20150919

Astronomy quiz question: evening star Jupiter?

Astronomy 210 Quiz 2, fall semester 2015
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

The locations of Jupiter, Earth, and Mars are shown in the diagram below (not to scale, and orbits have been simplified as circles instead of ellipses).


At sunset (6 PM), Jupiter will be:
(A) low over the east horizon.
(B) somewhere high up in the sky.
(C) low over the west horizon.
(D) not visible in the sky.

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (D)

If a dashed line is drawn from Earth to the sun, the observer at sunset (6 PM) is located perpendicular to that line.


Everything below that line would be below the horizon, such that Jupiter would not be visible at sunset, as it would be below the east horizon. (However, Mars would be visible at sunset, as it would be low above the west horizon, just above the setting sun.)

Section 70158
Exam code: quiz02s5Sz
(A) : 10 students
(B) : 7 students
(C) : 7 students
(D) : 18 students

Success level: 45% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.47

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