Astronomy Homework Help?

Question

Where on the Earth's surface can you view all the constellations throughout the year? Why?

a) north pole
b) south pole
c) equator
d) 45 latitude
e) there is no place on the Earth

Answer 1

For questions like this, I always imagine what I would see or experience at each location. First things first though. The earth is a ball spinning in space. Looking out into space we see the constellations of stars in all directions. They appear to swing around us in a very regular pattern as the Earth turns, once each day. Just like the room seems to swing around you when you twirl around.

Standing at the North Pole, the North Star would always be directly overhead. That's what it means to be the North Star - it's the star directly over the North Pole. As you look at the horizon in all directions, you would see the constellations that are on the so-called celestial equator -- the constellations that would appear directly overhead if you were standing at various spots on the Earth's equator. But you wouldn't see any of the constellations further south because you'd have to look through snow, and ice, and water, and rock to see them - they are below the horizon and always will be. Drawing a picture is a big help. Start with a big circle representing the distant constellations all around. Then draw yourself (small) at the center of the circle. Put the North Star directly over your head on the circle. Draw a horizontal line under your feet making a diameter of the circle. That line marks the horizon. You can see everything above the line (that is the sky), but everything below is hidden by the earth. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself standing there. Now think about the earth spinning. When you stand on the spinning Earth, it appears to you that the constellations are slowly moving through the sky, making circles around the North Star. The ones at the horizon just swing around the horizon. Like the scene in the March of the Penguins movie when the sun swings around the horizon. No constellations below the horizon come above it as the earth rotates - they are hidden from the North Pole.

Now try each of the other places on the Earth's surface imagining and making simple drawings. I'm sure you'll come to the correct answer (c) pretty easily. As usual understanding the "why" is the important part.

A fun thing to think about is what you would see if you were an astronaut floating in space, spinning slowly around, far away from the sun or any planets. Then you'd see all of the constellations, over the course of a single spin - the one at your toes, the one overhead, and as you spin, all of the ones in between all around. The only real difference between you as an astronaut and you on the Earth is that when you are on the Earth, it blocks your view in some directions.

Good luck in your Astronomy class!

Answer 2

Well according to a star booklet i have in my hand, it says that you must always start by looking for the North Star then from there try to find the Big Dipper. It also mentions that the constellations differ according to the seasons and the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun.

Answer 3

For any planet in our photograph voltaic equipment (actual or hypothetical), the cube of the planet's distance from the sunlight measured in astronomical instruments (AU), is comparable to the sq. of the planet's orbital era measured in Earth years. a million. discover the cube root of the orbital era. 2. discover the sq. of that effect. it is going to be the area from the sunlight in AU. .

Answer 4

I dont suppose it ever occured to you to READ YOUR TEXTBOOK!!??

Answer 5

E)