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., everyday casual back-yard astronomy), every star other than the Sun could be treated as 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.