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| An eclipse of the sun in which the moon is too distant to cover the sun completely so that a ring of sunlgith is seen around the moon at mideclipse |
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| The measurement of the angle between two objects or two parts of the same object |
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The intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator where the sun crosses the equator moving from north to south. The beginning of autumn (around september 23rd) Equal periods of day and night for entire EarthENorth |
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| A great circle on the celestial sphere 90 degrees from the celestial poles |
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| Point about which the celestial sphere appears to rotate |
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| A hypothetical sphere of very large radius centered on the observer; the apparent sphere of the night sky |
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| all the stars that never set at a given latitude; all stars between polaris and the northern horizon |
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| The coordinate on the celestial sphere exactly analogous to latitude on Earth; measured north and south of the celestial equator |
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| The annual path of the sun on the celestial sphere; the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun |
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| Either of the two days of the year where the sun crosses the celestial equator and is therefore directly over the Earth's equator |
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| The line along which the plane of the moon's orbit intersects the plane of the ecliptic |
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| An eclipse during which the Earth blocks light that would have struck the moon |
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-New moon (noon) -Waning crescent moon (9 AM) -3rd quarter moon (6 AM) -wanning gibbous moon ( 3 AM) -full moon (midnight) -waxing gibbous moon (3 PM) -first quarter moon (6 PM) -Waxing crescent moon (9 PM) Full moon rises at 6 PM New moon 6 am |
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| The location on the celestial sphere directly above the Earths norther rotation pole |
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| A lunar or solar eclipse in which the eclipsed object does not appear completely covered |
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| The portion of a shadow in which only part of the light source is covered by the shadow-making body |
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| a lunar eclipse in which the moon passes only through the earth's penumbra |
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| a slow, conical motion of the Earth's axis of rotation caused by gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the earth's equatorial bulge |
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| the celestial coordinate analogous to longitude on Earth and measured around the celestial equator from the vernal equinox |
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| the period on fthe moon's revolution about the earth measured with respect to the moon's location among the stars; 27.3 earth days |
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| the orbital period of one object about another measured with respect to the stars |
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| from noontime to the next noontime; for Earth it is 24 hours |
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| an eclipse during which the moon blocks the sun |
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| the location on the celestial sphere directly above the Earth's south rotation pole |
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| the point on the ecliptic where the sun is farthest north of the celestial equator; the day with the largest number of daylight hours in the northern hemisphere around june 21 |
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| synodic month (lunar month) |
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| the period of revloution of the moon with respect to the sun; the length of one cycle of lunar phases; 29.5 Earth days |
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| the line dividing day and night on the surface of any body orbiting the sun; the line of sunset or sunrise |
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| a solar eclipse during which the sun is completely hidden by the moon, or a lunar eclipse during which the moon is completely immresed in the Earth's umbra |
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| the central, completely dark portion of a shadow |
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the point on the ecliptic where teh sun corsses the celestial equator from south to north; the beginning of spring, around March 21 Equal periods of day and night for entire EarthENorth |
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| the point on the ecliptic where the sun is farthest south of the celestial equator; fewest hours of daylight in the northern hemisphere, around Decembrer 22 |
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| the point on the celestial sphere directly overhead |
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| a band of 13 constellations around the sky through which the sun appears to move throughout the year |
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| the point in orbit where a planet is nearest to the sun |
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| the point in its orbit where a planet or other solar system body is farthest from the sun |
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The Earth travels around the Sun once every year. The Earth is tilted by 23.5 degrees with respect to the orbital plane |
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The Seasons are due to the tilt of the Earthwith respect to the orbital plane. Not to the distance from the sun! Why are the seasons warm and cold? During the Summer the sun is higher in the sky so the light is more direct. Sun is above the horizon longer in the summer. |
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Apparent distances in the sky are determined by measuring the angle between two objects. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each degree split into 60 arcminutes. |
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| Angle object takes up in the sky |
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| True size of object (in meters) |
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Ancient people (Aristotle, in particular) “knew” from observations that… The stars appear fixed on the sky relative to each other. Planets, moon and sun change position with respect to the stars. Mercury and Venus are only seen near sun. These observations led them to hypothesize that the Earth is at the center and all objects move around it. Order of planets somewhat arbitrary. Mercury and Venus always orbit at a velocity that keeps them near the Sun. |
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