Define the following
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Astronomy
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Jan 9, 2024
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Define the following 1. Ecliptic- The name given to the enormous circle on the celestial sphere that represents the sun's apparent course throughout the year that is crossed by the moon during a solar or lunar eclipse.
2. Celestial Equator (CE) - The Celestial Equator is just the equator's continuation into space from Earth. The Declination of a planet indicates how far north or south it is in relation to this plane. The equator connects the North and South Poles of the Earth.
3. North Celestial Pole (NCP) - Stars in the Northern Hemisphere seem to revolve around a point in the sky known as the North Celestial Pole. Polaris, often known as the North Star, may be seen quite close to this position in the sky.
4. South Celestial Pole (SCP) - When seen from the Southern Hemisphere, all of the stars seem
to revolve around a point in the sky known as the South Celestial Pole.
5. Equatorial Zone - The equatorial zone is the line that divides the earth into two hemispheres.
6. Circumpolar Zone - The region of sky near the North or South Pole where circumpolar stars may be viewed is called the circumpolar zone. Coverage here goes all the way up to the vertical
zenith.
7. Right Ascension (RA) - In astronomy, longitude is measured in terms of right ascension. An object's angular distance to the First Point of Aries, often known as the Vernal Equinox, is its right ascension.
8. Declination (Dec) - One astronomical measure that corresponds to latitude is called declination. The declination of a celestial body is its angular separation from the Celestial Equator, an extraterrestrial projection of Earth's equator. The range of declination angles is -90 degrees to +90 degrees.
9. Altitude (Alt) - The angle between the horizon and an object, as seen from above, is its altitude.
10. Azimuth (Azi) - The azimuth of a celestial body is the degree measured counterclockwise from North on the horizon. The result specifies the heavenly body's pointing direction.
11. Apparent Magnitude- Apparent magnitude is a word used by astrophysicists to define how luminous an object really is from Earth's perspective.
12. Using your knowledge of star names and constellations in each pair given below tell me which star is brighter and why. a. Alpha Ursae Majoris or Epsilion Ursae Majoris b. Alpha Pegasi
or Epsilion Scorpii c. Alpha Orionis or Alpha Telescopii Epsilion Ursae Majoris is the brightest star of the bunch, it is located on the handle of the big dipper and has the highest lumination of the starts.
13. Where on Earth would you go if you wanted to see both the North Celestial Pole and the South Celestial Pole at the same time?
You would have to be at the celestial equator to see both at the same time, due to it being the only point where you can see both hemispheres.
14. Why does the number of circumpolar constellations depend upon the latitude of the observer?
Seeing circumpolar constellations improves as latitude increases toward the Arctic Circle. The circumpolar constellations do not appear above south of the equator.
15. What is the difference between a degree, a minute of arc and a second of arc? A degree may be broken down into sixty separate "minutes of arc." It is important to differentiate
between these minutes of arc and minutes of time. There are sixty seconds of arc in each and every minute of arc.
16. What is obliquity and how is it important to the seasons on the Earth?
The slant of it The degree to which the axis of rotation of Earth is slanted as a result of its orbit around the Sun is referred to as obliquity. Because of the Earth's obliquity, seasons occur.
17. What is the difference between the Vernal Equinox and the Autumnal Equinox? What is the difference between the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice? It is the beginning of the vernal equinox in the spring and the autumnal equinox in the fall when the equinox happens. This is because this suggests that day and night are of equal duration when the equinox occurs. The solstice, on the other hand, denotes the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter. Depending on the season, the solstice is either the longest day of the year the summer solstice or the shortest day of the year the winter solstice.
18. Does the sun ever reach your zenith, why or why not? If not what range of latitudes must you live in for the sun to ever reach your zenith? People who reside at lower latitudes and are within 23.5 degrees of the equator have the opportunity to see the sun reaching its zenith once or twice per year.
19. Which of the following stars is brighter and why? Betelgeuse with a magnitude of 0.41, Vega
with a magnitude of 0.05 or Sirius with a magnitude of -1.47. 20. We have two stars one with a magnitude of 1 and the other with a magnitude of 5.6. Which star is brighter and calculate how much brighter it is than the other. Betelgeuse, this is because even with the magnitude given the star is greater is mass and value
when producing lumination.
Extra Credit 1. If you live at a latitude of 40° N, what is the angular distance from the Northern horizon to the North Celestial Pole (NCP)? What is the angular distance from the Sothern horizon to the Celestial Equator (CE)?
An observer's latitude is always exactly equal to the angle between the north celestial pole and the horizon. Specifically, it is assumed that the observer is located 40 degrees north of the Earth's equator. Thus, the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole would
be 40 degrees. It's also worth noting that the angle formed between the southern horizon and
the south celestial pole is the same, clocking in at exactly 40 degrees.
2. If the Earth did not rotate on its axis, would we still be able to define the ecliptic?
Without Earth's rotation, it would be impossible to establish the North and South celestial poles, which are defined as extensions of the axis of rotation. We also failed to provide a definition for this, since the celestial equator is exactly midway between the poles. Even so, the ecliptic would
still be defined in the same way.
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