NATS 1740 Chapter Notes -Lunar Eclipse, Shadow Falls, Minute And Second Of Arc

• School: York University
• Department: Natural Science
• Course: NATS 1740
• Professor: Randy Hoffman

Document Summary

Horizon: divides the celestial sphere into the half you can see and the half you can"t. Zenith: is the point directly above you on the celestial sphere. Meridian: is the line from north to south that passes through your zenith. Angels and angular distances on the sky smaller than degrees, we use arcminutes and arcseconds. 1 arcminute is the smallest separation your eyes can see/notice. Constellation: is a grouping of stars in a specific area of the sky. When earth is rotating its orbiting the sun completing one orbit each year. Average orbital distance is called astronomical unit. Ecliptic plane: the plane of earth"s orbit around the sun. Axis tilt: the amount by which a planet"s axis is tilted with respect to a line perpendicular to the ecliptic plane. Local sky: the sky as seen from where you"re standing. Circumpolar: stars near the north celestial pole that do not rise or set.