Foundations of Astronomy
This is the scientific study of celestial objects and phenomena beyond Earth's atmosphere...space.
Astronomy
This unit measures the average distance between Earth and the Sun.
Astronomical Unit (AU)
This star is known as the North Star
Polaris
This tool helps you identify which constellations are visible at any given date and time
Star Map
Constellations that circle around Polaris are called circumpolar constellations... why is this?
In the Northern Hemisphere, they are always visible
Ancient civilizations used astronomy primarily for these two practical purposes in their daily lives.
navigation, timekeeping/calendars
Also accepted:
agriculture/farming
The distance that light travels in one year
Light-year
This winter constellation contains the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel
Orion
This coordinate measures how high a star appears above the horizon
Altitude
This is why we see different constellations in different seasons
Earth's orbit around the Sun
Name two sciences that astronomy closely relates to and uses in its research.
Physics, chemistry, math, geology, biology
Approximately how many miles in one AU?
93 million miles
This constellation looks like a giant "W" or "M" and is visible year-round from Delaware
Cassiopeia
This coordinate system uses hours, minutes, and seconds similar to time zones.
Right Ascension
Ancient sailors used this constellation to navigate across the oceans
Big Dipper
This systematic approach to understanding the natural world involves observation, hypothesis formation, and testing.
Scientific Method
the nearest star to our solar system is this many light-years away
4.2 light-years
The two stars at the edge of the Big Dipper's bowl that point to Polaris are called....
Pointer stars
This coordinate tells you the compass direction to look for a star
Azimuth
The imaginary line that divides the celestial sphere into northern and southern halves
Celestial Equator
Name a main way astronomers gather information about celestial objects from Earth.
telescopes, photography, satellites, imaging, spectroscopy
our Milky Way galaxy is approximately this many light-years across
100,000 light-years
This spring constellation represents a lion and contains the bright star Regulus
Leo
This coordinate system is fixed to the stars and doesn't change with your location or time
Right Ascension-Declination system
This is approximately how many degrees Polaris appears above the horizon when viewed from Delaware
39 degrees