Test #1 Flashcards
TERMINOLOGY
Constellation
Regions in the night sky with well defined bordered (typically contains asterisms/ patterns of stars)
Asterism
Patterns of stars
Celestial Sphere
Ancient Greeks thought the Earth was surrounded by a dome where all the stars and constellations were. (They didn’t know it was 3D thought they all were next to eachother)
Eliptic
- Sun/planets traverse the sky along eliptic
- eliptic makes similar angle with celestial equator as Earths tilt (mb if that sentence is confusing)
-Zodiac constellations lie on it
Zenith
Look straight up
Meridian
Line arching from North to South through Zenith
Altitude
How high in degrees (horizon to zenith 90 degrees)
Azimuth
Idk
Revolution
-Orbit a central point/ object
- 365.25 days
Rotation
-Move/turn around on axis
-24 hrs
- stars seem to move because of rotation - Polaris doesnt move since lined up w North Celestial Pole
Circumpolar stars
Stars near North Celestial Pole
Latitude
Measures North to South position on Earth 0 degrees = equator
90 degrees = N
90 degrees = S
Idk if this is right 🤗
Longitude
Measures East to West position
0 degrees = prime meridian
R.A.
Measured in time (hrs, mins, sec)
Declination
Measured in degrees N or S
Can be reported down to arc second
Solstice/equinox names
Summer solstice
Winter solstice
Vernal equinox
Autumnal equinox
Summer solstice
June 21st
Max tilt toward sun
Longest day
Winter solstice
Dec 21st
Max tilt away from sun
Shortest day
Vernal Equinox
March 21st
Slightly toward sun, equal amount day/night
Autumnal Equinox
Sept 21st
Northern hemisphere is slightly away
Equal amount of day/night
Solar Day
Rotation of Earth with respect to sun
Sidereal Day
Rotation of Earth w respect to stars
Difference in mins between sidereal and solar
4 mins
Giant Impact theory
Moon formed during collision between Earth and a small planet (mars sized) caused debris which made the moon
Synchronous Rotation
We always see the same face of moon bc the moon rotation occurs at the same rate as its revolution around the Earth.
Types of eclipses
Total solar eclipse
Partial solar eclipse
Annular solar eclipse
Lunar eclipse
Total solar eclipse
Moon completely covers sun
Blocks sunlight
Very small region can see it
Partial Solar Eclipse
Moon partially covers sun
larger region but not visible everywhere on Earth
Annular solar eclipse
Moon is at point in orbit where its further away from Earth
Ring of sunlight is seen
Ring of fire
Lunar eclipse
Occurs when Earth passes between sun and moon casting shadow on the moon.
May appear red due to dust/clouds
Sunspots
Photosphere is cooler than other areas
Occurs when tightly wound magnetic fields poke nearly straight out and hot plasma is unable to enter region
Prominences
Sunspots tend to occur in pairs, connected by a
loop of magnetic field lines that can arc high above
the Sun’s surface
● Gas in the Sun’s chromosphere and corona
becomes trapped in these giant loops, called solar
prominences
Last DAYS TO WEEKS
Solar flares
- Energy is released when magnetic field lines snap - leads to dramatic solar flares
- minutes to hours
CMES
huge balloon shaped plasma bursts that disrupt radio signals
Aurora Borealis
-north pole one
-Suns always emitting charged particles (solar wind) which erupt in big bursts from flares, CMES + prominences.
-Particles reach magnetic field, goes towards the poles + interacts w gases
Electromagnetic radiation
I think its that chart thing with microwave, radio uv etc
Refracting Telescope
-Uses lenses to magnify objects
-objective lense infront of telescope
-eye piece at end
-objective lens thinner than eye piece
Reflecting telescope - Two types
Newtonian - uses mirrors, concave that focuses light to secondary mirror which transmits to eye piece
Cassegrain-light path folds back in on itself, makes telescope more compact than traditional Newtonian
