Things You Thought You Knew – The Geometric Universe
StarTalk Radio
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Navigating the Celestial Sphere
Exploring the intricacies of celestial navigation, this chapter covers meridians, celestial equator, and the sun's daily path against background stars. Delving into celestial mechanics, it discusses Earth's tilt, ecliptic, and the shifting nature of celestial coordinates due to a 26,000 year cycle, impacting our understanding of the sky's grid system. The conversation also addresses the historical practice of manually adjusting celestial coordinates before the era of computers, and the humorous confusion surrounding astrological signs and the discovery of the 13th constellation, Ophiuchus.
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