Positional

Astronomy &
Celestial Sphere

Presented By:-
Priya Yadav (224529)
Khushi (224512)
 Positional astronomy
Spherical astronomy, or positional
astronomy, is a branch of
observational astronomy used to
locate astronomical objects on the
celestial sphere, as seen at a
particular date, time, and location
on Earth. It relies on the
mathematical methods of
spherical trigonometry and the
measurements of astrometry.
The celestial sphere is an imaginary sphere that's
concentric with Earth and has an infinite radius. It's
used in astronomy and navigation to represent the
sky, with all celestial objects projected onto its
inner surface.
It helps astronomers map the positions of these objects
in the sky as if they were on the surface of a giant sphere
centered on Earth. The sphere is useful for
understanding celestial coordinates, tracking the
movement of objects, and visualizing their positions
relative to each other.

The apparent movement of objects on the celestial

sphere changes with seasons and time of day due to
Earth’s rotation and orbit around the Sun. Although the
celestial sphere provides a universal reference frame.
 Great circle and small circle
Any circle passing through the centre of
the sphere is called a great circle.
while a small circle is a circle that doesn't
passes through the centre of the sphere.
All great circle have the same radius and
are concentric with the sphere .The
equator and all longitudes are great
circle.
All small circle on a sphere have a small
radius then the great circle All latitudes
except equator are small circles.
REFERENCE POINTS OF THE CELESTIAL
SPHERE
1. Celestial Poles
2. Celestial Equator
3. Ecliptic
4. Zenith and Nadir
5. Horizon
 1.Celestial Poles
The celestial poles are the points in the sky around which the
Earth's axis of rotation seems to pivot. There are two celestial
poles: the North Celestial Pole and the South Celestial Pole.

North Celestial Pole: Located near Polaris, the North

Star, in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is the point in the
sky that appears to be directly above Earth's North Pole.

South Celestial Pole: Situated near the constellation

Octans, it is directly above Earth's South Pole.

These poles are essential for celestial navigation and

understanding the movement of stars and other celestial
objects. As the Earth rotates, stars appear to move in circular
paths around these poles, making them useful for orientation
and timekeeping.
 2.Celestial Equator
The celestial equator is an imaginary line in
the sky that is directly above the Earth's
equator. It divides the celestial sphere into
the northern and southern hemispheres,
much like the Earth's equator divides the
planet into the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres. This line is important in
celestial navigation and astronomy, as it
helps in locating stars and other celestial
objects relative to the Earth's equator.
 3. Ecliptics
The ecliptic is the apparent path that the
Sun follows across the sky over the
course of a year, as seen from Earth. It
represents the plane of Earth's orbit
around the Sun and is inclined at about
23.5 degrees to the celestial equator.
This inclination is key to understanding
the changing seasons, as different parts
of Earth receive varying amounts of
sunlight throughout the year.
 Zenith Nadir

Zenith is a crucial astronomical term that Nadir in the celestial sphere is the
refers to the point in the sky directly overhead point directly below an observer. It's
an observer. It's the highest point that any the opposite of the zenith, which is the
celestial object, like the Sun, Moon, or stars, point directly above. The nadir is the
can reach in their daily arc across the sky. The lowest point a celestial body can reach
altitude of an object at zenith is 90 degrees. in its apparent path across the sky.
 6. Horizon
The horizon is the apparent curve that
separates the surface of a celestial body
from its sky when viewed from the
perspective of an observer on or near the
surface of the relevant body.

The horizon centre is under the observer

and below sea level. Its distance from the
observer differs from day to day due to
atmospheric refraction, which is seriously
affected by weather conditions.
The following are two independent horizon angular coordinates
Altitude (alt).
Sometimes referred to as
elevation (el.) or apparent height,
is the angle between the object
and the observer's local horizon.
For visible objects, it is an angle
between 0° and 90°.
Azimuth (az.)
Is the angle of the object around
the horizon, usually measured
from true north and increasing
eastward.
 Drawbacks Of Horizon System
The horizon coordinate system has a few drawbacks, including:

Location-specific coordinates: The horizon varies across locations on

Earth, so the coordinates of an object will be different for each
observer.

Changing coordinates: As the Earth rotates, the coordinates of an

object change over time because the celestial objects move in planes
that are usually tilted relative to the horizon.

Different for each observer: Different observers have different horizon

therefore at a given time the horizon coordinate of an object different
for different observer.
 Geographical Coordinate System
A geographic coordinate system is a
system that uses a three-dimensional
spherical surface to determine
locations on the Earth. Any location
on Earth can be referenced by a point
with longitude and latitude
coordinates. The geographic
coordinate system is appropriate for
global data sets and applications,
such as satellite imagery repositories.
Lattitude , Longitude and Prime Meridian

Lattitude-Latitude is the measurement of a location's distance north or south of the equator,

expressed in degrees. It ranges from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles.

Longitude- Longitude is the measurement of a location's distance east or west of the Prime
Meridian, also expressed in degrees. It ranges from 0° at the Prime Meridian to 180° east or west.

Prime Meridian- The Prime Meridian is the planet's zero degrees longitude line, which runs from
the North Pole to the South Pole. It serves as the reference point for dividing the Eastern and
Western Hemispheres and is located at Greenwich, London. It is used in navigation and
timekeeping, establishing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as a standard time reference.
 Equatorial coordinate system
The equatorial coordinate system is a celestial
coordinate system widely used to specify the
positions of celestial objects. It may be
implemented in spherical or rectangular
coordinates, both defined by an origin at the
centre of Earth, a fundamental plane consisting
of the projection of Earth's equator onto the
celestial sphere (forming the celestial equator).
The Equatorial Coordinate System uses two
measurements, right ascension and declination.
Right ascension (abbreviated RA) is similar to
longitude and is measured in hours, minutes and
seconds eastward along the celestial equator.
Right ascension
Right ascension (abbreviated RA; symbol α) is the angular distance of
a particular point measured eastward along the celestial equator
from the Sun at the March equinox to the (hour circle of the) point in
question above the Earth.

Declination
Declination (abbreviated dec; symbol δ) is one of the two angles
that locate a point on the celestial sphere in the equatorial
coordinate system, the other being hour angle. The declination
angle is measured north (positive) or south (negative) of the
celestial equator, along the hour circle passing through the point
in question.[1]
 Universal equatorial coordinates

MYM'
Ecliptic M

R
RYT Ω
Celestial equator

Vernel equinox (γ)

Y
Autumnal equinox T

(Ω) M'
Vernel equinox
Vernal equinox, two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly
above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also,
either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun’s
annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect. In the
Northern Hemisphere the vernal equinox falls about March 20 or
21, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going north.
Autumnal equinox
Autumnal equinox, two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly
above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either
of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun’s annual
pathway) and the celestial equator intersect. In the Northern
Hemisphere the autumnal equinox falls about September 22 or 23, as
the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south. In the Southern
Hemisphere the equinox occurs on March 20 or 21, when the Sun
moves north across the celestial equator.
 Questions
Q 1:- Determine the Declination of celestial N pole and
celestial S pole ?

Ans:- Declination (DEC) is the celestial sphere's

equivalent of latitude and it is expressed in degrees,
as is latitude. For DEC, + and - refer to north and
south, respectively. The celestial equator is 0° DEC,
and the poles are +90° and -90°.
Q 2:- Calculate the latitude of 40° N and the zenith distance
of a star of declination 20°N when it's on the observers
meridian?
Ans:-
Q.3.The point above which the satellite or any celestial body
lies is known as:-
a. Zenith
b. Nadir
c. Visible horizon
d. Lattitude

Ans: B
Explanation: Nadir point can be described as a point above
which the satellite or any celestial body lies. The is generally
used in case of satellite related discussion. Zenith is a point
which is present above the celestial body.
 Bibliography
slide 1-3: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Britannicacom

slide 4-9: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/basics-of-space-flight/chapter2-2/

slide 10-16: ://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/celestial%20sphere

https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/C/Celestial+Sphere

https://www.ibm.com/in-en
 Ques 1
https://science.nasa.gov/learn/basics-of-space-flight/chapter2-2/

Ques 2:-

Notes

Ques 3:-
https://www.sanfoundry.com/surveying-questions-answers-position-
celestial-body/#google_vignette
 Thank you
very much !