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Astronomy > Distance and Location > Flashcards

Distance and Location Flashcards

1
Q

What is rotation of a planet or moon?

A

Circular movement around an imaginary axis through the center of a planet or moon.

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2
Q

What is a planet’s revolution?

A

Time for the planet to make a complete orbit around the Sun.

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3
Q

What is a kilometer?

A

The SI unit of length measurement.

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4
Q

What is an Astronomical Unit?

A

A unit of length based on the average distance of the Earth to the Sun.

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5
Q

What is a Light Year?

A

A distance unit based on how far light travels in one year.

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6
Q

What is a Parsec?

A

Distance along an imaginary right triangle’s adjacent side that has an opposite side of 1 AU and an opposite angle of 1°.

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7
Q

What is longitude?

A

Degree measurement of a meridian east or west of the prime meridian.

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8
Q

What is latitude?

A

Degree measurement of a parallel north or south of the equator.

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9
Q

What is a meridian?

A

An imaginary line on a globe that runs from the north pole to the south pole.

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10
Q

What is a parallel?

A

An imaginary line that runs east to west around the globe.

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11
Q

What is the latitude measurement for the Equator?

A

0 degrees latitude.

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12
Q

What is the latitude measurement for the North Pole?

A

90 degrees N latitude

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13
Q

What is the latitude measurement for the South Pole?

A

90 degrees S latitude

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14
Q

What is the longitude measurement for the Prime Meridian?

A

0 degrees longitude

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15
Q

What is the longitude measurement for the International Date Line?

A

180 degrees longitude

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16
Q

Why is the International Date Line a zigzag line?

A

Countries want the day to be the same throughout

17
Q

How is latitude and longitude used to indicate a location?

A

Longitude and latitude form a grid system; where the lines meet locates a place.

18
Q

What is the best unit to use when measuring distances on Earth?

A

Kilometers

19
Q

What is the best unit to use when measuring distances between objects in the Solar System?

A

Astronomical Units

20
Q

What is the best unit to use when measuring distances between stars and globular clusters in the Milky Way?

A

Light Years

21
Q

What is the best unit to use when describing the distance between the Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy?

A

Light Years

22
Q

What is the Celestial Sphere?

A

An imaginary dome upon which the stars appear.

23
Q

How does a person use azimuth to determine the location of a star in the sky?

A

The azimuth is a direction between 0 degrees and 360 degrees that tells which direction (N-S-E-W) a person should look along the horizon.

24
Q

How does a person use altitude to determine the location of a star in the sky?

A

The altitude is a place in the sky between the horizon (0 degrees) and the Zenith (90 degrees) directly overhead.

25
Q

What is the zenith?

A

A point directly above a person on the celestial sphere.

26
Q

What is the nadir?

A

A point directly below a person on the celestial sphere

27
Q

What is occurring when a star is rising?

A

It is moving from below the horizon into the observer’s view.

28
Q

What is occurring when a star is setting?

A

The star is moving from view to below the horizon.

29
Q

What is a never set star?

A

A star that does not go below the horizon as it moves in the sky.

30
Q

What is the Celestial Equator?

A

An extension of the plane containing Earth’s equator to the Celestial Sphere

31
Q

What is the Ecliptic?

A

An extension of the plane containing the path of the Earth around the Sun to the Celestial Sphere.

32
Q

What is right ascension in the Celestial Coordinate System?

A

Measurement in hours along the Celestial Equator used as one coordinate to determine the location of a star

33
Q

What is declination?

A

Measurement in degrees along an imaginary line from the North Celestial Pole to the South Celestial Pole that is used as one coordinate to locate a star.

34
Q

What is the starting reference point for right ascension?

A

The vernal equinox, which is 0 hours RA.

35
Q

If a star’s right ascension falls on the winter solstice point, what is its coordinate?

A

The winter solstice falls on 18 hours RA

36
Q
A

Astronomy (8 decks)

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