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Astronomy Vocab
Chapter 1
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Astronomy | the study of the universe |
Year | the time required for the Earth to orbit once around the sun |
Month | a division of the year that is based on the orbit of the moon around the Earth |
Day | the time required for the Earth to rotate once on its axis |
Telescope | an instrument that collects electromagnetic radiation from the sky and concentrates it for better observation |
Refracting telescope | A telescope that uses a set of lenses to gather and focus light from distant objects |
Reflecting | A telescope that uses a curved mirror to gather and focus light from distant objects |
Electromagnetic spectrum | all of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation |
Constellation | a region of the sky that contains a recognizable star pattern and that is used to describe the location of objects in space |
Horizon | the line where the sky and the Earth appear to meet |
Zenith | the point in the sky directly above the observer |
Light-year | the distance that light travels in one year; about 9.46 trillion kilometers |
Altitude | the angle between an object in the sky and the horizon |