Term
The Babylonians' number system was sexagesimal,
that is, it used a base of |
|
Definition
60, like the number of arcminutes in a
degree |
|
|
Term
| Ecliptic longitude is measured |
|
Definition
| east from the vernal equinox along the ecliptic |
|
|
Term
The use of the zigzag approximation in
representing the variable motion in longitude
was embodied in the |
|
Definition
Jupiter tablet of occurrences of
second station |
|
|
Term
Kidinnu (later known as Cidenas) was the
inventor of the |
|
Definition
| zigzag approximation for variable motion in longitude |
|
|
Term
| The Moon's phase at a solar eclipse is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The eclipse seasons recur at intervals of |
|
Definition
| slightly less than half a year |
|
|
Term
Which of the following statements is true
of the Babylonians at their most advanced? |
|
Definition
they were able to predict lunar
eclipses, including whether they would be
total or partial and the degree |
|
|
Term
The first of the Greeks to consider the
Universe as an object for speculation
regarding its nature was (as far as we know) |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The object at the center of Philolaus's
model of the Universe was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The hippopede or figure-eight was
introduced by Eudoxus to represent the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
According to Aristotle's philosophy, the natural
motion of everything in the sublunary (that is,
terrestrial) part of the Universe is |
|
Definition
vertical, either up for light elements
(air,fire) or down for heavy elements (earth,
water) |
|
|
Term
The argument of fall was one of
Aristotle's arguments |
|
Definition
| against the Earth's rotation |
|
|
Term
Comets and meteors are phenomena in the upper level
of Earth's atmosphere according to Aristotle
because |
|
Definition
they change, whereas everything in the
superlunary region is immutable |
|
|
Term
The first person to come up with a value
(though erroneous) for the ratio of the Sun's
distance from Earth to the Moon's was |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following did Heraclides
not advocate? |
|
Definition
the Earth and the planets orbit
the Sun |
|
|
Term
The Earth's circumference was first
determined, rather accurately, by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Precession, with all its effects on star
positions, was first discovered by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Hipparchus's model for the Sun, which
was adopted by Ptolemy later, used |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
In the simplified Earth-centered epicyclic
system we discussed in class, the deferent for
a superior planet is identical in size to |
|
Definition
| that planet's orbit around the Sun |
|
|
Term
In the Greek way of reckoning, an inferior
planet's period of revolution around its
epicycle is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The work that contained Ptolemy's ideas about
the way the planets are actually arranged in space
(as opposed to detailed mathematical models for
each separately) was his |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Ptolemy introduced the equant in order to
better represent the variable motion in longitude.
It became the most controversial feature of his system
because |
|
Definition
it violated the principle of uniform circular
motion |
|
|
Term
The term that applies to the direction towards Mecca
for prayer in Islam is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The term trepidation refers to a nonexistent |
|
Definition
oscillation of the equinox around its average
position in addition to precession |
|
|
Term
The advance of the solar apogee was first incorporated
in a zij by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The zij which was distinguished by its inclusion of
observational data on eclipses and conjunctions was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The observatory that was founded by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The only star catalogue which used newly-measured star
positions instead of rehashing Ptolemy's was produced at .. under the leadership of |
|
Definition
| Samarkand Observatory...Ulugh Beg |
|
|
Term
The author of the Tractatus de Sphaera or
Treatise on the Sphere, an early university textbook
on astronomy, was |
|
Definition
| Sacrobosco, also known as John of Holywood |
|
|
Term
The standard planetary tables in use in Europe for
several centuries until after the time of Copernicus
were the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The first extensive (that is, over several decades)
European series of astronomical observations of high quality
for the time was made by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The instrument that could be used for directly measuring
the ecliptic coordinates of a star or planet was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The instrument that could be used either to measure the
angular separation between two objects on the sky or the
altitude of an object was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The approximate date of Ptolemy is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
he approximate date of the translation of the
Almagest into Arabic is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Bernhard Walther, who made the first extensive (that
is, over several decades) European series of high-quality
astronomical observations (for the time), was a pupil of |
|
Definition
| Regiomontanus, also known as Johannes Mueller |
|
|
Term
The instrument that could be used for directly measuring
the equatorial coordinates of a star or planet was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The instrument that was used to measure precisely the
altitude of a star or planet when it crosses the celestial
meridian was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The approximate date of Hipparchus is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The approximate date of Aristotle is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The observatory that was founded by Taqi al-Din was
the short-lived |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The Hakemite Tables, which were distinguished by
the inclusion of observational data on eclipses and
conjunctions, were the work of |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Trepidation, a supposed oscillation of the
equinoxes around their average positions in addition to
the steady westwards motion of precession, was
introduced by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The term that applies to the thin crescent Moon
that marks the beginning of the month in the Islamic
calendar is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Ptolemy introduced the equant in order to
better represent the variable motion in longitude.
It became the most controversial feature of his system
because |
|
Definition
it violated the principle of uniform circular
motion |
|
|
Term
The work that contained Ptolemy's detailed
mathematical models for the planets (including
the Sun and Moon) was the |
|
Definition
Matematike syntaxis or
Mathematical Compilation, later known as the
Almagest |
|
|
Term
In the simplified Earth-centered epicyclic
system we discussed in class, the epicycle for
an inferior planet is identical in size to |
|
Definition
| that planet's orbit around the sun |
|
|
Term
Hipparchus's model for the Sun, which
was adopted by Ptolemy later, used |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Precession, with all its effects on star
positions, was first discovered by Hipparchus |
|
Definition
by comparing his star catalogue
with an earlier one |
|
|
Term
The Earth's circumference was first
determined, rather accurately, by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The idea that Mercury and Venus orbit the Sun
while everything else, including the Sun, orbits
the Earth was advocated by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The first person to come up with values
based on observation for the ratio of the Sun's
and Moon's sizes to the Earth's was |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The argument of parallax was an argument of
Aristotle's |
|
Definition
against the Earth's revolution around the
Sun |
|
|
Term
According to Aristotle's philosophy, the natural
motion of everything in the superlunary (that is,
celestial) part of the Universe is |
|
Definition
circular at constant speed, that is,
uniform circular motion |
|
|
Term
The hippopede was inadequate to represent
the apparent motion of which of the following planets? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The concept of "music of the spheres" was
associated with the school of |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following was used by the
Babylonians to approximate the variable motion
in longitude, for example of the Sun? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Ecliptic latitude is measured |
|
Definition
| north or south of the ecliptic |
|
|
Term
Which of the following does not go back
to The Babylonians' sexagesimal number system? |
|
Definition
| the number of hours in a day |
|
|
Term
Which of the following was used by the
Babylonians to approximate the motion in
latitude of the Moon when it is near
the nodes? |
|
Definition
| the "broken" zigzag approximation |
|
|
Term
Lunar eclipses can only occur when the
Moon's phase is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The Babylonians' discovery of the saros
cycle, exemplified in the Saros-Canon,
enabled them to |
|
Definition
forecast when a lunar eclipse
might occur |
|
|
Term
The Counter-Earth was a feature of the
cosmology associated with the school of |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The hippopede was introduced by which of
the following to represent retrograde motion? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
According to Aristotle's philosophy, the natural
motion of everything in the sublunary (that is,
terrestrial) part of the Universe is |
|
Definition
vertical, either up for light elements
(air,fire) or down for heavy elements (earth, water) |
|
|
Term
Which of the following advocated a
heliocentric model for the Universe? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The idea that the daily motion of Sun,
Moon, planets, and fixed stars was caused
by the Earth's rotation was suggested by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The Earth's circumference was first
determined, rather accurately, by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The first reasonably close value for the
Moon's geocentric parallax (and the first
distance of a celestial body) was obtained by |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
In the modern way of reckoning (with respect
to the fixed stars), a superior planet's period
of revolution around its epicycle is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The Ilkhanic Tables were the work of
which observatory? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following instruments could not
measure the altitude of a star or planet at any
azimuth but rather was restricted to only two? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The approximate date of Aristarchus is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Who was the author of the university textbook
on astronomy entitled (in English) Theory
of the Planets? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
he Alfonsine Tables, which became the
standard planetary tables in use in Europe for
several centuries until after the time of Copernicus,
were supposedly produced in what is the modern
country of |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following statements about
Copernicus's work is not correct? |
|
Definition
His models were much simpler than the
Ptolemaic ones. |
|
|
Term
| Rheticus was the person who |
|
Definition
persuaded Copernicus to write On the
Revolutions |
|
|
Term
he significance of Tycho's measurements of
the "new star" of 1572 at that time was that |
|
Definition
they showed that Aristotle was wrong
about the superlunary region never changing |
|
|
Term
Which of the following was not one
of the innovations introduced into
observational astronomy by Tycho? |
|
Definition
| the first accurate pendulum clock |
|
|
Term
Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion
(the first as we count today) states that |
|
Definition
a planet's orbit is an ellipse
with the Sun at one focus |
|
|
Term
The size of an elliptical orbit is given
by its |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
hich of the following of Kepler's
works presented for the first time his
first two laws of planetary motion? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The first set of planetary tables that was based
on an essentially correct theory of the planets'
orbital motions was the |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The approximate date of Copernicus is |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
One of the earliest zijes, the earliest still extant,
was produced by which of the following scholars at the
House of Wisdom in Baghdad? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
A moveable ecliptic, a fixed ecliptic, and a point that
connects the two to make the vernal equinox oscillate back
and forth over a period of several thousand years (and
also change the obliquity) were the elements of which of
the following? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The date of Easter is fixed by rule on |
|
Definition
a combination of the solar cycle (tropical year), lunar cycle (synodic month), and
day of the week |
|
|
Term
Nicole Oresme of the University of Paris pointed out in
the Middle Ages that Aristotle’s argument against the Earth’s rotation could be refuted using the newly-introduced concept of |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Georg Peurbach’s lectures on the Ptolemaic system of
planetary motions (with some improvements of his own) were turned into the most widely used university text on the subject by Regiomontanus. Its title was |
|
Definition
| New Theory of the Planets |
|
|
Term
Which of the following instruments was used for
measuring the angular separation between objects? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
The instrument that was used either to correct the
altitude of Polaris to get the observer’s latitude or
to tell the time of night was the |
|
Definition
|
|
