Astronomy Final
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94 Terms
What is the asterism that includes seven stars?
The Big Dipper
What is the constellation that contains the Big Dipper?
Ursa Major
What is the point called that is exactly due west on the horizon?
West cardinal point
What is another name for the North Star?
Polaris or Alpha Ursae Minoris
In which constellation is the Northern Cross found?
Cygnus
What is the point directly overhead called?
Zenith
What are the names of the pointer stars in the Big Dipper?
Merak and Dubhe
Which star is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper?
Polaris
What is the opposite of the zenith?
Nadir
What is the approximate angle between two stars if I can fit 3 fingers at arm's length between them?
3 degrees
What is the scientific name of the brightest star in the constellation Aquarius?
Alpha Aquarii
What type of star is Betelgeuse?
A red supergiant
What is the most famous eclipsing binary star?
Algol
What is the azimuth of the east cardinal point?
90 degrees
What is the azimuth of the south cardinal point?
180 degrees
What is the azimuth of the west cardinal point?
270 degrees
What is the altitude of the zenith?
90 degrees
What is the definition of a vertical circle?
Part of a great circle extending from the zenith and crossing the horizon at 90 degrees.
What is the meridian altitude of the north celestial pole as seen from 38 degrees north latitude?
38 degrees
What is the projection of the earth's equator upon the celestial sphere?
Celestial equator
What direction does the celestial sphere turn if you face Polaris?
Counterclockwise (CCW)
What is a star that never rises or sets but forms a circle above the northern horizon called?
Circumpolar star
What is the daily path of a star called?
Diurnal path
What are the points about which the celestial sphere seems to rotate?
North and south celestial poles
What is the part of a great circle that passes through the north and south cardinal points as well as your zenith?
Celestial meridian
What is the continuation of the celestial meridian that passes through the nadir?
Anti-meridian
What is a great circle from celestial pole to celestial pole that is perpendicular to the celestial equator called?
Hour circle
How is the declination of a star measured?
From the celestial equator
In what units is declination measured?
Degrees
What is the declination of Mintaka?
About 0 degrees
What is the right ascension of a star measured from?
The vernal equinox along the celestial equator eastward
What are the units of right ascension?
Hours, minutes, and seconds
What is the right ascension of Mintaka?
About 5h 30m
If a star has a positive declination, will it rise with an azimuth north or south of the east cardinal point?
North
If a star has zero declination, at what azimuth will it rise?
90 degrees
If a star rises with an azimuth of 100 degrees, at what azimuth should it set?
260 degrees
If the sun passes through lower transit, what time is it approximately?
Midnight
What lies opposite the zenith?
The nadir
If a star transits your meridian tonight at 9:00 p.m., when will it transit tomorrow night?
8:56 p.m.
If a star is on your celestial meridian tomorrow at 10:00 p.m., where will it be relative to the celestial meridian?
1 to the west
If a star is in transit at 8:00 p.m. tonight, where will it be at 9:00 p.m. tonight?
15° west of transit along its diurnal path
If a star is in transit at 8:00 p.m. tonight, where will it be at 11:00 p.m. tonight?
45° west of transit along its diurnal path
If a star is in transit at 8:00 p.m. tonight, where will it be tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m.?
1° west of transit along its diurnal path
If a star is in transit at 8:00 p.m. tonight, where will it be in 3 months at 8:00 p.m.?
90° west of transit along its diurnal path
If a star is in transit at 8:00 p.m. tonight, when will it transit tomorrow night?
7:56 p.m.
If a star is in transit at 8:00 p.m. tonight, when will it transit in a month?
6:00 p.m.
What is the meridian altitude of a star having a declination of -15° at DVC?
37°
How long until a star goes through upper transit if its hour angle is 3h?
About 21 hours
How long until a star goes through upper transit if its hour angle is -5h?
5 hours
What is the hour angle of a star with a right ascension of 8h 0m at the sidereal time of 4h?
-4h
Where is the position of the sun at noon (locally)?
On the celestial meridian
When the sun transits, what time is it locally?
Noon
What time is it when the sun is at lower transit?
Midnight
What is the apparent yearly path of the sun relative to the stars called?
The ecliptic
Through what constellations does the sun pass during a year?
The zodiac
What direction does the sun move annually relative to the stars?
East, 1° per day
How much does the sun seem to move every hour?
15° to the west
What is the right ascension and declination of the Vernal Equinox?
0h 0m, 0°
What is the right ascension and declination of the Summer Solstice?
6h 0m, 23.5°
What is the right ascension and declination of the Autumnal Equinox?
12h 0m, 0°
What is the right ascension and declination of the Winter Solstice?
18h 0m, -23.5°
What is the present first sign of the zodiac?
Pisces
Who discovered precession and what is the rate?
Hipparchus, about 52" per year westward
What is the period of precession?
25,780 years
What is the current age as determined by the first sign of the zodiac?
Pisces
What will the next age be?
Aquarius
How long does each age last?
About 2000 years
What causes the position of the north celestial pole to change?
Precession
What is the moon's monthly motion relative to the stars?
About 13.1 degrees east per day
How much later does the moon rise each day on average?
48 minutes
What are the sidereal and synodic periods of the moon?
27.3 days and 29.5 days
How far can the moon's path deviate from the ecliptic?
As much as 5 degrees
What are the names of the moon phases?
Waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent
What phase must the moon be if it is in transit at sunset?
First quarter
What phase must the moon be if it is setting at sunrise?
Full moon
What is the approximate time of day when a waxing gibbous moon is rising?
3:00 p.m.
When can a solar eclipse occur?
At new moon
When can a lunar eclipse occur?
At full moon
What is a 'ring of fire around the moon' eclipse better known as?
An annular eclipse
What primarily causes the tides?
The moon
What other body affects the tides?
The sun
What are the most severe tides called?
Spring tides
When do neap tides occur?
At first and last quarter moon
If the full moon transits at midnight, where will it be relative to the celestial meridian in an hour?
14.5° to the west
What are the points called where the moon crosses the ecliptic?
Nodes
What celestial circle is the annual motion of the planets close to?
The ecliptic
Which planets were found by methodical searches?
Neptune and Pluto
What is the periodic westward motion of Mars called?
Retrograde motion
What is the relationship between Earth and Venus during opposition?
Earth is between the Sun and Venus
What is the relationship during inferior conjunction?
Venus is between the Earth and the Sun
What is the relationship during superior conjunction?
The Sun is between Earth and Venus
How often does a superior (outer) planet retrograde?
Once every synodic period
What is the maximum elongation of Venus?
About 46 degrees
What happens to a planet in the middle of retrograde?
It is furthest from Earth, shines at minimum brilliance, appears to have the largest angular diameter, shines at maximum brilliance, is closest to Earth, has the smallest angular diameter.