Astronomy quiz question: third quarter moon setting

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

What time is it when the third quarter moon is setting?
(A) 12:00 PM (noon).
(B) 3:00 PM (afternoon).
(C) 6:00 PM (sunset).
(D) 9:00 PM (evening).
(E) 12:00 AM (midnight).
(F) 3:00 AM (wee hours).
(G) 6:00 AM (sunrise).
(H) 9:00 AM (morning).

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (A)

The third quarter moon is highest overhead at 6:00 AM. In a simple model of lunar phases, the moon will take 12 hours from rising to setting, and so will take six hours from being highest overhead (at 6:00 AM) to subsequently set at 12:00 PM.

Section 70158
Exam code: quiz01SLYc
(A) : 17 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 9 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 5 students
(F) : 4 students
(G) : 3 students
(H) : 1 student
(No responses: 1 student)

Success level: 41% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.73