Experiment #1 North Circumpolar Motion of Stars - Lab Report Example

13 February Astronomy Lab Report Introduction Observing the apparent movement of the stars is one of the most significant astronomical parameter that has been used before the invention of technical apparatus that gives accurate information on astronomy. Such information is invaluable for sailors, weather experts, and professionals in the aviation industryDiagrammatic representation of three locations of the seven stars with reference to Polaris and Zenith observed from the NorthInterpretation of the observations on the movement of the starsThe apparent motion of the star takes the west direction.

Although the first two hours reported slight movement from the original location, the third observation was quite evident to have moved to the west of hemisphere as previously described (Craig, 1).Are they moving in a straight line or circling a particular point?The motion is not straight but rather circular. The stars seem like they are circling from a point, its like moving an object that is tied with a long rope from a central point.Do they follow some other motion?Yes, in addition to the obvious motion that brings about change of location, they also change the orientation.

The stars seem to exhibit two kinds of motions that is one from the central position and its orientationAlso description of the star motion and how that relates to the earths motionIt is common knowledge that the earth moves from east, north, west and south. However, such motion is similar to the stars because they appear to move from the north toward the west, comparison of the stars location reveals that those observed in the first experiment appeared far from the west than those observed later on.

Are the stars actually moving?Yes, stars move across the space, in fact all stars move across the space from one location to another (Craig, 1). The only difference between the motions of the stars with that of the earth is that direction depends on the individual star. As a result, there is no universal direction for the stars’ movement. Different stars move in the different direction either toward or from each other. For instance, if the stars were fixed we would expect the movement of the earth to portray the stars to simulate motion in the opposite direction.

As such one would think that the stars move from the north to east and south. However given that both the earth and the stars move in the same direction, it is evident to seek stars changing position.Does their apparent motion result from the daily or seasonal motion of the Earth?Movement of the stars does not depend on either the seasonal motion of the earth or the daily seasons. Their motion is independent of these parameters. In fact, stars move independently in space. Motions of different stars do not take defined direction as many would expect but rather may move in any direction in the space.

Work citedCraig, Brown.. The Little Dipper and the Earth’s Tilt and Rotation, 2012. Retrieved from https://craigssenseofwonder.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/the-little-dipper-and-the-earths-tilt-and-rotation/ web.