Celestial sphere

Celestial Sphere

The Celestial Sphere (pronunciation: /səˈlɛstʃəl ˈsfɪər/) is an abstract sphere, with an arbitrarily large radius, that is concentric to Earth. The Celestial Sphere is used in Astronomy to describe the positions of objects such as stars, planets, and galaxies in the sky.

Etymology

The term "Celestial Sphere" originates from the Latin words "caelestis" meaning "heavenly" and "sphaera" meaning "globe" or "ball".

Related Terms

• Celestial Pole: The projection of the Earth's North and South Pole onto the celestial sphere.
• Celestial Equator: The projection of the Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere.
• Ecliptic: The apparent path of the Sun on the celestial sphere.
• Zenith: The point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer.
• Nadir: The point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer.
• Meridian: A great circle passing through the celestial poles and the zenith of a particular location.

See Also

• Astronomical Coordinate Systems
• Equatorial Coordinate System
• Horizontal Coordinate System

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Celestial sphere
• Wikipedia's article - Celestial sphere

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