MidTerm Review Guide Flashcards
A spherical representation or map of the fxed stars we see in the sky; divided into 88 regions called constellations.
celestial sphere
Te axis of the earth points at these northernmost and southernmost points on the celestial sphere.
celestial poles
If the earth’s equator was projected out into space, the line it would make on the celestial sphere is the _____________
celestial equator
The path the sun takes through the celestial sphere over the course of a whole year; it is tilted in
respect to the celestial equator because Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5°.
ecliptic
Looking down on the north pole, the earth spins counterclockwise. Looking straight on at the earth, it spins in an eastward direction. Tis means the celestial sphere overhead moves in a westward direction from our perspective on Earth.
The direction of spin
A geographic coordinate that indicates the north-south position of a point on Earth, ranging from 0° at the equator to 90° at the north and south poles; your latitude position determines what part of the celestial sphere you see (for instance, standing at 90°N, the north pole, means the north celestial
pole will be at your zenith).
latitude lines
How bright a star really is if all stars were the same distance from us.
absolute magnitude
meaning before the middle of the day.
Ante Meridiem, A.M.
How bright a star appears in our sky.
apparent magnitude
the latitude line where the sun doesn’t set on the summer solstice
arctic circle
Te two days of the year when the sun rises and sets
on the celestial equator, making an equal amount of daylight and nighttime
Autumnal (Fall) and Vernal (Spring) Equinoxes
Te line around which the earth (or any planetary body) rotates.
axis
Te amount of time it takes for the earth to spin on its own axis one time.
day
Four largest moons of Jupiter: Europa, Io, Callisto, and Ganymede.
Galilean Moons
A model or understanding of the universe where the earth is at the center, and the
sun, moon, planets, and stars revolve around the earth.
geocentric model
From your perspective, the place where the sky meets the land.
horizon
A planet named afer the king-god of the Romans; the most massive, fastest spinning planet in
the solar system, with more moons than any other planet
Jupiter
A name for the region north of the arctic circle because the sun doesn’t
set during the summer months.
The land of the midnight sun
Te distance light travels in a year (about 5.8 trillion miles)
Light year
Te line on the celestial sphere going from due south, straight over your head through the
zenith, to due north; it means “middle of the day”
Meridian
A cloudy band circling the celestial sphere which is actually about 100 billion distant
stars in our galaxy
Milky Way Galaxy
A word meaning “wandering star;”
planet
the five classical planets
the five classical planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
meaning after the middle of the day
P.M. Post Meridiem
The phenomenon where the sun doesn’t rise north of the arctic circle during the winter
months.
Polar Night
When a planet stops going eastward against the background stars, turns around, and starts moving westward
retrograde motion
A planet named afer the Roman god of agriculture and wealth
Saturn
From the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere, the day of the year when the sun rises and sets at the northernmost place on the horizon, making a large arc through the sky (the day with the most amount of sunlight).
summer solstice
The line on the surface of the globe where the night side of the earth meets the day side
terminator
Te largest moon of Saturn, known for its atmosphere and liquid lakes.
Titan
The latitude line where the sun is at the zenith at high noon on the summer solstice
Tropic of Cancer
The latitude line where the sun is at the zenith at high noon on the winter solstice
Tropic of Capricorn
The region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
The Tropics
From the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere, the day of the year when the sun rises and sets at the southernmost place on the horizon, making a shallow arc through the sky (the day with the least amount of sunlight).
Winter Solstice
From your perspective, the part of the celestial sphere that is right over your head
Zenith
Who is this;
- one of the most famous philosophers of all time
- argued for a spherical shape to the earth
- argued for a geocentric model of the universe
Aristotle
first person we know about who proposed a heliocentric model of the universe
Aristarchus
Who is this;
- Greek astronomer
- created a catalogue of 48 constellations which much later became the basis for our 88
constellations
- followed a geocentric model, creating a mathematical system for predicting the movements of the planets and the stars
Ptolemy
resurrected the idea of a sun-centered model in the Middle Ages
Copernicus
discovered the three laws of planetary motion
Kepler
Who is this;
- one of the first to use a telescope to observe the sky
- discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter
Galileo
Two frst-magnitude stars in the constellation Orion.
Betelgeuse and Rigel
A frst-magnitude star in the constellation Taurus.
Aldebaran
Two bright stars in the constellation Gemini
Pollux and Castor
Meaning “mouth of the fish;” a first-magnitude star in Pisces Austrinus.
Fomalhaut
What is the Summer Triangle
An asterism made up of the three very bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair.
Name the zodiac constellations in order
12 traditional constellations that touch the ecliptic: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo,
Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces.
Meaning “pole star;” this star in Ursa Minor is commonly called the North Sta
Polaris
is focused on the meanings of heavenly movements (predicting what will happen here on Earth,
impacting things on Earth)
astrology
a scientific study of the sky
astronomy
The first chapter of Genesis says God created the stars for these very practical reasons
- to give us light on the earth
- to separate day from night
- to help us create calendars that guide our different seasons of planting, harvesting, and celebrating,
and to help us mark different years so we can keep records of history - to help us use the signs in the sky to navigate around and find our way
