What is the range of altitude for celestial objects as observed from Earth?

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Dive into the AST2002 Astronomy Midterm at UCF. Enhance your understanding through engaging flashcards and insightful multiple-choice questions. Prepare effectively and boost your confidence for this academic challenge!

The range of altitude for celestial objects as observed from Earth is indeed from 0 to 90 degrees. In celestial navigation, altitude refers to the angle between an object in the sky and the observer's local horizon. An altitude of 0 degrees indicates that an object is at the horizon, while an altitude of 90 degrees signifies that an object is directly overhead (at the zenith).

Understanding this range is essential for various applications, including astronomy, navigation, and understanding the position of celestial objects in the sky. Objects below the horizon have negative altitude values, which extends the range to -90 degrees theoretically, but in practical terms for observational purposes, it is more standard to consider the altitude within 0 to 90 degrees, reflecting only visible celestial objects.

The other ranges provided in the choices do not accurately define the observable region for celestial objects as they include angles that do not pertain to altitude in this context.