Astronomy
Culminate definition
Stars reach their highest point in the night sky
Absolute magnitude
(M) A star's apparent magnitude if it was 10 parsecs from the Earth
Apparent magnitude
(m) How bright a star appears from Earth.
Magnitude equation
M=m+5 - 5 x logD
Meteorites
A meteor (or portion of) that survives the atmosphere to impact.
Exoplanet definition
A planet outside the solar system
Meteoroid
Dust and debris left behind from comets or asteroids. In space, not atmosphere Smaller than 10m.
Ptolemy's model of the solar system
Earth at centre. Everything orbits round the Earth
Life cycle of low mass star
Interstellar Gas Cloud -> Protostar -> Main sequence star -> Red giant -> White dwarf -> Black dwarf
Life cycle of high mass star
Interstellar Gas Cloud -> Protostar -> Main sequence star ->Red super giant -> Supernova -> Black hole OR neutron star
Meteor
Meteoroids that enter the atmosphere and burn up.
Azimuth definition
The angle eastwards from north round to the meridian for the night sky object the meridian for the night sky object
Parallax
The angle subtended by the star to the line between the Sun and Earth. (Triangle of Sun, Earth, Star.)
Altitude definition
The angle up to the object from the observer's horizon
Right Ascension definition
The angular distance eastwards along the celestial equator
Declination definition
The angular distance north or south of the celestial equator
Astronomical Unit definition
The mean distance from the centre of the Sun to the Earth
Zenith definition
The point in the sky directly above the observer
Celestial Equator definition
The projection on to the celestial sphere of the Earth's equator
Ecliptic definition
The projection on to the celestial sphere of the Earth's orbit around the Sun
Zodiac definition
Where the planets and the Moon move within the band 7 degrees above + below the ecliptic
