AST-1002
Section 1025, Fall 2015
Additional Instructions for the Telescope Observing project at the Campus
Teaching Observatory
 Attend a session at the Campus Teaching Observatory on a clear Friday
night
 A map of the observatory location is here:
http://www.astro.ufl.edu/information/cto.html
 The observatory is open on Fridays between 8:30 and 10:00 PM
 The observatory will be open for Public Night every Friday (weather
permitting) except for the Homecoming and Thanksgiving holiday. The
schedule can be found here:
http://www.astro.ufl.edu/events/pubobs/publicsched.html
 If you have doubt about the sky conditions, call the observatory number
392-1016 for a recorded message after 8:00 PM. Do not call earlier. The
current message is not recorded until 8 PM.
 If the sky is clear, there is no need to call, just show up at the observatory.
 If it is raining, there is a lightning/thunder storm, tornado alert or bad
weather, do not attempt to come. The observatory will be closed under
these conditions.
 Make a copy of the first page of the observing form and bring it to the
observatory. You will need this page to sketch the objects. Bring pencil.
 Observe two objects. If more objects are available, take a look to all of
them first and decide which of all the objects are best for the project.
 You have to observe the objects through a telescope. Naked eye
observations do not count.
 If it is cloudy and you cannot observe two objects, you will have to come
back another night. Observing a single star through a telescope does not
count as one of the objects.
 Sign the Visitor’s (or Guest) log book to keep a record of your attendance
on that night.
 Look through the eyepiece and make a sketch of the objects. Please
remember that other people are in line waiting to use the telescope.
 You can find information about the objects in the posters and in the chalk
board at the observatory.
 If the object has a Messier number, enter that number in the form.
 Ask questions about the objects to the staff and volunteers.
 Write down a description and any notes about the objects while you are at
the observatory. Include the number of objects that you can see in the field
of the eyepiece, orientation respect to each other, colors and shapes of the
objects. If it is a planet, describe any features in the disc, the number of
satellites visible and the orientation of satellites respect to features in the
disc. Record and label the names of the satellites if it is a Jovian planet.
 Request a token from one of the staff members. Make sure you have
completed the first page of the observing form before you ask for a token.
 Staple the token to the upper right corner of the Observing form when you
turn in the form.
 Turn in the observing form in class.
 Park in the parking lot south of the Welcome Center (south side of Museum
Road). Go to the south west corner of the parking lot and walk down the
hill. The observatory is a rectangular building surrounded by a wooden
fence.
 DO NOT park near or around the observatory. That area is for “Service
Vehicles” only and you may get a ticket.
 Turn in the report before or at the Deadline
 DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST SESSION. If it is cloudy on the last session,
you may find yourself out of luck… As you probably know, cloudy nights are
common in Gainesville!
An example:
Object Name: Pleiades (Seven Sisters, Subaru)
Object Type: Open (or galactic) cluster
Object Distance: 440 light years
Messier number: M45
Constellation: Taurus
Description: Seven bright stars surrounded by several fainter starts. The bright
stars form the shape of a dipper. Stars are white-bluish color.
Additional information:
Magnitude: +1.6
Apparent dimensions: 110 arc min
Note: This cluster is one of the brightest galactic clusters in the sky, visible with
the naked eye