Lab 1: The Sky As The World Turns

Introduction to the Celestial Globe

The ________ ________ that surrounds the Earth is what ancient astronomers believed the stars and other celestial bodies were attached.

Looking at the celestial globe, the ________ ________ extend outwards to the celestial sphere at the Earth's north and south poles.

When an object like the Sun passes across the meridian, it achieves its ________ point above the horizon.

The ________ is the point directly overhead.

The celestial equator is a projection of the ________ ________.

If an object is always above the horizon, it is called ________. The size of this "zone" depends on the observer's ________.

Right ascension (R.A.) and declination (dec.) aid astronomers in locating an object in a way that is independent of ________ or ________.

An object's angular distance north or south of the celestial equator is its ________ and is measured in ________. It is ________ north of the equator and ________ south of the equator.

An object's distance from the vernal equinox, increasing to the east around the celestial equator, is called ________ ________. It is usually measured in ________ and ________, instead of degrees.