1. Study Points (marked with *)
Describe positions of stars, Moon, Sun on the sky using direction and altitude. Do this when looking at the sky or a star chart.
Measure altitudes using the fist method.
Define and use horizon and zenith. Know how many degrees between horizon and zenith.
Describe how to correctly hold and orient a star chart and use it to find stars and constellations.
Practice star hopping to locate stars and constellations.
Explain why the date and time are included on star charts and what causes each to change.
State the magnitude scale for stars. Given a star’s magnitude, identify if it is bright or faint.
Define rotation and revolution as used by astronomers. Use them correctly when describing the motion of Earth, other planets, Sun and Moon.
Identify and use the correct color light to maintain dark adaptation when stargazing.
Come show me your 2 flashcards of objectives
DEMONSTRATION MATERIALS: Flashlight with red filter, Earth Globe, Orrery, Curtain, Red & Green Lasers, STOP sign, sparklers, lighter, water bottle, star chart with notes, tape
Handouts: skymap

2. Stargazing
Stargazing techniques and tips: how to get the most out of looking up at the stars (slideshow on class website – mctcteach.org)
Show 2 flashcards to me.
If you haven’t given me a code to use for your grades on the class website, see Raquel.

3. Sky Software Starry Night College ($30) SkyX Stellarium (free)
Celestia (free)
Google Earth and Google Sky (free)

4. Sky Phone Apps (all free)
Google Sky
Look for: Star Chart or Sky Map or similar
Phases of the Moon
Sunrise Sunset
ISS Detector (International Space Station)
NASA
Lots of other star apps out there
Let me know if you have a favorite as the semester progresses

5. Positions in the sky - Direction
How can you find N, S, E, or W?
Compass, phone, map, car, GPS, north star=Polaris

6. Positions in the sky – Direction*
How can you find N, S, E, or W?
Compass
Phone/GPS/Car
Map
North Star = Polaris
Use the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) and its 2 pointer stars on the end of the cup to point to Polaris in the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor)*
Compass, phone, map, car, GPS, north star=Polaris

7. Positions in the sky – Altitude*
Altitude is an angle in degrees*
Measured from horizon or zenith
Can also be measured from another star or constellation
Horizon – intersection of Earth and sky*
About eye level, 0 degrees*
Zenith – point in sky directly overhead*
90 degrees, straight up*
Halfway between horizon & zenith = 45 degrees
Fist Method: Extended fist is ~10 degrees*
Exercise (Height of building from ground)
Altitude in astronomy means height in sky
Use horizon and zenith
Use elevation
About 45 degrees (half way between zenith and horizon)
Extended fist is about 10 degrees across knuckles (no thumb, put thumb over fingers)
Use extended fist to measure “heights” above horizon (Use eye level as the horizon.)
Use extended fist to measure the angle between two objects
Exercise (Right angle in classroom)
Exercise (Height of building from lobby)
Ex: Moon is toward the SE and 30o above the horizon.
Ex: I saw a bright object in the North about 60o above the horizon.
Ex: Around August 15 at 10 pm, Vega will be located near the zenith.
Handout at end of slide

8. Star Charts Print current month of the Sky Map if you missed lecture:
Find N, S, E, W
Orienting the star chart (how to hold it)
Hold the star chart so that the direction you are facing is closest to you.*
If you face N, hold N down on the chart, closest to you.
Directions are printed around the circular edge of the star chart

10. http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1901.pdf Add star chart here
Replace each semester
Handout at beginning of slide
Add current sky map here (convert pdf to jpg) or using snipping tool

11. From Star Chart to Sky Note where constellation is on map
Use direction and altitude*
Use fist method to find it in sky
Examples
Polaris
Venus

12. Star Hopping*
Estimate direction and altitude (degrees) when moving from one star to another star*
Ursa Major to Ursa Minor (Polaris), use pointing stars
Summer/Fall: Ursa Major: arc to Arturus (in Bootes)
Cassiopeia: left V eats Polaris
Cassiopeia: right V points to Andromeda (only galaxy visible to the naked eye); then Andromeda curves to Great Square of Pegasus
Summer/Fall: Deneb (NE) to Altair (southern tip of Summer Triangle) points to bottom left of The Teapot handle
Winter/Spring: Orion’s belt, left to Sirius, right to Aldebaran (Taurus) and Pleiades
Winter/Spring: Algol and Capella near zenith, Castor and Pollux of Gemini
Start Hopping: Go from one star to another star and tell direction

13. Greek Letters on star charts
Brightest stars in that constellation
Alpha ( α ), brightest
Beta ( β ), 2nd brightest
Gamma (γ ), 3rd brightest
Delta ( δ ), 4th brightest
Example: Deneb in Cygnus is Alpha Cygni and is the brightest star in Cygnus
First 4 are the brightest in that constellation; alpha is brightest
Sirius is alpha canis major

14. Why is the TIME on the star chart?*

15. Why is the TIME on the star chart?*
Earth’s Rotation…*
Displays different constellations throughout the night
Rotation is spin around an axis*
In the northern hemisphere, the stars appear to rotate around Polaris, the North Celestial Pole.

16. Polaris, the North Star, with all of the stars moving around it
Polaris, the North Star, with all of the stars moving around it. The star trails are from the Earth’s rotation.

17. Why is the DATE on the star chart?*

18. Why is the DATE on the star chart?*
Earth’s Revolution...*
Displays different constellations throughout the year
Revolution is orbital motion*
Revolve = Orbit

19. The Ecliptic is also the plane of Earth’s path around the Sun.
13th is Ophiuchus, between Scorpius and Sagittarius
12 Constellations of the Zodiac seen throughout the year because of Earth’s revolution.
The zodiacal constellations are located along the Sun’s path on Earth (Ecliptic).
The Ecliptic is also the plane of Earth’s path around the Sun.

20. Apparent Visual Magnitude*
Hipparchus
1 (first magnitude) bright to eye
2 (second magnitude) fainter
…6 (sixth magnitude) faintest to eye
1st magnitude is 100 times brighter than the 6th magnitude
Originally based on Polaris (apparent magnitude = 2)
Later extended to negative numbers
The smaller the number, the brighter it is.*
-1 (negative 1) is brighter than 2 (positive 2)
The larger the number, the fainter (dimmer) it is.*
Example: Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and has an apparent magnitude of -1.5
(draw Little Dipper constellation on whiteboard)

21. Dark Adaptation
In dark, eye pupil enlarges to let in more light. In sun, pupil shrinks to keep out light. Exercise with dim lights
(draw Little Dipper constellation on whiteboard)

22. Dark Adaptation
When stargazing, eye pupil needs to open up (~15 minutes)
Eyes have cones and rods (photoreceptors)
Cones see color & adapt to darkness quickly
Rods take minutes to adapt to darkness
Pupil shuts down quickly in response to white light but not to red light.
Use red flashlights for night star viewing so that you do not wreck dark adaptation of your eyes.*
Cones are more concentrated in center with rods around them

23. Dark Adaptation Show red covered flashlights
Turn lights off and use curtains
Show colors displayed around the room
Color differentiation disappears after 10 minutes (color is from cones)
About 15 minutes in, rods take over; no color and now see light trails (sparklers); laser demo

24. Dark Adaptation Blind Spot
Little dipper & Polaris example
Look to the side of fainter stars to be able to see them
(draw Little Dipper constellation on whiteboard)
Add demo of sparklers and then show red laser and hopefully green laser will light up in smoke left from sparklers
Cones in center for color and look to side of star for rods to see star because cones are shut down due to low light

25. Eye Blind Spot Cross-dot demo of blind spot (draw on paper)

26. Dark Skies
It is important to get to the darkest skies possible to view the most stars possible.
Light pollution – light making fewer stars visible in the night sky
Light pollution level video: (2:53)
International Dark Sky Association (watch at home)
Light pollution video & what you can do
(6:25)
Light pollution map:

27. Observation Projects
100+ points of observations available but only a max of 100 points will be given. Currently at 130 points but more might be added later.
You can submit any of these on D2L or by or in person during lecture on the due date. Due 11:59pm on due date.
Lunar Eclipse Due Jan. 29 (5 points) View lunar eclipse on Jan. 20 and take 2 pictures
Earth-Sun Scale Model Due Jan. 29 (10 points) Create a scaled model & take a picture
2 New Observations starting today
Sunset – Part 1 Due Feb. 19 (10 points) Take 1st picture of sunset in a location you can return for part 2
Stargazing Due May 14 (20 points) Go star gazing & write short report

28. Homework
Korey Haynes teaching for me on Thursday, Jan. 24, for lecture and lab.
Complete the first D2L Quiz about Scaling and Estimating from last Thursday.
Work on the 4 Observations. See previous slide.
Lab – arrive this week with the necessary materials to your scheduled lab time (notebook, write-up, prep work, pen)
Optional video review: Naked Eye Observations: Crash Course Astronomy #2
Continue flashcards of STUDY POINTS. I will not be checking them again. This is up to you to keep up.
If you haven’t shown me your flashcards yet, do so now.
Show D2L quizzes
Show website and how to update each page with refresh