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One of the oldest fields in astronomy, and in all of science, is the measurement of the positions of celestial objects. Historically, accurate knowledge of the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars has been essential in celestial navigation (the use of celestial objects to guide navigation) and in the making of calendars. [66]: 39
In astronomy, coordinate systems are used for specifying positions of celestial objects (satellites, planets, stars, galaxies, etc.) relative to a given reference frame, based on physical reference points available to a situated observer (e.g. the true horizon and north to an observer on Earth's surface). [1] Coordinate systems in astronomy can ...
In planetary astronomy, a centaur is a small Solar System body that orbits the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune and crosses the orbits of one or more of the giant planets. . Centaurs generally have unstable orbits because of this; almost all their orbits have dynamic lifetimes of only a few million years, [1] but there is one known centaur, 514107 KaŹ»epaokaŹ»awela, which may be in a stable ...
A small Solar System body (SSSB) is an object in the Solar System that is neither a planet, a dwarf planet, nor a natural satellite. The term was first defined in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as follows: "All other objects, except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as 'Small Solar System Bodies ' ".
Space science is the study of everything in outer space. [26] This has sometimes been called astronomy , but recently astronomy has come to be regarded as a division of broader space science, which has grown to include other related fields, [ 27 ] such as studying issues related to space travel and space exploration (including space medicine ...
The term "comparative planetology" was coined by George Gamow, who reasoned that to fully understand our own planet, we must study others. Poldervaart focused on the Moon, stating "An adequate picture of this original planet and its development to the present earth is of great significance, is in fact the ultimate goal of geology as the science leading to knowledge and understanding of earth's ...
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. [1] [2] As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the heavenly bodies, rather than their positions or motions in space—what they are, rather than where they are", [3] which is studied ...
An object with an axial tilt between 90 degrees and 180 degrees is rotating in the opposite direction to its orbital direction. Regardless of inclination or axial tilt, the north pole of any planet or moon in the Solar System is defined as the pole that is in the same celestial hemisphere as Earth's north pole.