History of Astronomy - Part 3

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. When we left the Greek world in the second quiz, the Platonic revolution was in full flux. Plato's greatest pupil was undoubtedly Aristotle, a student who disagreed with his master about a great many things. However, in the realm of astronomy their differences weren't so pronounced. Which of these is not true of Aristotle and his cosmological belief system? He subscribed to the theory of heavenly spheres first developed by Eudoxus He believed that the Earth revolved around the sun He endorsed the idea of a geocentric universe He believed that the world was a globe

2. Bucking the Platonic trend was another student of Plato, Heracleides of Pontus. Contrary to the system being developed by the Platonists and the Aristotelians, Heracleides asserted which of the following hypotheses? The Earth revolves around its own axis The solar system rotated around the center of the galaxy The Earth was spherical in shape The sun was the largest object in the solar system

3. Perhaps the greatest of ancient astronomers was Aristarchus, who lived from c. 310 to 230 B.C.E. Which of these facts is most associated with Aristarchus? He was the first astronomer to utilize geometric concepts to make astronomical measurements He was the first astronomer to accurately measure the length of a year He was the first astronomer to advance a heliocentric conception of the solar system He was the first astronomer to suggest that all interstellar bodies are spherical

4. Aristarchus' contributions to astronomy were so significant, he really does deserve two separate questions. With which of these astronomical measurements is Aristarchus associated? Distance from Earth to Jupiter Distance from the Earth to the sun Diameter of the solar system Length of time light takes to reach Earth from the sun

5. Another of the greats of the 3rd century B.C.E. was this man, whose greatest contribution to the astronomical science was his very accurate measurement of the Earth's diameter. Who was this Alexandrian scientist? Strato Erasistratus Eratosthenes Strabo

6. In 240 B.C.E. the first known recording of Halley's comet was taken by astronomers of which culture? Chinese Indian Egyptian Mayan

7. It is most likely that which of these navigational instruments that utilize astronomical objects for measurement was first perfected by the Greeks in the 3rd century B.C.E.? Sextant Astrolabe Octant Orrery

8. Aside from Aristarchus, the other giant in the ancient world of astronomy was Hipparchus. Where was Hipparchus active for most of his career as an astronomer? Pergamum Alexandria Rhodes Croton

9. Hipparchus was involved in so many large astronomical projects that it might be good to ask a question about what a project with which he was NOT involved. With which of these endeavors was Hipparchus not associated? The nature of the sun's light and heat Theory of the motion of planets Calculation of the precession of the equinoxes Measurement of relative brightness of stars

10. The greatest champion of Aristarchus' theoretical ideas was this man, who is also known for his theories on the nature of the Earth's tidal cycle. What was his name? Proclus Solon Euguertes Seleucis