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From the mid-latitudes on Earth, which of the following is true of stars in the sky in the direction of the celestial equator?

User Ypakala
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Final answer:

At mid-latitudes, stars near the celestial equator rise and set at an angle to the horizon, making a long path across the sky that corresponds to the observer's latitude.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the mid-latitudes on Earth, looking in the direction of the celestial equator, stars will be observed to rise and set at an angle to the horizon. This is due to the fact that the celestial equator intersects the horizon at an angle for observers located away from the Earth's equator.

Unlike observers at the Earth's equator, who see the celestial equator pass directly overhead through the zenith, observers at mid-latitudes find the celestial equator and the stars along it traverse the sky along a longer, diagonal path.

Additionally, the angle at which stars rise and set in the mid-latitudes corresponds to the observer's geographical latitude. As the Earth rotates, stars located near the celestial equator make a long, ovoid path across the sky.

User Lars Yencken
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