Chapter 11. The AstroInfo Project

AstroInfo: Table of Contents

Here you can find a collection of short articles that explain various astronomical concepts used in KStars. From coordinate systems to celestial mechanics, you can find answers to your questions here.

The articles sometimes also contain exercises that you can perform with KStars to illustrate the concept behind the article.

The Sky and Coordinate Systems

• Celestial Coordinate Systems
  • The Equatorial Coordinate System
  • The Horizontal Coordinate System
  • The Ecliptic Coordinate System
  • The Galactic Coordinate System
• The Celestial Equator
• The Celestial Poles
• The Celestial Sphere
• The Ecliptic
• The Equinoxes
• Geographic Coordinates
• Great Circles
• The Horizon
• Hour Angle
• The Local Meridian
• Precession
• The Zenith

Time

• Epoch
• Julian Day
• Leap Years
• Sidereal Time
• Time Zones
• Universal Time

Instrumentation

• Telescopes
  • Aperture and Focal Ratio
  • Aberrations
  • Magnification
  • Field of View
  • Types of Telescopes
  • Optical Telescopes
  • Observations in Other Wavelengths
  • Space-Based Observations

Physics

• Blackbody Radiation
• Dark Matter
• Flux
• Luminosity
• Parallax
• Retrograde Motion

Astrophysics

• Elliptical Galaxies
• Spiral Galaxies
• Magnitude Scale
• Stars: An Introductory FAQ
  • What are the stars?
  • Is the Sun a star?
  • Why do stars shine?
  • The obvious next question is: why are stars so hot?
  • Are stars all the same?
  • What is the Main Sequence?
  • How long do stars last?
• Star Colors and Temperatures
• Cosmic Distance Ladder
  • Direct measurements
  • Standard candles
  • Other methods