Chapter 1 (Intro to ASTROLOGY!

)
Cycles of the Sky
 Sections
• The Celestial Sphere (1.1)
• The Seasons (1.2)
• The Moon (1.3)
• Eclipses (1.4)
The Celestial Sphere
• Vast distances to stars prevent
us from sensing their true 3-D
arrangement (4 ly to tens of
thousands of ly away)
• Naked eye observations treat
all stars at the same distance,
on a giant celestial sphere
with the Earth at its center
• This works just like a
terrestrial globe.
• In fact there are Celestial
Globes that are an inside out
version of this!
 Models and Science
• The celestial
sphere is a model,
which does not
necessarily match
physical reality
• Models provide a
means to enhance
our understanding
of nature
 Constellations

• Constellations are fixed arrangements of stars that

resemble animals, objects, and mythological figures
• Stars in a constellation are not physically related
 Constellations

• Positions of stars change very • Origin of the ancient

slowly; constellations will constellations is unknown
look the same for thousands of although they probably served
years as mnemonic tools for tracking
seasons and navigation
 Celestial Coordinate System
• Like on a globe where you only need two angle
measurements to specify location (Latitude and Longitude)
you only need two angles to specify location of objects on
the Celestial Sphere (at a given time.)
• Declination is like Latitude and varies from 90S to 90N and
is 0 at the celestial equator.
• Right Ascension is like Longitude and goes all the way
around the sphere. It is measured in hours, minutes and
seconds with 24 equally spaced hours representing a full
turn of the sphere around its axis. Hour 0 is where the sun
will be at local noon on the vernal equinox (March 21 or 22)
 Diurnal vs. Annular Motion

• Diurnal Motion • Annual Motion

– “Daily Motion” – “Yearly Motion”
– Sun, Moon, planets, – Due to the Earth’s
and stars rise in the revolution
east and set in the west
– Due to the Earth’s – Is the sky different
rotation from day to day?
– Month to month?
– Ancient astronomers – Year to year?
took all celestial
motion to be diurnal
– The Celestial Sphere!
 Diurnal Motion
• Daily motion can be
explained by the rotation
of the celestial sphere
about the north and
south celestial poles
located directly above
the Earth’s north and
south poles
• The celestial equator,
which lies directly above
the Earth’s equator,
provides another
astronomical reference
marker
 Annual Motion

• For a given time (say 10:00 PM), as the months proceed,

constellations do not appear in the same part of the sky
 Annual Motion
• A given star rises 3
minutes 56 seconds
earlier each night
• This annual motion is
caused by the Earth’s
motion around the Sun,
the result of projection
• The ancients used the
periodic annual motion
to mark the seasons
 Motion demonstration.
• http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion2/motion2.h
tml
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MMIP
LERkEE&list=UUpCQIpT_zCtzYfoTPGyd
NKQ
• https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=59
5636027192475&set=vb.283820701707344
&type=3&theater
The Ecliptic
• The path of the Sun
through the stars on
the celestial sphere is
called the ecliptic
• The ecliptic is a
projection of the
Earth’s orbit onto the
celestial sphere and
is tipped relative to
the celestial equator
 The Zodiac

• The belt-shaped region of the • Even though the constellations

sky surrounding the ecliptic of the zodiac are different
passes primarily through sizes often the zodiac is
twelve constellations and is divided into 12 equal regions.
called the zodiac.
 The Seasons

• The Earth is closest to the Sun in January, which is

winter in the northern hemisphere
• Therefore, the seasons cannot be caused by the
Sun’s proximity to the Earth
• The Earth’s rotation axis is tilted 23.5º from a line
perpendicular to the Earth’s orbital plane
 The Seasons

• The rotation axis of the Earth maintains nearly the same

tilt (23.5 degrees) and direction from year to year.
• The northern and southern hemispheres alternate
receiving (on a yearly cycle) the majority of direct light
from the Sun, and longer days.
• This leads to the seasons!
The Seasons
 Seasons and The Ecliptic
• The tilt of the Earth’s rotation axis causes
the ecliptic not to be aligned with the
celestial equator
• Sun is above celestial equator in June when
the Northern Hemisphere is tipped toward
the Sun, and is below the equator in
December when tipped away
• Tilting explains seasonal altitude of Sun at
noon, highest in summer and lowest in
winter
The Ecliptic’s Tilt
 Solstices and Equinoxes
• Points on horizon where Sun rises and sets changes
periodically throughout year
• In summer months of Northern hemisphere, the Sun
rises north of east and sets north of west
• In winter months of Northern hemisphere, the Sun rises
south of east and sets south of west
• The solstices (about June 21 and December 21) are
when the Sun rises at the most extreme north and south
points
• The equinoxes (equal day and night and about March
21 and September 23) are when the Sun rises directly
east
• Ancients marked position of Sun rising and setting to
determine the seasons (e.g., Stonehenge)
Solstices and Equinoxes
 The Sun’s Changing Position

• Because the Sun moves north and south of the celestial

equator during the year, the Sun does not rise due east or set
due west on most days.
• The shift of the Sun’s position is particularly obvious near the
equinoxes, when the Sun’s position on the horizon shifts by
almost its own diameter each day
• August 20
• August 21
• August 24
• August 25
Sept 2
August 29
Sept 24
 The Sun’s Changing Position

• The motion of the Sun north and south in the sky over the
course of the year causes the Sun to follow different paths
through the sky each day as the Earth rotates.
• The path the Sun follows each day can be quite different at
different latitudes
 Motions demonstration
• Orbit and Seasons:
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/motion1.h
tml
• Spinning Earth, Celestial Sphere and the
Sun.
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/motion3.h
tml
 The Moon
• Rises in the east and
sets in the west
• Like the planets and
Sun, the Moon
moves from west to
east relative to the
stars (roughly the
width of the Moon in
one hour)
The Phases of the Moon
• During a period of
about 30 days, the
Moon goes through a
complete set of
phases: new, waxing
crescent, first quarter,
waxing gibbous, full,
waning gibbous, third
quarter, waning
crescent
 The Phases of the Moon

– The phase cycle is the origin of the month (derived

from the word moon) as a time period
– The phases of the Moon are caused by the relative
positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
 Lunar Rise and Set Times

• The Moon
rises roughly
50 minutes
later each day
The Sidereal Month
 Lunar Demonstration
• http://astro.unl.edu/naap/lps/animations/lps.
html
 Eclipses

• An eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon

are directly in line with each other
• A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes
between the Sun and Earth, with the Moon casting
its shadow on the Earth causing a midday sky to
become dark as night for a few minutes
Solar Eclipse from Space
 Solar Eclipse Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCnpZ
YIEQXE&list=UUpCQIpT_zCtzYfoTPGyd
NKQ
 Lunar Eclipses

• A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes

between the Sun and Moon, with the Earth
casting its shadow on the Moon giving it a dull
red color
This Morning’s Lunar Eclipse
 Lunar Eclipse Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-puSM6
m8t_M&list=UUpCQIpT_zCtzYfoTPGydN
KQ
 Rarity of Eclipses

• Because of the Moon’s • Twice a year the Moon’s

tilt relative to the ecliptic, orbit will pass through the
eclipses will not occur at Sun giving the possibility
every new and full Moon of an eclipse – these times
are called eclipse seasons
 Eclipse Seasons

• Since the Moon’s orbit tilts • When a solar eclipse occurs at

nearly in the same direction new Moon, conditions are
through the year, twice a year right for a lunar eclipse to
the Moon’s orbit will pass occur at the full Moon either
through the Sun giving the before or after the solar
possibility of an eclipse – eclipse
these times are called eclipse
seasons
 Eclipse Periods

• Eclipses do not occur every 30 days since the

Moon’s orbit is tipped relative to the Earth’s
orbit
• The tipped orbit allows the shadow of the
Earth (Moon) to miss the Moon (Earth)
Recent and Upcoming Solar Eclipses