2. The Sky Around Us

Joshua Barnes -- Fall 1999

Last: 1. Space, Time, Matter, & Energy Next: 3. Ancient Astronomy

Just as Hawaii is a body of land surrounded on all sides by water, so the Earth is an object surrounded on all sides by space. It's convenient to pretend that the Earth is inside an enormous sphere, and plot the locations of stars and planets on this sphere. The daily rotation of this sphere and the annual progression of the Sun along the zodiac are both due to motions of the Earth.


Web Resources:

Homework 2: Observing Mars, due 9/08. See also:

Quiz 2: What Do You See?

Joshua E. Barnes (barnes@ifa.hawaii.edu)
Last modified: September 30, 1999