Cepheid Variables Explains how astronomers are able to measure the distance to stars that are too far away for parallax to be observed. Constellations Displays many of the major constellations, their related Greek myths, and where to look for each constellation in the night sky. Planets and the Sun Explains how to use constellations as guideposts for observing the motion of the sun, planets, and even comets throughout the year. Other topics covered include retrograde motion, the ecliptic and the sun, and Venus as the evening and morning star. Motion Explains different types of motion and discusses the effects they have on the observed phenomena.
Scientific Notation Explains how scientific notation is used to manipulate very large numbers.
Astronomers are confronted with very large numbers and scientific notation serves as a way to express these numbers. Graphs Explains how to plot coordinates to create a map and how to use coordinates on x-y axes to plot points. Other topics include an explanation of how the coordinates of longitude and latitude correspond to right ascension and declination, the coordinates used to locate stars. Trigonometry Explains the basic properties of right triangles. The concepts of sine, cosine, and tangent are discussed.