553 Astronomy Unit 2 Naked Eye Astro, Celestial Coords

By the end of this unit, a successful student will be able to:

• explain the concept of celestial sphere and identify zenith, nadir, altitude, azimuth, (1.3, The Stars)
• identify RA & dec, meredian, celestial equator, first point of Ares. (1.3, The Stars)
• describe the apparent motion of sun and planets relative to stars and define the ecliptic and zodiac (1.4, 2.2, The Stars)
• Explain how the seasons relate to Sun-Earth geometry (1.4, 1.5)
• Understand the relationship of the lunar calendar to moon phases and relate moon phases to Moon-Earth-Sun configuration (1.6)
• Understand the motion of moon relative to stars (1.6)
• Describe how the orientation of the Earth, Moon and Sun relate to eclipses & explain how and what eclipses reveal about the shapes of the Earth, Moon, and Sun(1.6)

All assignments are due on the date listed. That is not the date they are assigned.

Due date Day Assignment

9/15 Tue Read: 1.3 & More Precisely 1-1

Do: Project Star (PS) pp. 6-8: #1-7

Moon observations

9/16 Wed Read: The Stars 108-115 (H A Rey)

More Precisely 1-2 (Chaisson p. 12)

Do: Write definitions of: altitude, meridian, north celestial pole,

south celestial pole, solar day, sidereal day, celestial equator

Moon observations

Celestial Coordinates Lab (in class)

9/17 Thu Read: 1.4

Do: p. 30: R&D 9, 10, 11

pp. 30-31: T/F&MC: 4, 5, 13

Moon observations

Celestial Coordinates lab (in class)

9/18 Fri Do: Moon observations

Do PS pp. 6-9 problems 8-11;

Self test: 1-6

in class – finish Celestial Coordinates lab

9/21 Mon Read: 1.5

Read: The Stars pp. 116-123 (H.A. Rey)

Do: p. 30: R&D 12

p. 31: T/F&MC: 14

p. 31 Problems: 4 (see section 1.4)

The Stars question:

If you were to go to Mumbai (Bombay), India (latitude 19° N) how high would the NCP be above the horizon?

If you were to go to Johannesburg, South Africa

(latitude 26° S) how high would the SCP be above the

horizion?

9/22 Tue Read: 1.6

Do: p. 30 R&D 13, 14, 15

pp. 30-31 T/F & MC: 6,7,8, 15, 16

9/23 Wed Test (1.3 – 1.6: Celestial coordinates and the apparent relative

motion of the Moon, Sun, and Earth)

9/24 Thu Activities Fair

Observation Targets:

Evening: Saturn (low west)

Andromeda Galaxy

Early morning: Venus (low East, mid September)

Orion Nebula

Pleiades

Andromeda Galaxy

Online Labs: Basic Cooridnates and Seasons - UNL: http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/motion1.html

The Rotating Sky - UNL: http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion2/motion2.html

Motions of the Sun - UNL: http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/motion3_i.html

Lunar Phases - UNL: http://astro.unl.edu/naap/lps/lps.html

Links - Naked Eye Astronomy

• Celestial Coordinates
• Professor Dan Bruton of Steven F. Austin University has made available Free Star Charts showing the constellations and brighter stars. New! 9/5/07