20171005

Astronomy quiz question: not being able to see the July 27, 2018 total lunar eclipse

Astronomy 210 Quiz 3, fall semester 2017
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

A total lunar eclipse will occur on July 27, 2018[*]. During this event, observers in San Luis Obispo, CA will not be able to see it because:
(A) the moon will be too far away.
(B) the moon's orbit will be too tilted.
(C) the moon will have the wrong phase.
(D) it will be daytime in San Luis Obispo, CA.

[*] timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-july-27.

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (D)


When the moon is completely within Earth's umbra, then it will appear very, very dark brown-red during a total lunar eclipse. Everyone on the night side of Earth will be able to see this occur simultaneously; while everyone on the day side of Earth will not be able to see this, as they will on the side of Earth facing away from the moon. (The total lunar eclipse shown above depicts the near-opposite of the July 27, 2018 total lunar eclipse, where observers in North and South America are on the night side of Earth and are able to see the total lunar eclipse, while observers in Europe and Africa are on the day slide of Earth and are not able to this total lunar eclipse.)

Section 70158
Exam code: quiz03S3ir
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 10 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 32 students

Success level: 73% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.73

Section 70160
Exam code: quiz03Ni5t
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 13 students
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 11 students

Success level: 39% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.21

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