Ch. 01: Understanding the Starry Sky

1. Define : Celestial Sphere

2. Define : Ecliptic

3. How are the 12 zodiac constellations different from all others?

4. Define : Circumpolar Constellations

5. What languages are star names derived from?

6. Define : Apparent Magnitude

7. Describe Hipparchus’s magnitude scale.

8. Define : Celestial Equator

Fill In:

Earth Globe Celestial Sphere

9. Celestial Equator

Prime Meridian 10.

11. Declination

Longitude 12.

13. What is the difference between the horizon system and the equatorial system of celestial coordinates?

14. Define : Zenith, Horizon, Meridian

15. The height of Polaris above the north horizon is equal to an observer’s _______________.

16. About how far does the sun move on the ecliptic every day?

17. Is the northern hemisphere tipped toward or away from the sun (a) in December? __________ (b) in June? __________

18. What motion of earth causes the 4-minute difference between a sidereal and solar day?

19. How long does the earth take to undergo one precession cycle?

20. If Thuban was the polestar in 3000 B.C., and Polaris is the current polestar, what star will be the polestar in 14,000 A.D.?