To learn about the Solar System, it helps to understand coordinates
that can be used to describe it.
|
A simple x-y graph
|
You may have seen coordinates on an x-y graph - x goes horizontally
and y goes vertically. The graph at the right is a very simple graph of x and y.
But to make a graph of the Solar System, we need to use a different type of coordinates. We are
looking from Earth, and Earth is a sphere. So we must use coordinates that can work on the
surface of a sphere. The coordinates for the sky are based on coordinates for the Earth.
Click Next to learn about how Earth coordinates work.
|