Astronomy - Observations 3 Flashcards
The position of the sun at noon (locally) is on the ______________.
celestial meridian
When the sun transits, the time locally is _________.
12 noon
When the sun is at lower transit, the time is _________.
12 midnight
The apparent yearly path of the sun relative to the stars is called the _______.
ecliptic
Through what constellations does the sun pass during a year?
Zodiac
The direction of the sun’s annual motion during the year relative to the stars is _____________, 1° per day.
west to east
Every hour, the sun seems to move _____ per hour to the _____.
15° per hour to the west
The present first sign of the zodiac is ________.
Pisces
_______ discovered that the rate of precession is about ______ per year westward.
Hipparchus; 52 inches per year westward
The period of precession is __________.
25,780 years
The present “age” as determined by the first sign of the zodiac is _________.
Pisces
The next “age” will be _________.
Aquarius
Each age lasts about ___________.
2,000 years
The position of the north celestial pole changes due to
precession
The moon’s monthly motion is about ___ degrees east per day.
13.1° east per day
