Download 2 - BYU Physics and Astronomy

Physics 127 Descriptive Astronomy
Homework #2 (Website)
Winter 2015
A-1. A star is in the southwestern part of the sky, one-third of the distance from the horizon to the
zenith. What is its azimuth? What is its altitude?
A-2. An observer notes that the stars neither rise nor set but move right to left, parallel to her
horizon. What is her location?
A-3. An observer views a star that crossed the celestial meridian 2 hours 20 minutes earlier. His
sidereal clock says 15 hours 28 minutes. What is the right ascension of the star?
A-4. As viewed from Provo (latitude = +40°), a star transits (crosses the celestial meridian) south of
the zenith at an altitude of 63°. What is the star's declination? What is the declination of a star
which passes through Provo's zenith?
A-5. An observer notes that the sun spends 12 hours per day above his horizon regardless of the
month of the year. What is his location?
A-6. The track of a star which rises directly in the east is shown with
respect to an observer's horizon. The observer's location is (a)
near but not at the north pole, (b) at an intermediate northern
latitude, (c) near but slightly north of the equator, (d) on the
equator, (e) near but slightly south of the equator, (f) at an
intermediate southern latitude, (g) near but not at the south pole.