Use a calculator whenever necessary.

Please CIRCLE or put a box around your final answer if it is numerical.

If you wish, you may discuss the questions with friends, but please turn in your own hand-written solutions, with questions answered in your own way.

1. What are the pros and cons of the Celestial Coordinate System (R.A. and dec.)?

 

2. Determine the celestial coordinates of the following objects:

 

1. Fomalhaut

 

2. M31

 

3. Aldebaran

 

4. Delta Cephei

 

5. Dubhe

 

3. Determine the coordinates of the star on the following diagram.



 

4. Meridian altitude

 

1. What is the meridian altitude of a star with a declination of 15^o at DVC?

 

2. What is the meridian altitude of Sirius at DVC?
3. If you see Sirius transit with an altitude of 50^o, at what latitude are you?
4. At what latitude will the star Vega transit at the zenith?

 

5. Hour Angle

 

1. How long until the next transit if a star has an hour angle of –5^h?

 

2. How long until the next transit if a star has an hour angle of 3^h?

 

3. What is the hour angle of a star having a R.A. = 5^h 30^m if the sidereal time is 9^h?

 

4. What is the hour angle of Rigel at a sidereal time of 2^h?

 

6. Position Plotting

a) Plot a star with declination 30^o and a right ascension of 8^h as seen by an observer at 45^o N latitude at a sidereal time of 3^h.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b) Plot a star with declination 50^o and a right ascension of 8^h as seen by an observer at 65^o N latitude at a sidereal time of 18^h.

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