Astronomy 1021 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Angular Diameter, Celestial Sphere, Celestial Equator

• School: Western University
• Department: Astronomy
• Course: Astronomy 1021
• Professor: Robert Cockcroft

Document Summary

Astronomy 1021 chapter 2 reading notes: discover the universe for yourself. Constellation: region of the sky with well-de ned borders: there are 88 of cial constellations named by members of iau. Iau = international astronomical union: every point of the sky belongs to a constellation. Makes a complete circle around the celestial sphere: ecliptic: the path the sun follows as it appears to circle around the celestial sphere once a year. Crosses the celestial equator at a 23. 5 degree angle. The band of light that we call the milky way circles all the way around the celestial sphere, passing though more than a dozen constellations. Our galaxy is shaped like a thick pancake with a bulge in the middle. Important terms: local sky, horizon, zenith, meridian, direction, altitude, angular size, angular distance, arc minutes, circumpolar. Altitude affects the constellations because it affects the locations of the horizons and. Note: the sky varies with latitude and not longitude.