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In one way of naming stars, a ______________ letter indicates its brightness relative to the other stars in the constellation.
Greek
A constellation must consist of a number of stars, all:
Although the constellations originated in Greek and Middle Eastern mythology, the names are:
The names of stars usually come from:
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___________ is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Majoris.
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Seen from the northern latitudes, the star Polaris:
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An observer on Earth's equator would find:
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The celestial equator is:
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The ________ is the point on the celestial sphere directly above any observer.
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An observer in the Northern Hemisphere watches the sky for several hours. Due to the motion of Earth, this observer notices that the stars near the north celestial pole appear to move:
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You live at a latitude of 73° N. What is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?
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You live at a latitude of 39° S. What is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?
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You live at a latitude of 28° N. What is the angle between the northern horizon and the north celestial pole?
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You live at a latitude of 16° S. What is the angle between the southern horizon and the south celestial pole?
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If the north celestial pole appears on your horizon, what is your latitude?
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What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram to the right? North Celestial Pole.
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What is the approximate latitude of the observer in the diagram to the right? South Celestial Pole.
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Study Notes
Naming Stars
- The brightness of a star is indicated by a Greek letter in its name.
- Constellations are groups of stars that appear close together in the sky, but are not necessarily at the same distance from Earth.
Celestial Sphere & Constellations
- Constellations are named using Latin, despite their origins in Greek and Middle Eastern mythology.
- The names of stars are usually based on ancient Arabic words.
- Polaris, the North Star, is visible from the northern latitudes and appears to be stationary in the sky while other stars appear to rotate around it.
- The celestial equator is an imaginary line on the celestial sphere that is directly above Earth's equator.
- The zenith is the point directly above an observer on the celestial sphere.
Latitude and the Celestial Pole
- The angle between the horizon and the celestial pole is equal to the observer's latitude.
- An observer at the North Pole would see the North Celestial Pole directly overhead at 90° latitude.
- An observer at the South Pole would see the South Celestial Pole directly overhead at 90° latitude.
- An observer on the equator would see both celestial poles on the horizon at 0° latitude.
Understanding Stars & Photographs
- Time-exposure photographs of the night sky show star trails which appear to circle around Polaris in counter-clockwise motion.
- These trails are a result of the Earth's rotation.
- The direction of a time-exposure photograph determines the location of the observer in relation to the North Celestial Pole.
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of stars and constellations in this quiz. Learn about the Greek letters used to name stars, the celestial sphere, and how constellations are named. Test your knowledge on the celestial equator and the significance of latitude in astronomy.
