Astronomy Terms

and Definitions
Earth
Opposition
Western
Quadrature
Eastern
Quadrature
Inferior
Conjunction
Inner
planets orbit
Earths orbit
Outer
planets orbit
Conjunction
Greatest
western
elongation
Greatest
eastern
elongation
Sun
EAST
WEST
Superior
Conjunction
Astronomical Unit (AU)
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn Uranus Neptune
Pluto
1 AU
1 5 9 19 30 39
Mean distances from the Sun (AU)
1 Astronomical Unit (AU) is the mean distance between
the Earth and the Sun, and is a convenient unit for
measuring distance in the Solar System.
(1AU = 149,597,870.66 km)
1 AU
Stars as seen 6
months later
Distant Star
background
Earth
Diameter of
Earths Orbit
Observed Star
Parallax
angle p
Stars as seen
now
Parallax
angle
By observing this
apparent parallax
movement of the
nearby star, the
distance of the star
can be calculated.
The position of a nearby
star appears to move
against the distant
background as the Earth
moves around the sun and
our view changes.
Parsec
I au
I

p
a
r
s
e
c

I
The
Sun
The Earth
The parsec is a unit of length,
equal to 3.26 light years.
It is defined as the length of
the adjacent side of an
imaginary right triangle in
space.

The two dimensions that this
triangle is based on are the
angle of 1 arcsecond, and the
opposite side of 1
Astronomical Unit, which is
the distance from the Earth to
the sun.

Using these two
measurements, along with the
rules of trigonometry, the
length of the adjacent side
(the parsec) can be found.
North Celestial
Pole
Celestial Sphere
The Celestial
Sphere is an
imaginary sphere of
infinite radius
centred on the
Earth, on which all
celestial bodies are
assumed to be
projected.
South Celestial
Pole
Celestial
Equator
Ecliptic
Celestial
Equator
The Ecliptic
While in reality the
Earth orbits around the
Sun, it seems from the
Earth that the Sun
moves through the
sky.
The Ecliptic is
the path the
Sun traces
through the
sky during one
year.

Vernal and
Autumnal
Equinox
0
The Ecliptic
The Vernal Equinox is the
point where the Sun
crosses the Celestial
Equator, moving from
south to north.

This occurs in March and
marks the first day of
spring in the northern
hemisphere .
The Autumnal Equinox
occurs in September,
when the Sun enters the
Southern hemisphere.
Vernal
Equinox
Celestial
Equator
Right Ascension
0 hr
2 hr 1 hr
RA is the celestial
equivalent of terrestrial
longitude.

For RA, the zero point is
known as the First Point
of Aries, which is the
place in the sky where the
Sun crosses the celestial
equator at the Vernal
Equinox.

RA is measured eastward
from the equinox in
hours, minutes, and
seconds, with 24 hours
being equivalent to a full
circle.
East
Declination
0
Declination is one of the
two coordinates of the
equatorial coordinate
system, the other being
Right Ascension.
Dec is comparable to
latitude, projected onto the
celestial sphere, and is
measured in degrees north
and south of the celestial
equator.
Points north of the
celestial equator have
positive declinations,
while those to the south
have negative
declinations.
Celestial
Equator
Summer and
Winter Solstice
Celestial
Equator
0
The Winter
Solstice
The Summer Solstice is
the time in June when
the Sun is over the
Tropic of Cancer.
At the winter Solstace
in December, the sun is
over the Tropic of
Capricorn.
The Summer
Solstice
Zodiac
The Zodiac denotes
an annual cycle of
twelve stations
along the ecliptic,
the apparent path of
the sun across the
heavens through
the constellations
that divide the
ecliptic into twelve
equal zones of
celestial longitude
Ecliptic Celestial
Equator
Zodiacal
Constellations
Precession
The North star Polaris
is presently overhead
the North Pole
Precession refers to a change in the direction of the Earths axis, and its
effects on astronomical observation. Because of the precession of the
equinoxes, the vernal equinox moves through all the constellations of the
Zodiac over the 26,000 year precession period. Presently the vernal equinox is
in the constellation Pisces and is slowly approaching Aquarius.
Zenith
The zenith is the direction
pointing directly above a
particular location . It is
the highest point reached
by a celestial body during
its apparent orbit around
a given point of
observation.
Zenith
Horizon
Nadir
The Nadir is the
point directly
below the
observer
Nadir
Meridian
In the sky, a meridian is an
imaginary great circle on the
celestial sphere.
It passes through the north point
on the horizon, through the
celestial pole, up to the Zenith,
through the south point on the
horizon, and through the Nadir,
and is perpendicular to the local
horizon.
Zenith
North
Meridian
South
Meridian
Local sidereal time is the
Right Ascension of a star on
the observers meridian.
Local Sidereal Time
Betelgeuse
Constellation Orion
Right ascension 05h 55m
Declination +07 24
Betelgeuse has a right
Ascension of 5 hours 55
minutes.
If it is crossing the meridian
overhead, the local sidereal
time is now 5hr 55minutes.
Saturn
Regulus
Occultation of Saturn
and Regulus
Occultation
An Occultation occurs when one
moving celestial object moves in
front of another
Circumpolar Stars
Polaris
Non Circumpolar Star
Circumpolar Star
Horizon
A circumpolar star
is a star that, as
viewed from a
given latitude on
Earth, never sets
below the horizon,
due to its
proximity to one of
the celestial poles.
Circumpolar stars
are therefore
visible from that
location for the
entire night on
every night of the
year
Polaris
Culmination
Upper
Culmination
Lower
Culmination
Meridian
Culmination is the time
when a star or planet
appears on an
observer's meridian.
During a sidereal day, an
astronomical object will
cross the meridian
twice: once at its upper
culmination, when it is
at its highest point as
seen from the earth, and
once at its lower
culmination, its lowest
point. Often, culmination
is used to mean upper
culmination
Ellipse

An ellipse is a flattened circle,
obtained as the intersection of a
cone with a plane. All planets,
moons and comets move in elliptical
orbits.
Eccentricity
The shape of an ellipse can be expressed by a number called the
eccentricity of the ellipse. The eccentricity is a number between 1 and
0, and determines how flattened the ellipse is. A value of 0 gives a
perfect circle.
Eccentricity = 0
(Circle)
Eccentricity = 0.5
Eccentricity = 0.9
Aphelion and
Perihelion
The terms perigee and apogee, refer to orbits
around the Earth
Aphelion
The point on its
orbit when the
Earth is farthest
from the sun.
Occurs in July
Perihelion

The point on its orbit when the
Earth is closest to the sun,

Occurs in January

The Earths elliptical
orbit around the Sun
Conjunction
Earth
Sun
Mars and
Venus at
conjunction
A conjunction occurs when
two celestial bodies appear
near one another in the sky.
The event is also sometimes
known as an Appulse.
Venus
Earth
Venus at
Superior
Conjunction
Sun
Superior
Conjunction
A Superior Conjunction
occurs when the Earth and
the planet are on opposite
sides of the Sun.
Earth
Sun
Venus at
inferior
conjunction
Inferior
Conjunction
An Inferior Conjunction occurs when
the Earth and the planet are on the
same side of the Sun.
This occurs only with the interior
planets, Mercury and Venus
Earth
Mars
Sun
Opposition
A planet is said to be "in opposition" when it on opposite sides of the
sky as seen from the Earth. When a planet is like this,
it is visible almost all night, rising around sunset, culminating around
midnight and setting around sunrise.
At this point of its orbit it is roughly closest to the Earth, making it appear
bigger and brighter. The half of the planet visible from Earth is then completely
illuminated ("full planet"). Opposition occurs only in superior planets.
Earth
Venus at
maximum
elongation
Sun
Maximum
Elongation
e
Elongation is an astronomical term that refers to the angle
between the Sun and a planet, as viewed from Earth.
When an inferior planet is visible after sunset, it is near its
greatest eastern elongation. When an inferior planet is visible
before sunrise, it is near its greatest western elongation.
The value of the greatest elongation for Mercury is 28;
and for Venus 47. This value varies because the orbits of
the planets are elliptical, rather than perfect circles.
One sidereal day = 23 h 56 m
Distant star
overhead
Earth points
towards a distant
star overhead
Sidereal Day
Earth points
towards same
distant star
overhead
A Sidereal Day is the length of time which passes between a given
"fixed" star in the sky crossing the meridian
1 Solar Day = 24 hrs
Earth points
towards Sun
overhead
Earth points
towards Sun
overhead again
Solar Day
A Synodic Day is the period of time it takes for a planet to rotate once
in relation to the body it is orbiting. For Earth, the synodic day is
known as a Solar Day, and is 24 hours long.
Synodic Day
North
Celestial
Pole
Rotational Axis
Perpendicular
to Orbit
Angle of Tilt
Celestial Equator
Orbit Direction
Ecliptic
Obliquity
Obliquity or axial tilt is the inclination angle of a planet's rotational axis in relation
to its orbital plane . The Earth has an axial tilt of about 23.44 (23 26).
The axis is tilted in the same direction throughout a year; however, as the
Earth orbits the Sun, the hemisphere tilted away from the Sun will
gradually become tilted towards the Sun, and vice versa. This effect is the
main cause of the seasons.
Seasons
June
Summer in the
Northern
hemisphere
December
Summer in the
Southern
hemisphere
The equation of time is the difference, over the course of a year, between time as read
from a sundial and a clock in an ideal situation.
The sundial can be ahead (fast) by as much as 16 min 33 s (around November 3) or fall
behind by as much as 14 min 6 s (around February 12).
It is caused by irregularity in the path of the Sun across the sky, due to a combination
of the obliquity of the Earth's rotation axis and the eccentricity of its orbit.
The Equation of
Time
Sun Dial
If you are not confused
then you were not
paying attention !!!
The End