Chapter 2.1 Notes

Chapter 2.1 Notes

·       - What does the universe look like from earth?

With the naked eye, we can see more than 2,000 stars as well as the Milky Way.

·        -Constellations

A constellation is a region of the sky.

88 constellations fill the entire sky.

·        -The brightest stars in a constellation….

a.      All belong to the same star cluster.

b.      All lie at about the same distance from earth.

c.       May actually be quite far away from each other.

Answer: C

·        -The celestial sphere

Stars at different distances all appear to lie on the celestial sphere.

The ecliptic is the Sun’s apparent path through the celestial sphere.

            The 88 official constellations cover the celestial sphere.

·       

·        -The local sky

An objects altitude (above horizon) and direction (along horizon) specify its location in your local sky.

Zenith: the point directly overhead

We measure the sky using angles.