Astronomy

Current phase of the Moon:
	Updates every 4 hours for the U.S. Naval Observatory

The Astronomy is the science that allows to be discovered and to study the "habitants" of our skies, can see it with specialized equipment or at first sight. For the observations I lean on in computer programs which are of great utility to understand part of the celestial mechanics   which can name the SkyChart III, Starry Nigth Backyard among others.

Astronomical information

Light year is the distance that the light travels traveling in the free space during one year, 63.239,85831 U.A., near 9,5 million millions of Kilometers.

Astronomical unit (A.U.) it is the distance average between the Earth and the Sun, 149.597.870 Km., near 150 million Kilometers.

A Pársec is the distance to which the Parallax of a star is similar to 1."
1 pársec = 3.26 year-light = 206.265 U.A. = 3,086 x 10 ¹³ Km.

Parallax is the apparent landslide in the position of a star, when this it is determined from the opposed points of a line it bases of 1 A.U.

The Right Ascension (R.A.) in the celestial sphere it is equal to the Longitude in the Earth. Instead of 360° to cover the complete sphere, we use 24 hours. So that 1 hour of A.R. = 15°.

The meridian of 0 hours of R.A. it goes by the vernal equinox at the moment in the constellation of Piscis, there being you displaced from Aries in the last 2.000 years, due to the movement of precesión of the Terrestrial axis. The term Direct Ascension comes from the fact that, when she/he observes them to him from the Terrestrial Ecuador, all the stars are born (they ascend) with a right angle regarding the horizon. So their hours from birth they are called hours of Right Ascension.

The parallel of Declination (Dec.) in the celestial sphere they are equal to those of Latitude in the Earth. In equal it forms, they go from -90° in the celestial South pole, up to +90° in the celestial North Pole (at the moment at 48 ' of the star Polaris, in the line end of it Dares her smaller).

  It is with regard to these Right Ascension and Declination that it is said that the stars are fixed in the sky (constituting the firmament). it is also with regard to them that we say that the planets, the Sun and the Moon move in the sky.

The firmament moves about 15° toward the West every hour due to the rotation of the Earth (that is of the West toward the East). This would allow us to observe, in any night of the year, almost the entirety of the firmament (360°), if we could observe it during 12 hours, let us say from 6:30pm o'clock toward the horizon of the West up to 6:30am o'clock toward the horizon of the This. The illumination after the evening, and before the dawn, it reduces this to about 330°, and considerations on the height required on the horizon for the good observation of a star, they reduce it even more.

The firmament moves, due to the adjournment of the Earth, near 1° toward the West every day. This causes that a certain star appears for the horizon of the East, some earlier 4 minutes every day. For this reason, the sky that today sees at 10pm o'clock, we will see it next month at 8pm o'clock. This way, during the course of one year, we will see culminate all fixed star in the firmament (360°), if we observe every day at the same hour.

It is said that a celestial object is in Culmination, when it crosses (of This to West) the Meridian Celeste Local (Línea Norte-Sur that goes by the Zenit).

The Celestial Ecuador is the projection of the Terrestrial Ecuador on the celestial sphere.

To measure 10° of sky approximately, use the width of their fist with the extended arm, 2° of sky, they correspond approximately to the width of their index finger, with the extended arm.

The Equinoxes are the two intersection points among the Ecliptic (the apparent road of the Sun in the sky) and the celestial equator. They are the two moments of the year, when the Sun is exactly on the celestial equator (Dec. 0°), and the day and the night are of the same one long.

The vernal equinox that marks the beginning of the spring in the North hemisphere, and the beginning of the autumn in the South hemisphere, happens near the day 21 of March, with the Sun in Piscis.

And the autumnal equinox that marks the beginning of the autumn in the North hemisphere, and the beginning of the spring in the South hemisphere, happens near the day 23 of September, with the Sun in Virgo.

The Ecliptic is the intersection in the sky, of the plane of the orbit of the Earth with the celestial vault, in which you/they seem to be fixed the stars. The Ecliptic is the one on the way to the Sun in the sky, near which the planets move without a lot of deviation.

The Zodiac is the area of the celestial vault 8° to each side of the Ecliptic. The roads in the sky of the Sun, the Moon and the planets remain inside this area.

The Solstices are the two points in those that Sun reaches its maxim it distances (Decline) of the celestial equator. The summer solstice marks the longest day in the year, and that of winter, the longest night.

The Solstice of Summer for the North Hemisphere, and of winter for the South Hemisphere, it happens near June 21, when the Sun reaches its maximum North Decline (23,5° N).

The Solstice of Winter for the North Hemisphere, and of summer for the South Hemisphere, it happens near December 22, when the Sun reaches its maximum South Decline (23,5° S).

Perigee is the point in the orbit of a body with smaller distance to the center of the orbit.
Apogee is the point in the orbit of a body with more distance to the center of the orbit.
Perihelion is the point in the orbit of a body of the Solar System with smaller distance in the sun.
Afelio is the point in the orbit of a body of the Solar System with more distance in the sun.

Sun eclipse pictures from Caracas

These pictures were taken in February 27 1998