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