Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Exploring the Night Sky

September 28, 2010

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Exploring the Night Sky

Objectives
Learn how to locate and identify objects in the night sky using your naked eye, binoculars, and small telescopes

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Exploring the Night Sky

Course Outline

Session 1 OC lodge - Ron

Presentation: Orientation to the Night Sky Viewing: Naked eye, binoculars, some telescope

Session 2 Blue Canyon Ron/All

Viewing: Emphasis on Deep Sky Objects with telescopes & binoculars
Meet at OC Lodge Fitness center at 5:30 Leave at 5:45 Release Forms Carpooling
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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Presented by Ron Olson September 28, 2010

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Objectives
To learn how the sky moves To learn what kind of objects you can see To learn how to locate objects in the sky using:
Star Charts Planispheres Star Hopping
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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Topics:
Star motion What kinds objects can you see? Where is it in the sky? Tonights Observing Plan

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Topics:
Star motion What kinds objects can you see? Where is it in the sky? Tonights Observing Plan

How Do Stars Move?

Celestial Sphere
Stars dont move (much)

Earths orbit around the Sun

Sky changes throughout the year

Earth Orbit - November

Midn ight

Earth

November - 2009

Earth Orbit - January

Mid nig h

Earth

January - 2010

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How Do Stars Move?

Earths Rotation
Sky changes throughout the day and night North Celestial Pole
Polaris the North Star Polaris always in the same location

Rising and Setting

Circumpolar - never sets Some southern hemisphere stars never rise Others rise in the East, set in the west

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North Celestial Pole (NCP)

Star Trails around Polaris

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Topics:
Star motion What kinds objects can you see? Where is it in the sky? Tonights Observing Plan

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North

Little Dipper

Asterisms Big Dipper

North

What can I see in the night sky?

Stars
Asterisms
An easily identified grouping of stars Often part of a larger constellation Informal names

Constellations
Entire sky divided into 88 pieces Each constellation figure is contained within its constellation boundary Formal names
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Ursa Minor

Constellations

Ursa Major

North

Little Bear

Big Bear

North

Ursa Minor

Ursa Major

Ursa Minor

Ursa Major

What can I see in the night sky?

Stars
Asterisms Constellations
Zodiac

Star Clusters

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Open Star Cluster

Perseus Double Cluster

Photo: Sky and Telescope

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Globular Star Cluster

M13 Hercules Cluster

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What can I see in the night sky?

Stars
Asterisms Constellations Star Clusters Double Stars

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Double Star

Albireo

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Alcor/Mizar double star in Ursa Major

Alcor

Mizar
Photo: Sky and Telescope

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What can I see in the night sky?

Stars
Asterisms Constellations Star Clusters Double Stars

Moon Planets and their moons Nebulae Galaxies Comets

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The Moon

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Saturn

Jupiter

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Nebulae
Orion Nebula reflected starlight

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Nebulae
Ring Nebula

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Galaxies
Andromeda Galaxy

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Galaxies
M83 is probably what our galaxy looks like

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Topics:
Star motion What kinds objects can you see? Where is it in the sky? Tonights Observing Plan

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Where is it in the sky?

What direction should I look?
North, South, East or West

How High in the sky should I look?

On the horizon, overhead, halfway up?

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Where is it in the sky?

Star Chart Basics Locating North Using a Star Chart Planispheres Star Hopping

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Star Chart Basics

Star Charts provide a map of stars and other celestial objects in the sky
For specific latitude Drawn for specific dates/times Monthly charts provide sufficient accuracy for most purposes Popular astronomy magazines have monthly centerfold Star Charts
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More Star Charts

Planets/Moon
Planets at mid-month position Moon at specific dates Only planets in good viewing position shown

Sky & Telescope website

Bi-Monthly Star Charts can be printed Online Star Charts

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10 PM in late Sept 9 PM in early Oct

How to use Star Charts

Basic Star Chart Orientation
Outside edge is horizon Center is the zenith (directly overhead)

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Horizon Directly Overhead (Zenith)

How to use Star Charts

Basic Star Chart Orientation
Outside edge is horizon Center is the zenith (directly overhead) Orient chart with direction you are facing at the bottom Distance above the horizon towards the center is the height
Halfway between horizon (edge) and center of chart is halfway between horizon and directly overhead in the sky
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Direction

Height

Directly Overhead

Direction

Height Halfway Up

Facing South

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Where is it in the sky?

Star Chart Basics Locating North Using a Star Chart Planispheres Star Hopping

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What direction is North?

Facing North
East is on your right - where the sun rises West is on your left - where the sun sets Polaris, the North Star is directly in front of you

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Polaris the North star

The Big Dipper

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What direction is North?

Finding Polaris
Height above horizon always equals your latitude
40 for Sacramento area Approximately way above the horizon

Pointer from the end of the Big Dipper Pointer from the middle of Cassiopeia Note: a compass points to magnetic north, not true north
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North

Polaris the North star

Cassiopea

Little Dipper

Big Dipper

North

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Where is it in the sky?

Star Chart Basics Locating North Using a Star Chart Planispheres Star Hopping

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How do I find The Summer Triangle?

Locate the asterism The Summer Triangle on the Star Chart

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The Summer Triangle

Deneb Vega

Altair

How do I find The Summer Triangle?

What direction do I look?

Rotate the Star Chart so that the horizon below The Summer Triangle is at the bottom
West

Face the direction at the bottom of the chart (West)

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Deneb

Altair

Vega

How do I find The Summer Triangle?

How high do I look?

Estimate approximately how high The Summer Triangle is above the horizon
A little below the zenith (directly overhead)

Look West above the horizon almost directly overhead

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Zenith

What will I actually see?

Naked Eye View

Starry Night program shows view similar to what your eye will see with your naked eye Real sky view will be similar but much larger

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Facing West

9:00 PM
Summer Triangle 3 Constellations

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Cygnus

Lyra

Aquila

Deneb

Summer Triangle

Altair Vega

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9:00 PM

Cygnus

Aquila Lyra

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9:00 PM

Northern Cross

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9:00 PM

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9:00 PM

Facing West

9:00 PM
Summer Triangle
Bright stars
Vega, Deneb, Altair

Constellations
Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila

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Facing East

9:00 PM
Jupiter

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Jupiter

9:00 PM

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Where is it in the sky?

Star Chart Basics Locating North Using a Star Chart Planispheres Star Hopping

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Date

Time of Day (standard time)

Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Where is it in the sky?

Star Chart Basics Locating North Using a Star Chart Planispheres Star Hopping

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Big Dipper

Arc to Arcturus

Spike to Spica W

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Observing Tips
Start at sunset
Look for brightest stars to appear first

Look West early, East later Everything looks much larger in the real sky The Moon
New or 3rd Qtr Moon best for dim objects Check the paper for moon phase/rise/set times Looks great in binoculars!

More accurate Star Charts

Set for desired date and time Online at Sky and Telescope/Night Sky magazine website Monthly charts include planets Planispheres
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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Topics:
Star motion What kinds objects can you see? Where is it in the sky? Tonights Observing Plan

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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky Tonights Observing Plan

Finding the North Star
The Big Dipper Cassiopeia Little Dipper

The Summer Triangle

Vega, Deneb, Altair Constellations - Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila

Jupiter
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Lincoln Hills Astronomy Group

Orientation to the Night Sky

Tonights Observing Plan
More Bright Stars Alcor/Mizar (double star) Arcturus (Arc to Arcturus) More Constellations Sagittarius Bootes Hercules Pegasus The Great Square Andromeda

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