Declination and Right Ascention

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In summary, declination and right ascension are two coordinates used to specify the position of an object in the sky, with declination measuring north or south of the celestial equator and right ascension measuring eastward from the vernal equinox. They are measured in degrees and hours, minutes, and seconds respectively, and provide a standardized system for locating objects in the sky. While declination remains constant, right ascension changes over time due to Earth's rotation, causing objects to appear to shift in position each night.
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astroboy17
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I have two questions I cannot figure out:

How is declination measured in the celestial sphere, in comparison with how terrestrial latitude is measure on earth

How is RA measured in the celestial sphere, in comparison with how terrestrial longitude is measure on earth.

Thanks!
 
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1. What is declination and right ascension?

Declination and right ascension are two coordinates used to specify the position of an object in the sky, similar to latitude and longitude on Earth. Declination measures the object's position north or south of the celestial equator, while right ascension measures its position eastward from the vernal equinox.

2. How are declination and right ascension measured?

Declination is measured in degrees, with positive values indicating north of the celestial equator and negative values indicating south. Right ascension is measured in hours, minutes, and seconds, with 24 hours representing a full circle around the celestial equator.

3. What is the difference between declination and latitude?

Declination and latitude are both measures of an object's position north or south of a reference point. However, declination is measured relative to the celestial equator, while latitude is measured relative to the Earth's equator.

4. How do declination and right ascension help us locate objects in the sky?

Declination and right ascension provide a standardized system for locating objects in the sky, similar to how latitude and longitude are used to locate places on Earth. By knowing an object's declination and right ascension, we can easily find it using star charts or telescopes.

5. How do declination and right ascension change over time?

The declination of an object will remain constant, but the right ascension will change over time due to the Earth's rotation. This means that the position of an object in the sky will appear to shift slightly each night due to the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

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