ASTRO 101 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS
celestial sphere
-an imaginary sphere with celestial objects on its inner surface and earth at its center
-convenient tool for picturing the directions in which celestial objects are seen from the surface
of the earth
north celestial pole
-NCP
-the northward projection of earth's rotation axis onto the celestial sphere
south celestial pole
-SCP
-the southward projection of earth's rotation axis onto the celestial sphere
altitude
-the location of an object above the horizon
-measured by and angle formed between an imaginary line from an observer to the object and a
second line from the observer to the point on the horizon directly below the object
circumpolar
-referring to the part of the sky, near either celestial pole, that can always be seen above the
horizon from a specific location on earth
celestial equator
-the imaginary great circle that is the projection of earth's equator onto the celestial sphere
zenith
-point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer
circumpolar star
, -stars that stay in the sky, never rise and never set, always on the equator
rotation
-cause daily sky motions
revolution
-orbital motion; orbiting around a central point
-seasons are caused by a combination of this and the tilt
axial tilt
-earth's = 23 degrees
-angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis
solstice
-the sun is directly overhead at the tropics
-summer and winter
-one of the two most northerly and southerly points on the ecliptic
equinox
-when day and night are the same length
-spring and fall
-the sun is directly overhead at the equator
-one of the two positions on the ecliptic where it intersects the celestial equator
tropics
-cancer and capricorn
-sun is directly overhead at this point during an equinox
-between the tropics is the place in which the directly is directly overhead, the tropics set the
limits in which this spot can occur
antarctic/arctic circle
-if you're closer to a pole, then you'll have constant daytime or constant night
DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS
celestial sphere
-an imaginary sphere with celestial objects on its inner surface and earth at its center
-convenient tool for picturing the directions in which celestial objects are seen from the surface
of the earth
north celestial pole
-NCP
-the northward projection of earth's rotation axis onto the celestial sphere
south celestial pole
-SCP
-the southward projection of earth's rotation axis onto the celestial sphere
altitude
-the location of an object above the horizon
-measured by and angle formed between an imaginary line from an observer to the object and a
second line from the observer to the point on the horizon directly below the object
circumpolar
-referring to the part of the sky, near either celestial pole, that can always be seen above the
horizon from a specific location on earth
celestial equator
-the imaginary great circle that is the projection of earth's equator onto the celestial sphere
zenith
-point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer
circumpolar star
, -stars that stay in the sky, never rise and never set, always on the equator
rotation
-cause daily sky motions
revolution
-orbital motion; orbiting around a central point
-seasons are caused by a combination of this and the tilt
axial tilt
-earth's = 23 degrees
-angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis
solstice
-the sun is directly overhead at the tropics
-summer and winter
-one of the two most northerly and southerly points on the ecliptic
equinox
-when day and night are the same length
-spring and fall
-the sun is directly overhead at the equator
-one of the two positions on the ecliptic where it intersects the celestial equator
tropics
-cancer and capricorn
-sun is directly overhead at this point during an equinox
-between the tropics is the place in which the directly is directly overhead, the tropics set the
limits in which this spot can occur
antarctic/arctic circle
-if you're closer to a pole, then you'll have constant daytime or constant night
