month of June is Gemini, also called “The Twins”. Its shape reminded the ancient Greeks of
the twin sons of Zeus. In fact, its brightest stars, Castor and Pollux, represent the Gemini
twins. The most popular story of Gemini tells that the twins partook in cattle theft when the
Milky Way was made up of a herd of dairy cows.
 The Cancer constellation - The Cancer constellation becomes visible to the naked eye in
July. It is also known as “The Crab” because of its multiple legs and extremities. According
to the ancient Greek legend, the gigantic crab is one of the many creatures battled by the
hero Heracles (also known as Hercules in the Roman tradition).
 The Leo constellation - By the end of the month of July, and during most of August, it is the
constellation of Leo which lies along the path of the sun. For ancient observers, it resembled
the shape of a lion. A fun fact about this constellations is that ancient Egyptians would
recognize the coming of Leo due to the timing of the Nile tide. Leo, the third largest zodiac
constellation, occupies an area of 946.96 square degrees of the northern sky. It represents
the Nemean lion, another mythical creature killed by the hero Heracles (or Hercules).
 The Virgo constellation - Most prominent in September, the Virgo constellation is called
“The Maiden” and is usually depicted as a lady holding grains of wheat. It symbolized the
harvest for both the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Other associations attributed to
Virgo are prosperity, justice and purity. Leo, the third largest zodiac constellation, occupies
an area of 946.96 square degrees of the northern sky. It represents the Nemean lion,
another mythical creature killed by the hero Heracles (or Hercules).
 The Virgo constellation - Most prominent in September, the Virgo constellation is called
“The Maiden” and is usually depicted as a lady holding grains of wheat. It symbolized the
harvest for both the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Other associations attributed to
Virgo are prosperity, justice and purity.
 The Scorpio constellation - Easily to infer from its name, the Scorpio constellation has the
shape of a scorpion. The Sun transits this constellation on average from October 23 to
November 22. According to the myth, the Scorpio constellation was created by the Greek
deity Artemis, the goddess of hunting, wild animals and the wilderness.

5. The six ( 6) characteristics of habitable planets.

 It has to be a comfortable distance away from a star (Habitable Zone)
 The stars around it have to be 'stable'.
 It should not have a very low mass.
 It must rotate on its axis and revolve.
 It should have a molten core.
 It should hold an atmosphere.

6. The seven (7) Instruments Used to study Astronomical Bodies. 

 Telescope, device used to form magnified images of distant objects. The telescope is
undoubtedly the most important investigative tool in astronomy. It provides a means of
collecting and analyzing radiation from celestial objects, even those in the far reaches of
the universe.
 Refractors, telescopes of this kind are typically used to examine the Moon, other
objects of the solar system such as Jupiter and Mars, and binary stars. The
name refractor is derived from the term refraction, which is the bending of light when it
passes from one medium to another of different density—e.g., from air to glass. 
 Spectrophotometer is a device measures the intensity of electromagnetic energy at
each wavelength of light in a specified region.   A UV-visible-NIR spectrophotometer,
such as used in CRAIC microspectrophotometers, operate in the ultraviolet, visible and
near infrared regions.  As described below, the spectrophotometer consists of a light
source, a way to focus light onto the sample, a method to collect the light from the
sample, a monochromator to separate the light into its component wavelengths and a
detector to measure the intensity of light at each wavelength.
 Coronagraph - an instrument that blocks out light emitted by the sun's actual surface so
that the corona can be observed.
  Interferometers are investigative tools used in many fields of science and
engineering. They are called interferometers because they work by merging two or
more sources of light to create an interference pattern, which can be measured and
analyzed; hence 'Interfere-o-meter', or interferometer.
 Photometer is an instrument that measures the strength of electromagnetic radiation in
the range from ultraviolet to infrared and including the visible spectrum. Most
photometers convert light into an electric current using a photoresistor, photodiode, or
photomultiplier.
 Astrolabe is a two-dimensional model of the celestial sphere. The name has its
origins from the Greek words astron and lambanien meaning "the one who catches the
heavenly bodies. An astrolabe is an instrument that once was the most used,
multipurpose astronomical instrument and position of celestial objects.

       C. Draw the twelve constellations of the Zodiac in separate bond paper. 
       D. Essay 
 Instructions: Explain each question. 
1. How can sunspots help to determine the period of rotations of the sun?
- The period of rotation of the sun is determined by use of sunspots. Sunspots which are cyclonic disturbances in
the photosphere of the sun are found to move across the solar disk from day to day. They differ widely in duration,
sometimes lasting for several months and sometimes disappearing in the course of a few hours. The plane of
rotation of these sunspots are inclined seven degrees to the ecliptic. The motion of sunspots determine the rate of
rotation at a particular latitude. The sun doesn't rotate as a solid body, but rather varies its rotation period from the
equator to the poles. The various rotation periods may also vary with time. Sunspots move by small amounts over
the surface of the sun, but these movements are small enough that they may be ignored and therefore sunspots
may be used to determine the rotation of the sun.
- The sun rotates on its axis from east to west. The sun as a whole has no single period of rotation, but different
portions of its surface perform their revolutions in different times. The equatorial regions move more rapidly than
the rest of the solar surface, and as a result they also complete the entire rotation in shorter time. The period of
rotation of the sun varies somewhat with latitude, (at higher latitudes the sun tends to rotate more slowly), but it is
estimated that the sun's period of rotation at the surface varies from about 25 days at the equator to about 35
days at the poles.

2. Explain why meteors are more often seen late at night and usually numerous before dawn.
- On any night of the year, meteors appear faster, brighter, and more numerous after midnight. That's when your
location has turned into Earth's direction of motion around the Sun and plows into meteor particles nearly head-
on, rather than having them catch up from behind. The peak activity of a meteor shower occurs in the hours when
Earth passes closest to the orbit of the shower particles. The ideal circumstance for any observer is for the
shower to peak at a time when its radiant is highest in the sky during the morning hours; most of the year's best
showers have the potential to meet these criteria.

3. Why are comets more clearly visible when they approach the sun?
- Comets are huge balls of grit and ice many kilometers in diameter. When they come near the Sun the heat melts
some of the ice and this produces a huge cloud of gas and dust that we see as the tail of the comet. These tails,
millions of kilometers in length, become visible as they near the Sun. The tail always points away from the Sun
because of the pressure of the solar wind on its tiny particles. We only see a comet for a short time because they
move fast when they are close to the Sun but very slowly in the outer parts of their orbit, see Kepler's second law.
One of the most famous comets, Halley's comet returns every 75 years.

4. How does the color of a star indicate its age?

- Astronomers have long used stars' color to identify their temperature, and they created a classification system
called spectral classes to do so, which places stars into a category based on their temperature. Class O stars,
which are blue in color, are the hottest, and class M stars, which are red in color, are the coldest. This can be
tricky to remember, as we typically think of blue as a cool color and red as a hot one. Thus, it's helpful to
understand the reason blue stars are hot and red ones are cool. Remember that the temperature of an object is a
direct measure of the amount of motion within it. The hotter the star, the faster its particles move and the more
 energy they radiate. Cool stars radiate most of their energy in the red and infrared region of the electromagnetic
spectrum — which means shorter wavelengths and less energy. Thus, they appear red, while hot stars — in
which particles are moving much more quickly — emit more energy and thus emit mostly at blue and ultra-violet
wavelengths, making them appear blue or white. Throughout most of a star's life, it is burning hydrogen at its
core, which creates lots of energy and thus makes it appear blue. As stars age, they run out of hydrogen to burn,
decreasing the amount of energy they emit. Thus, younger stars can appear bluer while older ones appear more
red, and in this way, a star's color can tell us something about that star's age.

5. Why will space crew require an extensive mathematics background?

- Astronauts use math in order to make precise mathematical calculations, from how the spacecraft leaves
Earth's atmosphere to how the astronauts pilot the craft. Designers use math to calculate distance, speed,
velocity, and their own safety when creating space-faring vehicles.

6. Compare the rotational period of the inner and outer planets. 

- The four inner planets have slower orbits, slower spin, no rings, and they are made of rock and metal. The
four outer planets have faster orbits and spins, a composition of gases and liquids, numerous moons, and
rings. The outer planets are made of hydrogen and helium, so they are called gas giants.

7. If a space vehicle is designed to orbit around the Earth very slowly, should it be put into a low or high orbit?
Explain. 
- It should be put in high orbit. An orbit is the result of a perfect balance between gravity pulling a satellite down
and the satellite going forward. A satellite that is going very fast will keep going forward very fast, because of
inertia. If a satellite is going very fast, it can go forward so quickly that the pull of gravity can't keep it in an
orbit. If it is going slowly, it will not go forward enough to counter the pull of gravity and crash into the thing it is
orbiting around. Changing speed is one way to change the orbit of a satellite or make a satellite leave orbit.
Speed can be changed by increasing thrust to make a ship go faster, or retro burning or aerobraking to slow it
down.

8. Suppose you find a dense, irregular fragment on the ground. How can you tell whether it is a meteorite or not? 
- Meteorites are generally dark, black, or rusty and reddish brown. Some have thumbprint-like depressions
covering the surface called regmaglypts. After you find a rock you suspect is a meteorite, one of the easiest
ways to check your candidate is by carrying a magnet because it can attract fragments of meteorites.

9. Why doesn’t a total lunar eclipse occur every month? 

- A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon enters the Earth's shadow. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's
shadow falls on the Earth. They do not happen every month because the Earth's orbit around the sun is not in the
same plane as the Moon's orbit around the Earth.

10. How do the moon and sun cause tides? 

- Tides are caused more by the moon than by the sun, because while they appear the same size in the sky, the
moon is denser. High and low tides are caused by the moon. The moon's gravitational pull generates
something called the tidal force. The tidal force causes Earth—and its water—to bulge out on the side closest
to the moon and the side farthest from the moon. These bulges of water are high tides.

Matsalam! Kapamilya