PHYS 2600- Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 30 pages long!)
5 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
1-5 astronomers use angles to denote the positions and apparent sizes of objects in the sky. Important part of astronomy = keeping track of positions of objects in the sky (measuring angles) Angle measures the opening between two lines that meet at a point (measured in degrees) Apparent size how wide the objects appear in the sky (angular diameter) Avg adult human hand held at arm"s length provides mean for estimating angles (fist = 10degrees; fingertip = 1degree) to talk about smaller angles, degree is subdivided into 60 arcminutes (or minutes of arc or 60arcmin or 60") Arcminute is further subdivided into 60 arcseconds (or seconds of arc) Saturn had an angular diameter of 19. 6arcsec on day as viewed from earth. & because this angular diameter is so small to the naked eye saturn appears as a point of light. Angular size is not the same as actual size (ex.
