Semester Observing Project

ASTR 111

Observing Project

Spring 2006

Spring 2006 Observing Project

Name: _____________________________________

Section: ____________________________________

Due Date: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 7, 2006

There will be three sections to this project: 1) you will observe celestial motion, 2) you will study the motion of the Moon, and 3) you will select and observe 5 constellations.

Complete the observations as instructed and record them in the included observing log sheets. Then, answer the questions that follow the logs. While answering the questions, you may use books, the internet, etc., as long as you reference all sources from where you get information.

Obviously, you will have to observe stars and constellations when it is dark (though the

Moon will sometimes be visible during the daytime). This is not the safest campus around. PLEASE don’t wander around in the dark by yourselves! I don’t want anyone risking life and limb for their astronomy lab.

Celestial Motion

Time required for observations: 7 weeks

Have you ever noticed that different constellations are visible in the night sky at different times of the year? Do you know why? After thinking about the observations you’re about to take, you should!

1. Pick a spot to observe from. It should be a place that is convenient to get to, since you’ll have to go back throughout the next seven weeks to observe there.

2. Go to your spot at about midnight (remember to bring a friend! there’s safety in numbers) and pick a bright, easily identifiable star other than Polaris (ie the north star)

– one towards the south will work best.

3. Observe the time that the star passes directly over a “ground feature,” like a telephone pole or prominent tree, and record your observation in your log book.

4. Return to your spot in two weeks and observe when the star passes directly above the same ground feature. Record your observations in your log book.

5. Repeat step 4 two times. This means that you’ll make four observations of the star.

Celestial Motion Observing Log

Geographic location of all observations:______________________________________

Latitude: __________________

Longitude: _________________

Star name, if known: ___________________

RA: _____________________ Declination: _____________________

Nearby constellations: ___________________________________________________

Method of star identification: _______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Date of first observation:____________________________ Time:_________________

Observing conditions (cloud cover, temperature, etc.): __________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Star’s Altitude: ___________________ Azimuth: ___________________

Additional Notes:________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Date of second observation:_________________________ Time:_________________


______________________________________________________________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Date of third observation:____________________________ Time:_________________


______________________________________________________________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Date of fourth observation:__________________________ Time:_________________


______________________________________________________________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Celestial Motion Questions

1. Is the star arriving earlier or later as the semester progresses? By how much per day? (Remember to show your work.)

2. Explain why the star is arriving at a different time.

(extra space for Celestial Motions section, if necessary)

Motion and Phases of the Moon

Time required for observations: about 1 month

We see different lunar phases because the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and

Moon change. These observations should give you a better understanding of the

Moon’s motion around the Earth.

1. Observe the Moon during one lunar cycle (between two new phases) on at least ten nights. Make sure at least one night is the full phase. Though successive nights are good, weather permitting, they are not necessary. It is more important to be able to see the surrounding stars so that you can pinpoint the location of the Moon on the night sky.

2. Record the observations in your observing log; make your description of the surrounding constellations and your measurements of the angular distances between the moon and the brighter stars good enough to plot the Moon in the right position on the sky chart.

3. Plot the positions of the Moon on one of the sky charts provided. (You should do this at the time of your observation or immediately afterwards.) Please only use one of the three charts for all of your plotting. Label each position by lunar phase.

4. Make at least one observation during the following lunar cycle when the phase of the

Moon is the same as one of your previous observations. I’d suggest observing the first quarter, last quarter, or full phase.

Phases of the Moon

Image courtesy of http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/

NEW MOON

JAN. 29, 9:15

FEB. 27, 19:31

MAR. 29, 5:15

APR. 27, 15:44

Lunar Phase Dates and Times for 2006

(EST, Daylight Savings Time when appropriate)

FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON

JAN. 6, 13:56 JAN. 14, 4:48

FEB. 5, 1:29

MAR. 6, 15:16

FEB. 12, 23:44

MAR. 14, 18:35

APR. 5, 8:01

MAY 5, 1:13

APR. 13, 12:40

LAST QUARTER

JAN. 22, 10:14

FEB. 21, 2:17

MAR. 22, 14:11

APR. 20, 23:28

MAY 13, 2:51 MAY 20, 5:21

Information courtesy of http://aa.usno.navy.mil/

Motion and Phases of the Moon Observing Log

Date of first observation: ___________________________ Time: _________________

Geographic location: ______________________________________

Latitude: ________________________ Longitude: _______________________


______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Sketch of Moon and the surrounding star field:

Date of second observation: ________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of third observation: ___________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of fourth observation: _________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of fifth observation: ___________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of sixth observation: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of seventh observation: ________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of eighth observation: _________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of ninth observation: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


Date of tenth observation: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


This observation should be taken during the next lunar cycle. The phase should match one of the previous ten observations.

Date of final observation: ________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Lunar Phase: ___________________



______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


FEBRUARY SKY CHART

This is how the sky will appear at 8:30 pm on February 15. Sky chart courtesy of http://www.heavensabove.com

.

MARCH SKY CHART

This is how the sky will appear at 8:30 pm on March 15. Sky chart courtesy of http://www.heavensabove.com

.

APRIL SKY CHART

This is how the sky will appear at 8:30 pm on April 15. Sky chart courtesy of http://www.heavensabove.com

.

Motion and Phases of the Moon Questions/Instructions

1. From your plotted positions on the sky chart, you can determine the average number of degrees per day the moon moves with respect to the stars. What is this average number of degrees per day?

2. There are 360



per sidereal period. Using the information from #1, calculate the lunar sidereal period. (Remember to show your work.)

3. The time interval between two similar consecutive phases of the moon is its synodic period. According to your observations, what is the synodic period?

4. Which is longer, the synodic period or the sidereal period? Why?

5. The ecliptic is the Sun’s path on the Earth’s celestial sphere. On the celestial sphere, the sun travels through the constellations of the zodiac (Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces,

Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, and Sagittarius). On a sky chart, the ecliptic looks like a gently curved, smooth line that goes from east to west, roughly through the centers of the zodiac constellations. Draw in the ecliptic.

6. According to your sky chart, what phase is the moon when it is closest to the ecliptic?

What does this imply about the way the Earth, Moon, and Sun are positioned in space during this phase? What phase is the Moon when it is furthest away from the ecliptic?

What does this imply about the way the Earth, Moon, and Sun are positioned in space during this phase? (Feel free to use pictures as well as words.)

6. Draw a curve on your star chart where the Moon’s orbit (from your plotted positions) crosses the ecliptic. What is the angle that the Moon’s orbit makes with the ecliptic?

What are the implications of this to the frequency of solar and lunar eclipses?

(extra space for Motion and Phases of the Moon section, if necessary)

Independent Observations

Part of the fun of amateur astronomy is exploring the night sky! Observe five constellations of your choosing and record the observations in the following log. Please make sure that at least two of these are constellations that you have not identified before in this class.

In your sketch, indicate the brightness of each star by using different sized dots. If you can tell that a star is a certain color, please note it beside the star.

Log

Date: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________

Constellation Name: ___________________

Sketch of constellation and the surrounding star field:

Date: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________



Date: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________



Date: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________



Date: __________________________ Time: _________________




______________________________________________________________________



Semester Observing Project

ASTR 111

Observing Project

Spring 2006

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ASTR 111

Observing Project

Spring 2006

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