Chapter 2 Flashcards
1
Q
What is diurnal motion?
A
The motion of stars around the earth daily.
2
Q
Explain why it is useful to imagine as if stars are painted on the inside of a celestial sphere, even though this is not the case.
A
It explains the diurnal motion.
3
Q
What is one reason why we know that the seasons aren’t caused by changes in the distance between the Earth and the Sun?
A
Because the Earth is rotating at a constant distance around the Sun.
4
Q
Why are certain points along the ecliptic called special names, like “equinoxes” and “solstices”?
A
These points are at special positions of the Sun along the ecliptic.
5
Q
Sidereal clocks can be found in the control rooms of large telescopes. What is sidereal time good for?
A
This helps astronomers stay with the apparent motion of the stars.
