The Glass Universe
declination
(latitude measure of the heavens) the angular distance of a point north or south of the celestial equator. (projection of Earth's equator onto the sky)
eclipsing binary
A binary star system in which one star periodically blocks the light from the other, while orbiting a common center of gravity.
K Line
A dark absorption line, indicating ionized calcium, large atomic structures with a lower temperature. color: orange, 4,000 k, and max. wavelength 725 mn.
Redshift
A shift in the lines of an object's spectrum toward the red end. Redshift indicates that an object is moving away from the observer. The larger the redshift, the faster the object is moving.
circumpolar star
A star that circles the celestial poles (example: Polaris)
cosmogony
A theory of the origin of the universe
nebula
a cloud of gas and dust in space
B line
a dark absorption line, color: light blue, 20,00 k, and max wavelength: 145 mn (simple atomic structure due to higher temp.)
A line
a dark absorption line, color: white, 10,00 k, and max. wavelength exerted is 290 millinewton (light frequency)
G line
a dark absorption line, color: yellow, 5,500 k, and max. wavelength 527 mn
F line
a dark absorption line, color: yellow-white, 7,500 k, and max. wavelength 387 mn
M line
a dark absorption line, with lower temperture to have complex atomic structure. color: red, 3,000 k, and max. wavelength 966 mn
open cluster
a group of a few hundred associated stars
cluster
a group of associated stars
globular cluster
a large, round, densely-packed grouping of stars with a central concentration
clock drive
a mechanical or electric device that moves the telescope counter to Earth's turning, allowing it to stay focused on a given object
doublet
a part of lenses combined for a desirable effect
Meteor
a particle (bit of comet dust) entering Earth's atmosphere and burns up by friction, to look like a "shooting star"
cepheid
a pulsating variable star that changes brightness in a characteristic, predictable cycle, making it useful in estimating cosmic distances
Fraunhofer lines
a set of dark lines in the otherwise continuous rainbow-colored solar spectrum
binary star
a star system with two stars moving around a common center of gravity
ephemeris
a table or data file giving the calculated positions of a celestial object at regular intervals throughout a period.
astronmical unit
The average distance bewtween the earth and the sun, or approximatley 150,000,000
Magellanic Clouds
Two small, irregular galaxies found just outside our own Milky Way galaxy. The Magellanic Clouds are visible in the skies of the southern hemisphere.
chromatic aberration
blur or haze from the several colors of light at different differences when coming into focus
Doppler effect
describes changes in frequency with respect to the waves produced by a moving force. Therefore, max. wavelength is proportional to star classification.
visible light
electromagnetic radiation that can be seen with the unaided eye ultraviolet to visible to infrared (shorter wavelengths to longer) shorter = more energy
spectrum
electromagnetic spectrum and Fraunhofer lines in visible light
Metals
elements heavier than hydrogen and helium
Leavitt's Law
measuring a variable star's cycle of brightness, gives intrinsic brightness, so compared to "apparent" brightness = gives distance (that brightness was correlated directly to size and distance of a star.)
proper motion
movement of a celestial body across line of sight
radial velocity
object's speed of approach or recession along line of sight
magnitude
the brightness of a star judged by two ways "absolute magnitude which is intrinsic brightness or "apparent" magnitude which is dependent on distance and combines intrinsic brightness
right ascension
the celestial equivalent of longitude for starting star positions
electromagnetic system
the full range of stellar radiation: strongest wavelength (radio waves) to shortest wavelength (gamma rays)
light curve
the measure of a variable star's apparent magnitude as it brightens and dims with time
radio astronomy
the study of electromagnetic radiation of longer wavelengths than visible light (radio waves)
flash spectrum
the sudden change of the solar spectrum, lines from dark to bright in the moments just before (and immediately following) the total phase of a solar eclipse
period
the time span of a variable star cycles through brightness changes
luminosity
the total amount of energy radiated by a star every second (intrinsic brightness)
M-31
the track of nebulous object that were not comets
parallax
An apparent shift in the position of an object when viewed from different locations
ion
An atom or group of atoms that has lost an electron and therefore has a positive charge.
objective lens
The lens on a light microscope, at opposite end from eyepiece
