Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,506,502,043 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

diurnal circle
(redirected from Diurnal motion)

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.17 sec.
diurnal circle (dīûr`nəl), apparent path followed by a star due to the earth's rotation on its axis. The stars appear to move on the celestial sphere celestial sphere, imaginary sphere of infinite radius with the earth at its center. It is used for describing the positions and motions of stars and other objects.
..... Click the link for more information.
 in concentric circular paths centered at the celestial poles. Since the earth rotates west to east, the stars appear to move from east to west along their diurnal circles. Stars whose diurnal circles lie completely above the horizon are called circumpolar stars circumpolar star, star whose diurnal circle lies completely above or completely below an observer's horizon. A star whose diurnal circle lies above the horizon never sets, even though it cannot be seen during the day.
..... Click the link for more information.
.


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.