Unit 4 Flashcards
According to Magli (2016), which refers to an imaginary line going from north to south and directly
overhead?
meridian
According to Magli (2016), what is the term for a position directly overhead?
zenith
According to Lombardi (2007), with whom did the idea of degrees, minutes, and seconds of arc originate to
precisely specify angles?
Ptolemy
According to Magli (2016), and in the Celestial Coordinate System, what is the coordinate that measures
distance above and below the celestial equator in degrees that are incremented by circles that resemble Earth’s latitude lines?
declination
According to Magli (2016), and in the Celestial Coordinate System, what is the coordinate that measures
angular distances from east to west in units of time that are incremented by circles that resemble Earth’s
longitude lines?
right ascension
According to Lombardi (2007), which culture originated the sexagesimal system we use today for angles?
Babylonian
According to Lombardi (2007), what is the term for a number notation that uses a base value of 60?
sexagesimal
According to Lombardi (2007), how did Egyptians mark the passage of time at night?
Viewing the position of selected stars
In the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude (height in degrees above the horizon) of the North Star is always
roughly equal to the
latitude of the observer
As seen from the continental United States, the Big and Little Dipper
are in the north circumpolar zone throughout the year.
Some Canadian troops are sent (as part of a U.N. peacekeeping force) to a country located on the Earth’s
equator. At night, when homesickness makes them gaze sleeplessly at the stars, which of the following will be
familiar to them (the same at the equator as in Canada):
none of the above are the same on the equator as in Canada.
From the lecture, which of the following is NOT a result of Earth’s precession?
The stars twinkle when seen from the surface of planet Earth.
From the lecture, match the right Navajo constellation to its western part.
Nahookos Biko
Nahookos Bi’kaii
Nahookos Biaa’dii
Nahookos Biko = Polaris, the North Star (Central Fire)
Nahookos Bi’kaii = Big Dipper (Male revolving one)
Nahookos Biaa’dii = Cassiopeia (Female revolving one)
From the lecture, match the four Navajo sacred mountains to the cardinal directions. San Francis Peaks in Flagstaff, AZ Blanca Peak, CO Hesperus Peak, San Juan Mountains, CO Mt. Taylor, NM
San Francis Peaks in Flagstaff, AZ = West
Blanca Peak, CO = East
Hesperus Peak, San Juan Mountains, CO = North
Mt. Taylor, NM = South
What colors are associated with the cardinal directions according the to Navajo?
North = black South = blue West = yellow East = white
What is a “Sidereal Day”?
one earth rotation with respect to fixed stars = 23 hr 56 minutes long
When the Sun begins to rise, its “Altitude Angle” (also known as “elevation”) is ____ degrees
0
When the Sun begins to rise, its “Azimuth Angle” is closest to ____ degrees
90
Which one is the Dine language of “north”?
Nahookos
What is one hour of Right Ascension (RA = 1hr) in degrees?
15
The Declination (Dec) angle of the North Star, Polaris, is
90
The Declination (Dec) angle goes from \_\_\_\_ degree to \_\_\_\_ degree.
-90, 90
Based on the previous questions, the altitude (or the angle from Horizon) of the North Star, or the North Celestial Pole, is exactly equal to the ____ of observer’s location on Earth.
So, if you were to drive to some city south of Flagstaff, say Tucson, the altitude of the celestial pole in the sky would be ____
latitude, lower
What stars can you see from the equator?
all the stars in the entire sky rising and setting
