Physical Science- Autumnal Equinox Mini Project

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Autumnal Equinox Mini Project Instructor: Dianne Phillips September 2012

EMPACTS Physical Science Team Members:

Rob Grabowski, Kayla Head, Wanda Mathias, Jeremy Emmett

& Amber Mayo.

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Thesis: The autumnal equinox is something that occurs

every year, when the Earth's axis tilts away from the sun. It represents the first day of fall by the sun lining up with the Earth's equator. Doing this project has allowed us to learn how the autumnal equinox shows signs of fall weather.

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Picture Source:

Definitions

Celestial Sphere- an imaginary sphere where the observer is in the center and on which all celestial objects are considered to rotate. Celestial Poles (North & South)- two imaginary points in the sky where the Earth rotates. See image on page 5. Poles of Earth- points on the Earth located directly North & South. See image below. Autumnal Equinox: Sep. 2012 EMPACTS Mini Project

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Equinox- either of the two points on the celestial sphere where the sun crosses the equator. See image on page 5. Solstice- either time of the year (summer & fall) where the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator. See image on next page.

Azimuth- coordinates that describe the position of an object in reference to the local horizon. It is the angular measure from the north. Altitude- a measurement anywhere from 0-90 degrees from the horizon. Right Ascension- measured in units of time(hours, mins, sec) ranging from 0 to 24 hours. Declination- one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere in the equatorial coordinate system, the other being right ascension or hour angle. Its distance is measured in north and south of the celestial equator.

Autumnal Equinox: Sep. 2012 EMPACTS Mini Project

5 Ecliptic- the intersection plane of the Earth's orbit with the celestial sphere, along which the sun appears to move as viewed from the Earth. See image on page 5. Celestial Equator- the great circle lying on the celestial sphere the plane of which is perpendicular to the line joining the north and south celestial pole. See image on page 5. Local Horizon- the lower boundary of the observed sky or the upper terrestrial objects, including nearby obstructions and irregularities. Cardinal Points- one of four principal directions on a compass; North, South, East & West. See image on next page.

Orbit- the motion of the Earth, or other planets, around the sun. See image below.

Orbital Plane- the plane on which a body is moving. Length of Day, Year- there are 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year.

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References

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References Cont.



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