MOTIONS IN

THE SKY
 THE -- a hollow sphere according to
CELESTIAL Ancient Greeks that enclosed
SPHERE the Earth.

-- this is where the stars, the sun,

and other heavenly bodies are
embedded.
• Zenith = Point on the celestial sphere
directly overhead
• Nadir = Point on the c. s. directly
underneath (not visible!)
• Celestial equator = projection of the
Earth’s equator onto the c. s.
• North celestial pole = projection of the
Earth’s north pole onto the c.s.
 The Ancient Points where the Earth’s
Greeks thought rotational axis cuts the sphere:
that the motion of 1. North Celestial Pole (NCP)
the heavens was
caused by the 2. South Celestial Pole (SCP)
rotation of the
celestial sphere Celestial Equator – projection of
about a fixed Earth’s equator in the celestial
Earth. sphere.
 The path • Solstices – two points on the ecliptic with the
greatest distance from the celestial equator.
that the sun Summer solstice – the point where the sun is at its
appears to northernmost position above

take around the celestial equator

-- happens on or near June 21
the celestial -- day is longest and night is shortest
sphere is Winter solstice – occurs when the sun is at its

called southernmost position or at its

lowest in the sky.
ecliptic -- normally happens on or near
December 21; day is shortest and night
is longest.
 The points At the equinoxes, Earth’s
rotational axis is
where the perpendicular to the line
ecliptic joining Earth and the sun.
intersects the Autumnal Equinox
celestial -- Happens on or near
September 22.
equator are
known as Vernal or Spring Equinox
-- Happens on or near
equinoxes. March 21.
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Precession • Earth is not a perfect sphere. It
bulges a bit in the equator
of the because of the pull of the moon
and the sun.
Equinoxes • As a result, the Earth’s axis
changes direction over a period of
time.

The earth requires

26,000 years to PRECESSION – change in the
complete one cycle of orientation of the rotational axis of
precession any rotating body
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Diurnal Apparent daily motion of stars and other celestial
bodies across the sky caused by the setting of the
Motion sun and the stars.
It is responsible for the daily rising and setting of
the sun and the stars.
and
Apparent motion of the sun caused by Earth’s

Annual revolution around it.

This accounts for the visibility of a zodiac
Motion constellation at a specific time of the year.
Along with the tilt of the Earth’s axis, it is also
responsible for the seasons.
 Diurnal vs. Annular Motion
• Diurnal Motion • Annual Motion
– “Daily Motion” – “Yearly Motion”
– Sun, Moon, planets, and
stars rise in the east and set – Due to the Earth’s
in the west revolution
– Due to the Earth’s rotation
– Is the sky different from
– Ancient astronomers took
all celestial motion to be day to day?
diurnal – Month to month?
– The Celestial Sphere! – Year to year?
 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
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Sidereal Day vs. Solar Day
• Solar Day – 24 Rotation using the Sun as our
reference.

• Sidereal Day – 23 hours 56 minutes for one

complete rotation using a star other than the sun.
There is a loss of 4 minutes or 10.

Power Line Example: At Night

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Where does a.m. & p.m. come from

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 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
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
• 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
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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
 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
 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
 Rarity of Eclipses

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

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

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

nearly in the same direction
through the year, twice a year
the Moon’s orbit will pass
through the Sun giving the
possibility of an eclipse –
these times are called eclipse
seasons
new Moon, conditions are
right for a lunar eclipse to
occur at the full Moon either
before or after the solar
eclipse
 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)
MODELS OF
THE
UNIVERSE
INFLUENCES OF ASTRONOMY
1. Telling the time
2. Navigation
3. Planting crops / agriculture
4. Architecture.
The early humans relied on the skies as their principal
means of telling the time, of navigation, and of
knowing when to start planting crops.

Some 3000 years ago, the Egyptians established a 365-

day calendar based on the track of the star Sirius. This
track coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile
River. The Babylonians and the Assyrians also invented
similar calendars to aid them in determining when to
sow and reap crops.
Astronomy also influences architecture. Around 2560
BC, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt were constructed in a
way that each side faced north, south, east, and west of
a compass to within a tenth of a degree.

In addition, the three pyramids represent the belt stars

of the constellation Orion.
AFTER READING THE RESOURCES, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS (1 whole):
1. How does solstice differ from equinox? Explain
2. Compare diurnal motion with annual motion.
3. How are seasons produced?
4. Is the occurrence of seasons affected by climate
change? Why/why not?
5. Compare the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses
in reference with the phases of the moon.
6. If solar eclipses occur at new moon, why is that
solar eclipses do not occur every month?