Stars, Planets & The Cosmos Fianl Prep

Rotation

Fancy word for spin

Revolution

Going around an object

Rotation Direction of the Earth

Rotation of west to east

Prograde

Object that spins (rotates) in the same direction as its orbit

Retrograde

Object that spins in the opposite direction of its orbit

Solar Day

Length of time it take for the sun to reappear at a meridian (24hrs)

Sol

Latin word for sun

Noon

When the sun reaches the meridian

Meridian

Any line that connects two points

Zenith

Highest point

Nadir

Lowest point

A.M.

Ante meridian

P.M.

Post meridian

6,000

Amount of visible stars

Constellations

Arbitrary groups of stars that seem to have a pattern

88 Named Constellations

Number of named ancient constellations

48 Named Constellations

Named constellations that can be viewed in the North Hemisphere

40 Named Constellations

Named constellations that can be viewed in the South Hemisphere

Asterism

Part of a constellation that has been given its own name

Fixed Stars

Stars with fixed patterns from year to year

Celestial

Latin world for heaven

Celestial Sphere

The idea that all stars were an equal distance away, fixed in place, and that they went around the Earth

Apparent Brightness Scale

Ranked scale on how bright stars appear on their brightness magnitude, developed by Hipparchus

First Order or First Magnitude

Stars that were the brightest on the Apparent Brightness Scale

First, Second & Third Magnitude Stars

Magnitudes of stars that can be viewed by the naked eye in cities

Fourth, Fifth, & Sixth Magnitude Stars

Magnitudes of stars that can be viewed by the naked eye in rural environment

Beetlejuice

11th brightest star

Sirius

Brightest star in the sky

Sidereal

Latin word for star

Sidereal Day

Period of time it takes a star to reappear at a meridian, 4 minutes less than the Solar Day

Polaris/Pole Star/North Star

The only star that seems to not move, located above the Earth's axis

Right Ascension

Longitude but with stars, measured in time

Declination

How high above the celestial sphere a star is located, measured in degrees (90D North-90D South)

Lines of Latitude

Run east and west, show north and south

Lines of Longitude

Run north and south, show east and west

Solar Day

4 Minutes Longer than a Sidereal Day

Lunar Day

50 minutes longer than Solar Day

Luna

Latin word for moon

About 29 days

Amount of days it takes the moon to revolve around Earth

Occultation

When one celestial object moves in front of or hides another

Occulto

Latin word for hide

High/Low Tide

The moon produces _ with Earth's ocean

2

Daily amount of High/Low Tides

Planets

What the ancients referred to as Wandering Star

Wandering Planets/Visible Planets

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn

The Sun

1st Brightest Thing in the Sky

The Moon

2nd Brightest Thing in the Sky

Venus

3th Brightest Thing in the Sky

Jupiter

4th Brightest Thing in the Sky

Sirius

5th Brightest Thing in the Sky

Ecliptic

Plane at which the Earth orbits the Sun

Precessionary Motion

Fancy word for a wobbly motion

26,000 years

Time it takes for Earth to go through a full "wobble"

Polaris

Current pole star

Thuban

Pole star in 3,000 BC, third magnitude star

Vega

Pole star in 14,000 AD, one of the 20 brightest stars

Phases of the Moon

Different appearances of the Moon as seen from Earth

Crescent

Latin word for horn-shaped

Gibbous

Latin word for hump

Waxing

Word for increasing, light sweeping from right to left

Waning

Word for decreasing, dark sweeps from right to left

Terminator Line

The line that separates the light and dark side of the moon

Blue Moon

The second full moon in the same month

Eclipse

A celestial object hiding another

Solar Eclipse

Moon's shadow prevents us from seeing the sun

Lunar Eclipse

Earth's shadow prevents us from seeing the moon

Total Eclipse

Object completely disappears during an eclipse

Partial Eclipse

Object partially disappears during an eclipse

Umbra

The darkest part of a shadow, produces a Total Eclipse

Penumbra

The lighter part of a shadow, produces a Partial Eclipse

Annular

Latin word for ring

Annular

When the sun appears to be a ring

Ellipse

Flattened out circle, not a perfect circle

Perigee

When an object is orbiting another at its shortest distance

Apogee

When an object is orbiting another at its longest distance

93 Million Miles

How far the Earth is from the Sun (average in miles)

Annular Eclipse

Happens when the Moon as at its Apogee from Earth

Super Moon

When the Moon as at its Perigee from Earth

No

Does proximity to the sun cause seasons

Yes

Does Earth's inclination causes the seasons

23.5 Degrees

Earth's current inclination

Photo

Latin word for light

Photoperiod

Length of time that there is light

Equator

0 Degrees Latitude

Sunset/Sunrise

Passing through Earth's terminator

Arctic Circle

Line above which that the sun will not rise for a day and the sun will not set for a day (66.5 Degrees North)

Antarctic Circle

Line below which that the sun will not rise for at least a day and the sun will not set for at least a day (66.5 Degrees South)

Tropic of Cancer

Line where below but above the Line of Capricorn will see the sun right above them at least one day a year (23.5 Degrees North)

Tropic of Capricorn

Line where above but below the Line of Cancer will see the sun right above them at least one day a year (23.5 Degrees South)

Pittsburgh

City that is 40 Degrees North

Equinox

Day where everyone on Earth receives 12 hours of night and day

Equinox

This means equal day and night

Nox

Word for night

Stice

Word for stops

Aristotle

Student of Plato, famous for the geocentric model of the universe, father of science

Geocentric Model

Model that Earth was at the center of the universe (LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER NOISE)

Epicycles

A small circle in a circle

Epi

Word for on top of

Nicolaus Copernicus

Person that introduces the Heliocentric Model

Helios

Greek word for sun