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.
 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.
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
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.
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.