Questions and Answers
What are the latitude and longitude of Charleston, SC?
Latitude 32°N and Longitude 80°W.
Where does the north celestial pole appear in your sky in Charleston?
At an altitude of 32° in the direction due north.
Is Polaris a circumpolar star in Charleston's sky?
True
Can two stars that are in the same constellation be very far away from each other?
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If the North Celestial Pole is 35° above your northern horizon, what is your latitude?
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What can you say about the night sky in Beijing and Philadelphia?
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When it is summer in Australia, what season is it in the United States?
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If the Sun rises precisely due east, it must be the day of either the spring or fall equinox.
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What does the fact that we always see the same face of the Moon tell us?
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A week after full moon, what is the Moon's phase?
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If there is going to be a total lunar eclipse tonight, what can we deduce about the Moon's phase?
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What does it mean when Saturn goes through a period of apparent retrograde motion?
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How many arcminutes are in a full circle?
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How many arcseconds are in a full circle?
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What is the Moon's angular size in arcminutes if it is about 12°?
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What is the Moon's angular size in arcseconds if it is about 12°?
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What does the fact that nearly all galaxies are moving away from us suggest?
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When we say the universe is expanding, what do we mean?
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If Polaris is 10 degrees above your horizon, where are you?
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If two stars are separated by one degree on the celestial sphere, what can we infer?
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If Earth's rotation slowed down to complete one rotation in 100 hours, what would be the typical time interval between sunrise and sunset?
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About how many stars are visible to the naked eye on a clear, dark night away from city lights?
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What is the celestial sphere?
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What is the ecliptic?
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What do astronomers mean by a constellation?
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As Earth goes around the Sun each year, in which direction does Earth's rotation axis point?
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Study Notes
Latitude and Longitude
- Charleston, SC is located at a latitude of 32°N and longitude of approximately 80°W.
Celestial Pole
- The north celestial pole is observed at an altitude of 32° in the northern sky from Charleston.
Polaris
- Polaris is classified as a circumpolar star in Charleston, meaning it neither rises nor sets.
Stars in Constellations
- Stars within the same constellation may be at significantly different distances from Earth.
Latitude and Northern Horizon
- A north celestial pole at 35° above the horizon indicates a latitude of 35°N.
Similar Night Skies
- Beijing and Philadelphia share similar latitudes but have different longitudes, leading to similar night sky views.
Earth's Axis and Seasons
- Earth's axis consistently points toward Polaris through all seasons.
Seasonal Differences
- During summertime in Australia, it is winter in the United States.
Equinoxes
- A sunrise occurring exactly due east signifies either the spring or fall equinox.
Moon's Rotation
- The synchronous rotation of the Moon means we always observe the same lunar face.
Lunar Phases
- A week after a full moon, the Moon enters its third quarter phase.
- Total lunar eclipses occur only when the Moon is in its full phase.
Apparent Retrograde Motion
- Retrogade motion of Saturn indicates Earth's orbit is overtaking Saturn on the same side of the Sun.
Angular Measurements
- A full circle encompasses 21,600 arcminutes and 1,296,000 arcseconds.
Moon's Angular Size
- The Moon's angular size of 12° converts to 30 arcminutes and 1,800 arcseconds.
Universe Expansion
- The observation that galaxies are receding, with distant galaxies moving faster, leads to the conclusion that the universe is expanding.
- Expanding universe means the average distance between galaxies increases over time.
Latitude and Horizon
- Observing Polaris at an angle of 10° above the horizon corresponds to a latitude of 10°N.
Celestial Phenomena
- Stars that appear one degree apart in the celestial sphere rise and set at similar times.
Earth's Rotation
- If Earth's rotation period extends to 100 hours, the time between sunrise and sunset would average around 50 hours.
Visible Stars
- On a clear, dark night, roughly 2,000 stars are visible with the naked eye.
Celestial Sphere
- The celestial sphere is a conceptual representation of how the entire sky appears from Earth.
Ecliptic Path
- The ecliptic refers to the Sun's apparent trajectory across the celestial sphere throughout the year.
Constellation Definition
- In astronomy, a constellation is defined as a designated area in the sky as observed from Earth.
Earth's Axis Direction
- As Earth orbits the Sun, its rotational axis remains pointed toward the celestial pole near Polaris all year round.
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Description
Test your knowledge of key astronomy concepts pertinent to Chapter 2 of your midterm. This quiz covers essential terms and definitions, including latitude and longitude, celestial poles, and the visibility of Polaris in Charleston, SC. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of astronomical principles.
