Exploring Star Charts and Coordinate Systems in Astronomy

10. Star Chartsand Coordinate Systems

11. Astronomy Picture of the Day A Star Cluster in the Rosette Nebula

12. Astronomy Picture of the Day This striking pair of galaxies is far, far away ... about 350 million light-years from Earth.

13. Astronomy Picture of the Day The Constellation Orion

15. The changing stars • The stars we see change with time of night and season of year - why? • The sky is a sphere with Earth at the center. • Observer can see only sky above the horizon • horizon……..an imaginary plane tangent to Earth at the observer

18. Earth and Sky Terms • Latitude….LINES PARALLEL TO THE EQUATOR • Longitude……LINES THAT RUN FROM POLE TO POLE • Prime Meridian…RUNS FROM POLE TO POLE THROUGH….... • ……….Greenwich England

20. Celestial sphere Terms • North Celestial Pole….same as North pole • South Celestial Pole….same as South pole • Celestial Equator……….Projection of earth’s equator out to the sky

31. altitude - the angle of a star above the horizon • The North Star, Polaris, is not the brightest star in the sky but remains in a fixed position in the sky. • The angle of Polaris above your horizon is the same as your latitude in degrees.

35. Right Ascension R.A. • Distance measured eastward along the celestial equator from zero point, called thevernal equinox • measured in hours and minutes ……. 15hr 10 min, 23 hr, 5 min

38. Declination Dec • Angular distance above or below the celestial equator • measured in degrees…. 0o, 15o, 30o

42. Create own Celestial Sphere

43. SC002 Star Chart • The North Star • The Big Dipper • The Little Dipper • Cassiopeia.

44. SC001 Star Chart • Little dipper • Cepheus • Draco • Orion • Gemini • Find the coordinates of Betelgeuse.

45. Earth and Sky Terms • Right Ascension • Declination • Ecliptic • Vernal Equinox • Autumnal Equinox • Summer Solstice • Winter Solstice