Astronomy

Earth as a Celestial Body, Milkyway Galaxy &

Constellations

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Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the

study of celestial objects (such as moons, planets,
stars, nebulae, and galaxies); the physics, chemistry,
and evolution of such objects; and phenomena that
originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as
supernovae explosions, gamma ray bursts, and
cosmic background radiation). A related but distinct
subject, cosmology, is concerned with studying the
universe as a whole.

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Prehistoric

cultures left behind astronomical artifacts such as the
Egyptian monuments and Nubian monuments, and
early civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks,
Chinese, Indians, Iranians and Maya performed
methodical observations of the night sky.

Fields
Observational astronomy
Observational

astronomy

is

division

of

the

astronomical science that is concerned with recording

data, in contrast with theoretical astrophysics, which is
mainly concerned with finding out the measurable
implications of physical models. It is the practice of
observing celestial objects by using telescopes and
other astronomical apparatus.

Theoretical astronomy
Theoretical astronomy at its simplest is the definition of
terms to be applied to astronomical effort and the
phenomenological results. In essence it is the theory of
the science of physical and logical laws with respect to
any natural body in the sky especially at night.

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Prehistoric

cultures left behind astronomical artifacts such as the
Egyptian monuments and Nubian monuments, and
early civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks,
Chinese, Indians, Iranians and Maya performed
methodical observations of the night sky.

Earth as a
Celestial Body

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the most
dense and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar
System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four
terrestrial planets. It is sometimes referred to as the
world, the Blue Planet, or by its Latin name, Terra

Vital Statistics
Planetary Symbol:

Surface Gravity:

Diameter:

12,753 km (7,926
miles)

Mass:

5.98x10^24
kilograms
(6.5e21 tons)

Density:

5,515 kg/m^3

Minimum Distance
from Sun:
Maximum Distance
from Sun:
Orbital Semimajor
Axis:

146 million km
(91 million miles)
152 million km
(94.5 million miles)

Satellites:

1 (the Moon)

1.0 AU

9.78 m/s^2

Rotation Period with

respect to Sun
24 hrs
(Length of Day):
Rotation Period with
respect to stars
23 hrs 56 min
(Sidereal Day):
Revolution Period
about the Sun
365 days 5 hrs
(Length of a Year):
Tilt of Axis:

23o 27"

Temperature:

-89o C to 57.7o C
(-128o F to 136o F)

Average Surface
Temperature (K):

287K

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an

internationally defined area of the celestial sphere.
These areas are grouped around asterisms (which
themselves are generally referred to in non-technical
language as "constellations"), which are patterns
formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to
one another on Earth's night sky.

In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars

recognized on Earth's night sky. It may form part of an
official constellation, or be composed of stars from
more than one. Like constellations, asterisms are in
most cases composed of stars which, while they are
visible in the same general direction, are not physically
related, often being at significantly different distances
from Earth. The mostly simple shapes and few stars
make these patterns easy to identify, and thus
particularly useful to those learning to familiarize
themselves with the night sky.

Component stars of seasonal asterisms are bright and

mark out simple geometric shapes.
Spring. Spring is marked by the Diamond of Virgo
consisting of Arcturus, Spica, Denebola, and Cor
Caroli. An East-West line from Arcturus to Denebola
forms an equilateral triangle with Cor Caroli to the
North, and another with Spica to the South. The
Arcturus, Denebola, Spica triangle is given the name
Spring Triangle. Together these two triangles form the
Diamond. Formally, the stars of the Diamond are
located in the constellations Botes, Virgo, Leo, and
Canes Venatici.

Summer. The Summer Triangle of Deneb, Altair, and

Vega Cygni, Aquilae, and Lyrae is easily
recognized, as its three stars are all of the 1st
magnitude. The stars of the Triangle are located in the
band of the Milky Way which marks the galactic
equator, and are in the direction of the galactic center.
Autumn. The Great Square of Pegasus is the
quadrilateral formed by the stars Pegasi, Pegasi,
Pegasi, and Andromedae, representing the body of
the winged horse] It may be glimpsed in its entirety on
autumn nights.

Winter. The winter midnight sky of the northern hemisphere

is dominated by Orion, in the direction opposite the galactic
center. Also, one-third of the 1st-magnitude stars visible in
the sky (seven of twenty-one) are in the Winter Hexagon with
Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, with 2nd-magnitude Castor - Capella,
Aldebaran, and Rigel on the periphery, and Betelgeuse
located off-center. Although somewhat flattened, and thus
more elliptical than circular, the figure is so large that it
cannot be taken in all at once, thus making the lack of true
circularity less noticeable. (The projection in the chart
exaggerates the stretching.