Chapter 2 Vocab Part 1

1. an imagined pattern in a group of stars
4. distance light travels in a year which is unit of distance used for objects outside the solar system such as stars and galaxies
5. a telescope mirror that is so thin that it requires computer controlled devices to keep the mirror in the proper shape
8. celestial latitude which is the distance north or south of the celestial equator
10. a type of star that changes in brightness because it expands and contracts regularly
14. a mount for holding a telescope in which the telescope tube is attached to a shaft pointing to the celestial tube which provides for the tracking of a particular star throughout the night
15. the distance east of west of Greenwich England measured in degrees
16. clouds of gas and dust in space
17. a telescope mirror molded into a honeycomb-shaped structure to reduce the mirror’s weight
18. the distortion of color around the image often with refractor telescopes

2. the distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees
3. two stars revolving around each other
6. a mount for holding a telescope that is easily adjusted for altitude and altazimuth
7. groups of millions of stars, usually elliptically arranged
9. the projection of the earth’s equator on the celestial sphere
11. a telescope that uses both mirrors and objective lenses for gathering light to a focal point
12. a device astronomers used to determine the time of day and year from the shadows cast in sunlight
13. the measure of the brightness of a star