Earth in Space Flashcards
Celestial Sphere:
An imaginary sphere on which all the celestial objects would appear
Celestial Object:
Any object in the sky that genuinely appears to rise in the east and set in the west
North Celestial Pole (NCP) & South Celestial Pole (SCP):
Extension of Earth’s rotation axis onto the sky
Celestial Equator:
Extension of Earth’s equator onto the sky
Ecliptic
Apparent yearly path of the Sun
Horizon:
Where land (or ocean) and sky meet
Zenith:
Directly overhead
Meridian:
Imaginary line running north and south through the zenith
Altitude:
Height of a star above horizon (degrees)
Stars that are overhead:
Follow the same path as the sun (rise in east, set in west)
Stars that are close to Polaris:
Appear to move in circles around Polaris
These stars are in the Northern sky
Stars that are in the Southern sky:
Rise and set near the horizon because they are mainly visible in the Southern Hemisphere
Star Trails:
North: circular
East: up right
South: horizontal
West: down right
Constellations:
Apparent pattern that people use to mark the position of the stars
How many constellations are there?
88, the sky is divided into these 88 regions each associated with a constellation
