Physics 146   

 

Observing Resources - Part A

Edmund Scientific Star and Planet Locator.

Name/Section__________________________ Name/Section__________________________
Name/Section__________________________ Name/Section__________________________

The front of the chart:
1. Explain why East and West appear to be "backwards" from what you would find on a terrestrial map.
 

2. What latitude is this chart designed for?
 

3. Where is the star Polaris on the locator?
 

4. About how far is the star Polaris from the North Celestial Pole?
 

5. What does the solid line on the spinning part of the finder represent?
 

6. What does the dashed line on the spinning part of the finder represent?
 

Use string (or a ruler) to locate the meridian line on the finder. The zenith point is the point in the sky that is straight overhead. The zenith is located along the meridian approximately in the center of the "sky opening" of the finder.

For this exercise, lets say we are observing on September 5th at 9:00 P.M. Find the tick-mark on the edge of the finder that represents 9:00 P.M. (a convenient time to observe). Note that the hours shown are for standard time. Clocks "spring forward" during daylight savings time, so 9:00 P.M. on your watch will be 8:00 P.M. on the dial. (i.e. - look at the 8:00 during daylight savings time.) Rotate the dial so that September 5 lines up with 8 P.M. on the dial. There is a very bright star crossing the meridian at that time.

7. What very bright star is transiting the meridian?
 

8. Later in the evening, the star Deneb will transit the meridian. How many hours later will Deneb transit?
 

9. On September 5th at 9:00 P.M., which side of the celestial equator is the ecliptic - closer to the horizon or to the zenith?
 

10. Which direction did you have to rotate "the sky" for Deneb to transit the meridian? (clockwise or counterclockwise?)
 

11. On March 15th (back on standard time) what time of day does the star Deneb cross the meridian?
 

12. Can you watch Deneb cross the meridian on March 15th? Why or why not?
 

Now rotate your chart to be observing on September 5th at 5:00 A.M. (4:00 on your dial). Not that we will actually do this during the semester, but note that on any given night it is possible to observe almost the entire set of available stars!

The back of the chart:
13. How bright (what magnitude) is the star Vega?
 

14. What stars visible at 40 degrees latitude are as bright or brighter? (And how bright are they?)
 

15. List three places you might find up-to-date information on sky events, such as meteor showers, eclipses and lunar conjunctions, etc.
 

16. On which part of the chart are constellations most distorted?
 

17. Of the five easily visible planets, how far from the ecliptic do they ever stray?  (i.e. how wide is the zodiac?)
 


18. What planets are visible this semester, and what constellations are they in?
 




19. Show that you can figure out what time of day a planet (or constellation) will rise.  Assume the planet is in Leo and you are observing on December 15th.  About when does Leo rise over the eastern the horizon?  About how long does it take to cross the horizon? (Use the front of your Star and Planet Finder)