Astronomical Coordinate System

— Celestial coordinate system is a system for specifying

positions of celestial objects: satellites, planets, stars,
galaxies. Coordinate systems can specify a position in 3-
dimensional space, or the direction of the object on the
celestial sphere, if its distance is not known or not important.
— The coordinate systems are implemented in spherical
coordinates. Spherical coordinates, projected on the celestial
sphere, are analogous to the geographic coordinate
system used on the surface of the Earth.
 definition of astronomical terms
— 1- The Celestial Sphere
— The imaginary sphere on
which the stars appear to lie
or to be studded is known as
the celestial sphere. The
radius of the celestial sphere
may be of any value from a
few thousand meters to a few
thousand kilometres. Since
the stars are very distant from
us, the centre of the earth
may be taken as the centre of
the celestial sphere.
— 2- The Zenith and Nadir
— the Zenith (Z) is the point on the upper portion of the
celestial sphere marked by a plumb line above the observer. It
is thus the point on the celestial sphere immediately above
the observer's station. The Nadir (Z') is the point on the
lower portion of the celestial sphere marked by the plumb
line below the observer. It is thus the point on the celestial
sphere vertically below the observer's station.
— 3- The Celestial Horizon
— It is the great circle traced upon the celestial sphere by the
plane which is perpendicular to the Zenith-Nadir line, and
which passes through the centre of the earth.
— 4- The Terrestrial Poles and Equator
— The terrestrial poles are the two points in which the earth's
axis of rotation meets the earth's sphere. The terrestrial
equator is the great circle of the earth, the plane of which is
at right angles to the axis of rotation. The two poles are
equidistant from it.
— 5- The Celestial Poles and Equator
— If the earth's axis of rotation is produced indefinitely, it will
meet the celestial sphere in two points called the north and
south celestial poles (P and P'). The celestial equator is the
great circle of the celestial sphere in which it is intersected
by the plane of terrestrial equator.
— 6- The Sensible Horizon
— It is a circle in which a plane passing through the point of
observation and tangential to the earth's surface (or
perpendicular to the Zenith-Nadir line) intersects with
celestial sphere. The line of sight of an accurately levelled
telescope lies in this plane.
— 7- The Visible Horizon
— It is the circle of contact, with the earth, of the cone of visual
rays passing through the point of observation. The circle of
contact is a small circle of the earth and its radius depends on
the altitude of the point of observation.
— 8- Vertical Circle
— A vertical circle of the celestial sphere is great circle passing
through the Zenith and Nadir. They all cut the celestial horizon at
right angles.
— 9- The Observer's Meridian
— The meridian of any particular point is that circle which passes
through the Zenith and Nadir of the point as well as through the
poles. It is thus a vertical circle.
— 10- The Prime Vertical
— It is that particular vertical circle which is at right angles to
the meridian, and which, therefore passes through the east
and west points of the horizon.
— 11- The Latitude (Ɵ)
— It is the angular distance of any place on the earth's surface
north and south of the equator, and is measured on the
meridian of the place. It is marked + or - (or N or S)
according as the place is north or south of the equator. The
latitude may also be defined as the angle between
zenith and celestial equator.

— 12- The Co-latitude (c)

— Is the angular distance from the zenith to the pole. It is the
complement of the latitude and equal to (90°-Ɵ).
— 13- The Longitude (φ)
— The longitude of a place is the angle between a fixed
reference meridian called the prime or first meridian and the
meridian of the place. The prime meridian universally
adopted is that of Greenwich. The longitude of any place
varies between 0° to 180° east or west of Greenwich.
— 14- The Altitude (α)
— The altitude of celestial body is its angular distance above the
horizon, measured on the vertical circle passing through the
body.

— 15- The Co-altitude or Zenith Distance (z)

— It is the angular distance of heavenly body from the zenith. It
is the complement of the altitude, Z= (90-α).
— 16- The Azimuth (A)
— The azimuth of a heavenly body is the angle between the
observer's meridian and the vertical circle passing through
the body.
— 17- The Declination (δ)
— The declination of a celestial body is the angular distance from the plane
of the equator, measured along the star's meridian generally called the
declination circle. Declination varies from 0° to 90°, and is marked + or
- according as the body is north or south of the equator.

— 18- Co-declination or Polar Distance (p)

— It is the angular distance of the heavenly body from the nearer pole. It is
the complement of the declination, P=(90°- δ).
— 19- Hour circle
— Hour circles are great circles passing through the north and south celestial
poles. The declination circle of a heavenly body is thus its hour circle.

— 20- The Hour Angle

— The hour angle of a heavenly body is the angle between the observer's meridian
and the declination circle passing through the body. The hour angle is
always measured westwards.
— 21- The Right Ascension (R.A)
— It is the equatorial angular distance measured eastward from
the First Point of Aries to the hour circle through the
heavenly body.
— 22- Equinoctial Points
— The points of intersection of the ecliptic with the equator are called
equinoctial points. The declination of the sun is zero at the equinoctial
points.
— The vernal Equinox or the First Point of Aries (ϒ) is the point in which
the sun's declination changes from south to north, and marks the
commencement of spring. It is a fixed point on the celestial sphere.
— The Autumnal Equinox or the First Point of Libra (Ω) is the point in
which the sun's declination changes from north to south, and marks the
commencement of autumn.
— 23- The Ecliptic
— Ecliptic is the great circle of the heavens which the sun appears to
describe on the celestial sphere with earth as a centre in the course
of a year. The plane of the ecliptic is inclined to the plane of the
equator at an angle (called obliquity) of about 23° 27', but is
subjected to a diminution of about 5" in a century.
— 24- Solstices
— Solstices are the points at which the north and south
declination of the sun is maximum. C and C' in figure 1.3
— 25- North, South, East and West Directions
— The north and south points correspond to the projection of the north
and south poles on the horizon. The meridian line is the line in which the
observer's meridian plane meets horizon plane, and the north and south
points are the points on the extremities of it.
— The direction ZP is the direction of north, while the direction PZ is the
direction of south. The east-west line is the line in which the prime
vertical meets the horizon, and east and west points are the extremities
of it.
Celestial Coordinate Systems
— the position of a heavenly body can be specified by two spherical
coordinates (two angular distances measured along arcs of two great
circles which cut each other at right angles. The great circles known as
the primary and secondary reference circles.
— in Figure 1.4, the position of point M can be specified with reference to
the plane OAB and the line OA, O being the origin of the coordinates.
— Here the coordinates of point M are AOB and BOM.
— In astronomy, the position of a celestial body can be specified
by the following systems of coordinates:
— 1- The horizon system
— 2- The independent equatorial system
— 3- The dependent equatorial system
— 4- The celestial latitude and longitude system
1. The horizon System (Altitude and Azimuth System)
— The horizon is the primary plane of reference and observer's meridian is the secondary
plane of reference
— The coordinates are: AZIMUTH and ALTITUDE
— measurements can be made by theodolite (horizontal and vertical angles)
— in figure 1.5, M is the celestial body
— in the upper part of earth, the azimuth is measured from north and in the southern part
the azimuth is measured from the south
— Time should be considered for observation because of earth's diurnal rotation.
— The coordinates are also specified by zenith distance and azimuth
 2. The Independent Equatorial System (Declination and Right
Ascension System)
— This system is used in the publication of star catalogues in which the position of a celestial body is
referred to the spherical coordinates which are independent of the observer's position.
— The two great circles are: equatorial circle and declination circle.
— The coordinates of the celestial body M are: RIGHT ASCENSION and DECLINATION
— The right ascension is measured along the equator from the first point of Aries ϓ as the point of
reference towards east up to the declination circle passing through the body. It can be measured by
angle or hour.
— The declination is +ve, when the body is north of equator and -ve when it is south of the equator.
— The polar distance may be used as the complement of the declination.
— To define a star, the declination and right ascension should be defined annually to account for the
changes the measurements are recorded in star catalogues.
3. The Dependent Equatorial System (Declination and
Hour angle System)
— One coordinate is independent of the observer's position and the other one is
dependent.
— Two great circles of reference are: 1- Horizon 2- Declination circle through the
celestial body
— The coordinates are: 1- The hour angle 2- Declination
— in the northern hemisphere, the hour angle is always measured from south towards
west up to the declination circle.
— Hour angle can be a value from 0º to 360º. if H varies from 0 to 180 the star is in the
western hemisphere.
4. The celestial latitude and longitude system.
— The reference planes: 1- Ecliptic 2- Great circle passing
through ϓ and perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic.
— Coordinates: 1- Celestial Latitude 2- Celestial longitude
— The Celestial latitude is the arc of a great circle perpendicular to the ecliptic
and passing through the body, it is +ve for north and -ve for south
— The Celestial longitude is the arc of ecliptic between the great circle passing
through the ϓ and the circle of the celestial latitude passing through the
body, it is measured eastward from 0 to 360º
y
 M2 Z M1
E
M3

26º
P

40’
26º 40’ M3
H 26º 40’
H

M1
26º
P 40’

M2

E
Z'
Example: find the zenith distance and altitude at the lower culmination for a star having a
declination of 85°20’ if the latitude of the place of observation is 46°50’

A2

A1