Chapter 2: The Darkness He Called Night Flashcards
a circular band of stars,
seen only in dark, rural skies
the Milky Way
a man-made glow in the sky, caused by streetlights
light pollution
an informal grouping of stars, formed within a constellation
asterism
the name of the North Star
Polaris
the Greek poet, our source for the traditional constellations
Aratus
the “vault of the heavens” or “dome of the firament”
celestial sphere
a circle that divides a sphere
into equal halves
Great Circle
a circle that divides a sphere into unequal sections
Small Circle
the circle of stars that are always visible above the horizon
North Circumpolar Circle or
Arctic Circle
the circle of stars that are never visible above the horizon
Southern Circumpolar Circle
the circle that defines the middle of the sky
the Meridian
the directions where this circle crosses the horizon
North and South
the point above the horizon directly overhead
the Zenith
the point below the horizon directly underneath
the Nadir
circle that divides the sky into northern and southern halves
Celestial Equator
