Vocab
When one celestial body passes close to another
What is a conjunction?
bright streak in the sky
What is a meteor?
This galaxy can be observed with a small telescope or binoculars
What is the Andromeda Galaxy?
The visible trail that glows behind a bright meteor
What is a train?
two types of telescopes
What are refractors and reflectors?
means crown
What is corona?
the rock causing the bright streak in the sky
What is a meteoroid?
the only meteor shower known to be associated with an asteroid rather than a comet
What is the Geminids?
produced when water droplets are split by sunlight into its constituent wavelengths
What are rainbows?
the overall ability of a telescope is determined by the diameter of this
What is the aperture?
When one object passes directly in front of another, blocking the background object from sight
the rock that hits the earth's surface
What is a meteorite?
produces a meteor storm approximately every 33 years
What is the Leonids?
caused by the reflection and refraction of sunlight off of ice crystals in thin, high cirrus clouds
What is a solar halo?
the two varieties of telescope mounts
What are equatorial and horizon mounts?
adds a laser-produced artificial spot, concentric circles, or crosshairs that indicate exactly where the telescope is pointed
What is telrad?
rare occurrence where the sky appears to be raining meteors
What is a meteor shower?
these orbit the earth in about 90 minutes
What are satellites?
the temporary brightening of a satellite associated with the company Iridium Communications, Inc
What is the iridium flare?
instead of a primary lens, this is used to bring light to focus in a reflector
What is a curved mirror?
particularly bright meteor
What is a fireball?
the point in space that a meteor appears to move away from
What is a radiant?
one of the meteor showers associated with Hailey's Comet
What are Eta Aquarids or Orionids? (only one required)
when bright objects you view through a refractor are surrounded by a little purple halo
What is chromatic aberration?
motor that slowly rotates the telescope in the opposite direction that Earth rotates
What is clock-drive?