Flashcards: Understanding Stars and Constellations — 20 cards

Stars — definition?

Luminous celestial bodies producing their own light.

Constellations — role?

Recognizable star patterns used for navigation and storytelling.

Asterism — example?

Big Dipper within Ursa Major.

Pole Star — significance?

Helps locate north in the northern hemisphere.

Revolution — mechanism?

Orbiting movement of a celestial object around another.

Light Pollution — effect?

Reduces visibility of stars and celestial objects.

Constellation Boundaries — purpose?

Define specific sky regions for consistent identification.

Milky Way — appearance?

Faint, milky band of light across the night sky.

Our Solar System — components?

Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets.

Planets — order from Sun?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Moons — example?

Earth's Moon, orbiting our planet.

Objects in Space — include?

Stars, planets, asteroids, comets, galaxies.

Light Pollution — mitigation?

Use shielded lights, reduce brightness, turn off unused lights.

Sky Watching — tools?

Star maps, apps like Stellarium, telescopes.

Indian astronomy — term for star?

Nakṣhatra, a group of stars or a single star.

Nakṣhatra — significance?

Used for navigation, astrology, cultural stories.

Dhruva Tārā — meaning?

Pole Star (Polaris), helps in navigation.

Constellation boundaries — defined by?

International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Milky Way — location?

Our galaxy, visible as a band in the night sky.

Our Solar System — includes?

Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets.