How can stars be used to determine the date?

Question

I remember watching an episode of Star Trek Voyager and they were shot back in time. They didn't know how far back in time they were thrown, but they used the stars to determine the date. How is this done?

Answer 1

relative location.

All stars in the universe are all moving within their clusters and galaxies

so they figurd out how far back each star went from where they were with angles and such.

and also keep in mind that it was probably hollywooded up a little bit

Answer 2

The motion of the heavens is a precise clock and calendar, which can be used to determine when to celebrate special events. One doesn’t have to observe the sky for too long of a time to notice the cyclic phases of the moon, or the changing position of the sun relative to the horizon during the course of a year. Even the rising of specific stars could signify some importance to an early civilization.

It should therefore not be surprising that many religions celebrate special events that are connected to the clockwork of the heavens. For instance, Christians celebrate Easter every year, but the date for the celebration changes. Since we can barely even remember birthdays and anniversaries that always occur on the same date, it’s time for me to enlighten you with the facts of how the date of Easter is determined.

Think back to Easter celebrations of years past. Was it cold or snowy and you had to bundle up? Or, were spring outfits proudly worn amidst warming sunlight and returning songbirds? Why the extremes of weather? Well, if the date for the celebration of Easter occurred on the same Sunday every year, our fickle New England weather could easily account for the differences in attire.

However, some years Easter can occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. Why this range? The varying date for the observance of Easter is determined by astronomical circumstances. And this year it is celebrated almost as early as it can be, on March 27.

The story began many moons ago, when the Christian church first developed. Since Easter was determined in conjunction with Passover, it often fell on a weekday. However, in 352 A.D. the Council of Nicaea declared that Easter should always fall on a Sunday. They determined that Easter would fall on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox (spring, March 20 or 21). However, if the full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday. This scenario happened in 2001.

This year, the vernal equinox is on Sunday, March 20, at 7:33 a.m., EST. The full moon on or after that date occurs five days later on Friday, March 25. Therefore, Easter is celebrated two days after the full moon, which is Sunday, March 27.

People aren’t as observant of sky happenings these days as they once were long ago. Light pollution in and surrounding urban areas has blocked all but the brightest stars and planets from view. The Milky Way galaxy, our own island universe, is only seen to best advantage from dark, rural skies.

Let’s not lose our connection to the stars from which we were born. Lighting can promote safety if properly installed. Keep unwanted light from polluting the night sky. Let starlight shine down from the heavens, and help prevent stray lighting from blazing up into the night sky. Then, maybe folks will begin to notice and appreciate the beauty of the starry heavens once again.

Answer 3

We as a solar system move around the sun,but besides that,along with the sun we also travel around the milky way,when that happens,the stars in the sky change positions because we are in a different spot looking at them,for example,millions of years from now,the star Polaris which people identify as the north star,will no longer be on our north pole.

Answer 4

Stars shift over time.
This site have some pictures of what the big dipper will look like over thousands of years. It changes shape.
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/help/proper.html

But if you want a really advanced explanation, try this web site: http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Unit1/motions.html

Until then, I recommend the Star Trek The Next Generation episode: "The Chase". It has an okay explanation of how stars move over time.

Answer 5

Well they are probably trying to see if they will radioactively decompose. Sometimes it takes thousands to millions of years for something to radioactively decompose, so it's almost like carbon 14 dating. They can check how long certain isotopes are decomposing and see how old the stars and Sun are. For alpha decomposition they would use the helium isotope, but with beta decomposition they would use regular electrons to measure.

Answer 6

probably by the position of the stars, even the time at night.