International Olympiad of Astronomy and Space Sciences

for Juniors
Romania– Câmpulung Moldovenesc
October 31 - November 7 2022
Theoretical Round

I. Multiple choice problems – 100 points

For these problems, you have to choose only one correct answer. Please write your answer on answer-
sheet. Don’t forget to write the number of the problem, i.e Grid 1. (c).

Grid 1. The stars observed with the telescope

The diameter of the objective lens of a telescope, represented in the drawing in figure 1, is
Dobjective telescope = 300 mm, and the diameter of the pupil of the observer's eye is Dpupil eye = 6 mm .

The light gathering power, coming from a star, due to this telescope, is:

Objective
Incident lens
light

Ocular
lens

a) g c = 2500; b) g c = 1500; c) g c = 1000; d) g c = 3000.

Grid 2. The Sun on the Horizon

The astronomical refraction correction,  r , has the minimum value,  r,min = 0, when the star is at the zenith
( )
of the Earth's surface observer z = 0; h = 90 0 , and has the maximum value,  r,max , when the star, whose
light passes through the Earth's atmosphere, in order to reach the Earth's surface observer, is at the horizon
( )
z = 90 0 ; h = 0 , that is, when the star rises or sets.

It is known, that for an observer, atmospheric refraction raises the Sun in the moments of sunrise and sunset,
that is, when it is below the horizon, approximately at its edge, by an apparent disk.
 International Olympiad of Astronomy and Space Sciences
for Juniors
Romania– Câmpulung Moldovenesc
October 31 - November 7 2022
Theoretical Round

It is given: the radius of the Sun, 𝑅𝑆 = 6.96 ⋅ 105 𝑘𝑚 the distance between the centre of the Earth and the
centre of the Sun, 𝑑 = 15 ⋅ 107 𝑘𝑚.
The value of 𝜌𝑟,𝑚𝑎𝑥 ,is:
a) 𝜌𝑟,𝑚𝑎𝑥 ≈ 23.7′ b) 𝜌𝑟,𝑚𝑎𝑥 ≈ 43.7′ c) 𝜌𝑟,𝑚𝑎𝑥 ≈ 53.7′ d) 𝜌𝑟,𝑚𝑎𝑥 ≈ 33.7′

Grid 3. The escape velocity

km km
It is given: V0  30 , the speed of the Earth in its circular orbit around the Sun; 𝑣0 ≈ 7.9 𝑠 , the speed
s
of a terrestrial satellite orbiting the Earth in a very low circular orbit (the first cosmic speed).
M Earth M S un
It is known that:  .
REarth REarth −Sun

The variation of the kinetic energy of the body, in relation to the Sun, is neglected during the motion of the
body from the surface of the Earth to the limit of the gravitational attraction of the Earth.
The approximate minimum escape velocity of a body B, relative to the Sun, launched at a distance from
the Sun equal to 1 AU, so that it leaves the Solar System forever, is:
km km km km
a) 𝑣𝐵 ≈ 45.52 𝑠
b) 𝑣𝐵 ≈ 32.32 𝑠
c) 𝑣𝐵 ≈ 22.22 𝑠
d) 𝑣𝐵 ≈ 42.42 𝑠
.

Grid 4. The Terrestrial Satellite

A small satellite (a luminous sphere) that orbits the Earth, in an equatorial circular orbit at the altitude h, is
photographed with a camera on the ground, the lens of which is a converging lens with focal length f . The
photography is made when the satellite aligns with the camera and the centre of the Earth.
It is given: the mass of the Earth, M ; the gravitational constant, G, the radius of the Earth, R. During the
photographic exposure the proper rotation of the Earth is neglected.
The length of the image on the photograph, after developing the photographic plate, placed in the focal
plane of the objective lens, as indicated by the drawing in figure 1, if the exposure time of the camera was
t , is given by the expression:

f
Focal plane of
Obiective Plate
the objective
lens photografic
lens
Fig. 1
 International Olympiad of Astronomy and Space Sciences
for Juniors
Romania– Câmpulung Moldovenesc
October 31 - November 7 2022
Theoretical Round

𝑓 𝑀 𝑓 𝑀 𝑓 𝑀 𝑓 𝑀
a) 𝑙 = ℎ−𝑓 ⋅ √𝐺 𝑅+ℎ ⋅ 𝛥𝑡 b) 𝑙 = ℎ+𝑓 ⋅ √𝐺 𝑅+ℎ ⋅ 𝛥𝑡 c) 𝑙 = ℎ−𝑓 ⋅ √𝐺 ℎ−𝑅 ⋅ 𝛥𝑡 d) 𝑙 = ℎ−𝑓 ⋅ √2𝐺 𝑅+ℎ ⋅ 𝛥𝑡

Grid 5. Andromeda Galaxy Rotation

The following are known: the Earth – Andromeda galaxy distance, R = 1.42  1011 R0 , where R0 is the
M
radius of the Earth's circular orbit around the Sun; the mass of our Galaxy, M G = 2.5 1011 M 0 , where 0
T =
is the mass of the Sun; 0 1 terrestrial year, the period of rotation of the Earth around the Sun; the mass
of the Andromeda galaxy, M A = 3.6 1011 M 0 .
The period of the rotational motions of our galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy, around their common centre
of mass, is:

a) 5.1 ∙ 1010 years b) 6.9∙ 1010 years c) 7.9 ∙ 1010 years d) 8.2∙ 1010 years

Grid 6. The Sun as seen from Saturn

It is known that: the distance Saturn - Sun is 9.54 times greater than the distance Earth - Sun; the angular
diameter of the Sun's disk, seen from Earth, is 32'.
The angular diameter of the Sun seen from Saturn, is:

a)  Sun–Saturn  0.001 radian b)  Sun–Saturn  0.002 radian c)  Sun–Saturn  0.003 radian d)  Sun–Saturn  0.004 radian

Grid 7. Balls Suspended inside a Terrestrial Satellite

An artificial satellite moves around the Earth in a circular orbit with radius r. We observe the satellite at
the position and orientation shown in figure 1. Inside the satellite are suspended, by very light wires, four
identical spherical balls, each with mass m, such that the balls (b) and (c) are symmetrical to the ball (a),
the balls (a) and (d) are symetrical to the ball (c), and the difference of their distances to the center of the
Earth is r = 2d .
It is given: M − the mass of the Earth; G− gravitational attraction constant.
 International Olympiad of Astronomy and Space Sciences
for Juniors
Romania– Câmpulung Moldovenesc
October 31 - November 7 2022
Theoretical Round

c
d
b a

r −d r

r+d

P
s
Fig. 1

The tension in each suspension wire, is:

𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑
a) T(a ) = 0; 𝑇(𝑏) = 3𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑐) = 3𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑑) = 0

𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑

b) 𝑇(𝑎) = 𝐺 𝑟3
; 𝑇(𝑏) = 𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑐) = 𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑑) = 𝐺 𝑟3
𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑
c) 𝑇(𝑎) = 3𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑏) = 0; 𝑇(𝑐) = 0; 𝑇(𝑑) = 3𝐺 𝑟3
>0
𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑 𝑚𝑀𝑑
d) 𝑇(𝑎) = 2𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑏) = 2𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑐) = 2𝐺 𝑟3
> 0; 𝑇(𝑑) = 2𝐺 𝑟3
> 0.

Grid 8. Spaceship to the Sun

In a future program, NASA plans to launch a spacecraft, aimed directly at the Sun, without a human crew,
to gather information, on its way to the Sun, both about all the inner planets and, in particular, about the
Sun.
They are known: the distance Earth - Sun, rES = 1.5  1011 m; the period of the Earth's rotation around the
r
Sun, TE = 3.15 10 7 s; the radius of the Sun, RS  E S .
200
If the launch of the spacecraft will be done in such a way that its motion relative to the Sun is a free fall,
then the approximate duration of the Earth-Sun flight is:
 International Olympiad of Astronomy and Space Sciences
for Juniors
Romania– Câmpulung Moldovenesc
October 31 - November 7 2022
Theoretical Round

a) 𝒕 ≈ 𝟑. 𝟔 ⋅ 𝟏𝟎𝟓 𝑠 b) 𝒕 ≈ 6. 𝟔 ⋅ 𝟏𝟎6 𝑠 c) 𝒕 ≈ 5. 𝟔 ⋅ 𝟏𝟎6 𝑠 d) 𝒕 ≈ 4. 𝟔 ⋅ 𝟏𝟎6 𝑠

Grid 9. The Moon, seen on the way to the Moon

The full Moon, whose linear diameter is d = 3 436 km, at Earth in the distance 𝑟0 = 384 000 𝑘𝑚, has the
apparent magnitude m0 = −12.7. The apparent magnitude of the Sun, seen from Earth, is mS = −26.84.
The distance, r, from the full Moon, where a cosmonaut is, on the way of his spaceship to the Moon, the
magnitude of the full Moon should be 50% of the magnitude of the Sun as seen from Earth, is:

a) r ≈ 198 243 𝑘𝑚 ss b) 𝑟 ≈ 320 732 𝑘𝑚 c) 𝑟 ≈ 132 521 𝑘𝑚 d) 𝑟 ≈ 275 633 𝑘𝑚

Grid 10. The luminosity of a star

The luminosity of a star 𝛴, is 𝐿𝛴 = 100 ⋅ 𝐿𝑆 , where 𝐿𝑆 is the luminosity of the Sun, and the star’s surface
1
temperature is 𝑇𝛴 = 2 ⋅ 𝑇𝑆 , where 𝑇𝑆 is the Sun’s surface temperature.

Ratio between the radius of the star and the radius of the Sun is:
R R R R
= 40; = 30; = 60; = 50.
R
a) S
R
b) S
R
c) S
R
d) S