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Celestial Sphere
Constellation - a
region of the sky
with well-defined
boundaries.
Asterism - a group
of stars with a
recognized shape.
Most constellation
names are derived
from the Latin
language.
The stars of the dipper asterism in Ursa Major are a notable exception to this rule. They are
named in alphabetical order, beginning with at the upper right edge of the bowl of the
di
dipper.
Th
The b
brightest
i ht t off th
these stars
t
iis actually
t ll Ursae
U
M
Majoris.
j i
The brightness of a star is usually expressed in terms of a quantity called magnitude, with
smaller magnitudes corresponding to brighter stars. The distance is usually given in light
years or parsecs (1 pc = 3.26 ly)
The stars in a constellation are not all at the same distance. For example, we see the Big
Dipper asterism (part of the constellation Ursa Major) as a projection (onto the plane of the
sky) of a cluster of stars at various distances (100.7 ly, 78.2 ly, 80.9 ly, 81.4 ly, 83.6 ly, 79.4 ly,
123.6 ly).
09/05/11
9:00 PM
09/05/11
9:00 PM
Summer Triangle
Measures of Angle
360o
90o
NCP
The vertical line through Earths center is its axis of
rotation, which defines the north N and south S poles.
N
The great circle half way between the north and
south poles is the equator.
S
The point on the celestial sphere directly above Earths north pole
is called the north celestial pole.
NCP
Z
The stars are so far away that they appear to the naked
eye to all be at the same distance. They look like they are
embedded
b dd d in
i the
th surface
f
off the
th celestial
l ti l sphere.
h
NCP
Z
O
Rotate the
diagram so that
the horizon has
its more familiar
orientation.
Z
NCP
O
The Observer at O can see all of the sky above the horizon (green line). Actually, the size of Earth is
negligible compared to the radius of the celestial sphere so well replace the green disk by a point.
Z
NCP
North Point
South Point
=
90o
- latitude
= latitude
Motions of Earth
Relative to the most distant galaxies, Earth rotates once in 23.93 hours.
It revolves around the Sun once in 365.25
365 25 days.
days
The angle between the plane of Earths equator the plane of its orbit is
23.
Rotation Axis
Equatorial Plane
23
Ecliptic Plane
Earths orbital motion and the angle between the ecliptic plane and the
equatorial plane cause the seasons.
June 20
December 20
December 20
June 20
Sunlight strikes Earths surface at a steeper angle in the summer than in the
winter. The sunlight is more concentrated (spread out over a smaller area),
so it heats up the ground faster and to a higher temperature.
Celestial Equator
Ecliptic
NCP
WS
Horizon
SS
Precession
The motion of the spinning top in the figure is called precession. It is a result of
the force of gravity that tends to tip the top over.
over
Because Earth spins around an axis through its north and south poles and is
not perfectly spherical, the gravitational forces of the Moon, Sun, and planets
cause it to precess. The precession period is about 26,000 years.
As a result, the position of the north celestial pole changes with a period of
26,000 years.
This coordinate
system is defined
by giving a
reference line (the
celestial equator)
and a reference
point (the vernal
equinox).
Celestial
Equatorial
Coordinates
The direction
toward any object
in the sky can be
given
i
by
specifying its
celestial equatorial
coordinates.
The vernal
equinox (green
dot) is the point
where the sun
crosses the
celestial equator
on its way
northward in the
spring. The path
of the sun on the
celestial sphere is
called the ecliptic
(orange line).
Lines of right
ascension are
semicircles from pole
to pole, analogous to
longitude on Earth.
The semicircle from
pole to pole through
the vernal equinox is
d fi d tto h
defined
have a
right ascension of 0
hours. The unit of
right ascension is the
hour of angle and is
equal to the angle
that Earth rotates
through in 1 hour of
time. Right ascension
increases eastward.
1 hour = 15.
75
60
Declinations south of
the celestial equator
are negative.
45
30
20h
15
4h
21h
3h
22h
23h
0h
-15
-30
1h
2h
The celestial
equatorial
coordinates of an
object tell you the
direction in which to
point a telescope in
order to see the
object through the
telescope.