Neil deGrasse Tyson's Guide to Skywatching

What does AM or PM mean? Neil deGrasse Tyson walk comedian Chuck Nice through the different lines in the sky, their meanings, and how they are used in science. How do you use the coordinates for a specific star?

Discover the sun’s path along the sky, how far it travels every day, and what Chuck thought AM and PM meant. We explore using right ascension and declination to create coordinates for stars. How does Earth’s precession get factored into this coordinate system? Learn about lines like the meridian, celestial equator, ecliptic, and the galactic equator. Plus, find out why the Zodiac signs are off an entire constellation.

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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00:00 - Introduction
00:21 - Ante Meridian & Post Meridian
2:32 - The Solar Ecliptic
5:38 - How Does The Sky’s Coordinate System Factor in Precession?
10:03 - Impact on Zodiac Signs
13:00 - In Closing: The Finish Line

[delphinmutaka]

I grew up in Africa, my mother who is now 99 and still strong and sharp used to tell me about these lines but in my mother language. It is amazing to hear Neil explaining things so nicely.

[thomashuber]

I really enjoy the chemistry between NDT and Chuck Nice. While Chuck is a comedian, not a scientist, he is intelligent and well informed, making his comedic observations amusing and informative. He needs to perform in Portland Oregon.

[AccessCode]

Thank you for hiring graphic designers and animators. These videos are so much better this way.

[MarlonOwnsYourCake]

I like how his role is "I'm not the scientist, I'm just a comedian" but he's doing all this math in his head instantly

[PlanAhead-db]

Ante meridiem and post meridiem. Committing them to memory.
Thank you

[lehlohonolorichardshuping]

I recently came back from camping with friends out at the Drakensberg mountains. I felt like an expert amongst my peers helping them identify constellations and some stars and planets. I got all that knowledge from this incredible channel.

[Arnica_Burdock]

Neil is so endearing, I can't help grinning watching him explain things.

[MichaelDembinski]

Loved it. I'm 66 and have learned a whole lot of new stuff! Right ascension and declination, precession, galactic equator – fascinating, thank you guys for the facts and the laughter!

[Eaglesrule]

As a person who recently started doing Astrophotography, this is made things click. Thanks Neil and Chuck! StarTalk is the best educational channel on Youtube.

[tj_enju]

for a large part of my life AM has meant "After mid-night", and PM "Past mid-Day"

[vitkomazzetti]

Okay, Neil, I'm a astronomy enthusiast, but your explanation about the lines on the sky REALLY astounded me. I learned a lot, and i am very thankful ... :)

[ParduzTube]

In italian, "noon" is "mezzogiorno" (literally mid-day) which comes from the latin "meridies"... which originates also the word "meridian".
The italian word for Afternoon is "pomeriggio", which is a contraption of "post-meridian".
This makes me a bit less surprise when Neil explain these stuffs, as it is part of my everyday language :)

[john.carlson]

I have so memories as a kid of my Dad taking my brother and me out at night to find constellations. Such great memories!

[andypeiffer]

I love how methodical Neil's teachings are

[Bryan.Hernandez]

I love seeing a cut away when he makes a joke. That just meant Neil was laughing so hard that it took sometime to get it back together and continue his lesson lol

[SuperiorDave]

I love listening to these conversations. The graphics and cut aways make it even better, too. This is great.

[tj_enju]

The addition of editors/ clever editing, animations... its taking the channel in a direction that I really like. I can see a full on animation with animated versions of Neil and Lord Chuck immersed in an ''explainer'' universe of outer space worlds

[leighcoleman]

I will have to watch this multiple times to understand the concepts. Loved it.

[watchingdanny]

Fun fact: Grand Central Station in NYC has all 13 Zodiac constellations on the ceiling of the main entrance.

[greenjelly]

"Them royalties dried up!" 😂 what wit and timing!