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Name ______________________________________
Date ___________ Period ____
Earth Motions and the Heavens
Guiding Questions
 What are the basic Earth motions?
 What are the apparent celestial motions associated with Earth’s
rotation?
 What are Star Trails?
 What is the apparent hourly rate of motion of the stars?
 How do star trails change with direction?
 How is Polaris different from other stars?
 What is special about Circumpolar Stars?
 Why does Orion look different in the Southern Hemisphere?
 What is the affect of latitude on star trails?
 What is the affect of Earth’s Revolution on the sky?
 How far do stars shift every night due to Earth’s rotation?
 How does Earth’s revolution affect the times of star rising and
setting?
 What is the ecliptic?
 What is the affect of Earth’s revolution on constellations blocked by
the sun?
 What is the Zodiac?
 What is the 13th sign of the Zodiac?
 How does Precession affect the night sky?
 What is the precession of the equinoxes?
Bedell
Astronomy Elective 2012-2013
Sky Watching
What are the basic Earth motions?
Questions
Key Words
What are the basic
Earth Motions?
Notes
Rotation
Revolution
Precession
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/oconnell/astr1230/im/precess-NS.gif
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 2
What are the apparent celestial motions associated with Earth’s
rotation?
Questions
Key Words
What are Star
Notes
Trails?
What is the
apparent hourly
rate of motion of the
stars?
How do star trails
change with
direction?
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 3
What are the apparent celestial motions associated with Earth’s
rotation?
Questions
Key Words
How is Polaris
Notes
different from other
stars?
What is special
about Circumpolar
Stars?
Why does Orion look
different in the
Southern
Hemisphere?
What is the affect of
latitude on star
trails?
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 4
What is the affect of Earth’s Revolution on the night sky?
Questions
Key Words
Notes
How far do stars
shift from night to
night?
\http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/oconnell/astr1230/solsys.html
How does Earth’s
revolution affect the
times of star rising
and setting?
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 5
What is the Ecliptic?
Questions
Key Words
Notes
What is the ecliptic?
What can we see
along the ecliptic?
How is the ecliptic
related to the
seasons?
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 6
What is the affect of Earth’s Revolution on the constellations blocked by
the Sun?
Questions
Key Words
Notes
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/oconnell/astr1230/solsys.html
What is the Zodiac?
What is the 13th sign
of the Zodiac?
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 7
How does Earth’s precession affect the night sky?
Questions
Key Words
What is precession?
Notes
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 8
What is the ‘Precession of the Equinoxes”?
Questions
Key Words
What is the
‘Precession of the
Equinoxes”?
Notes
“Age”
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 9
Questions
Key Words
Notes
The constellation in which we see the vernal equinox
determines the “age” in which we live. Use your planisphere
to determine the “age”. _____________________
Precession causes the equinox constellation to shift west.
Early in the 21st Century the equinox will move west and
begin the age of _______________________.
What constellation is the sun in on June 21?
___________________
Where is the sun at zenith?
____________________________
What constellation is the sun in on Dec.
21?_________________________
Where is the sun at zenith?
___________________________
When these places were named, the sun was in Cancer and
Capricorn, respectively.
Precession takes approximately 26,000 years (25, 780
years)
Summary
Bedell
Astronomy Elective
Sky Watching
Page 10