Astrophysics (Index) | About |
The term fixed star refers to a star that remains in the same position in the celestial sphere, unlike, for example, solar system planets. For many purposes, e.g., tracking solar system objects, every star other than the Sun is a fixed star. For analysis of proper motion or parallax-distance measurements of stars, the phrase fixed stars might be used to mean stars far more distant whose position in the sky is relatively constant.