ASTR 114 Virtual Observatory Visit Report

This is a multi-part make-up assignment for students unable to attend one of the
GMU Observatory Sessions during the semester

Name___________________________ Date_______________

Download the Stellarium virtual planetarium program from the following website (the
download links are at the top of the page):

http://www.stellarium.org

1. Or, if you have some other type of planetarium or star finding program on your tablet or
computer you can use that instead. Set it up for observing on the night of your choice (no later
than the last day of March, 2020), and use it as a virtual observatory. Choose a date for your
simulated observation: Observation Date___________________

2. Find at least five objects of interest in the sky for the observation date you choose above.
These may be stars, planets, galaxies or comets. Record the date and time and write a short
description of each of the five objects as displayed in the software. (You can use the telescope
function in Stellarium if you like.)

3. Then view this short video. List as many things as you can identify as the scenes go by:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/01/25/time_lapse_video_ancients.html

List objects you saw in the short video, and objects that you saw after reading the description
of the video. Then give a few sentences of your overall impression of what you observed.
Watch the video one more time and explain what else you noticed that you hadn’t seen on the
first round.

4. Telescope Definitions – Look up the following terms and write definitions in your own
words:

reflecting

refracting

catadioptic

Newtonian

Cassegrain

1
 aperture

focal length

objective mirror or lens

field of view

secondary mirror or lens

5. GMU’s large telescope is a .8 m Ritchey–Chrétien telescope. Describe what this means.

Include a discussion of the path light takes from the object to the eye, and advantages and
disadvantages of this kind of telescope. Use some of the terminology from part 1 as you think
about resolution and field of view for this telescope.

6. Download a star chart from Sky and Telescope or some other source. Record on the chart
what you saw in Stellarium for the date and time you chose in Part 1 above. Insert an image
of the chart in the space below. Include the following information as well:

Date of observation:
Time of observation:
Direction you would be looking for each of the objects you chose to observe:

7. When you report on the Virtual Observatory Visit is complete, submit it into the Dropbox in
the Observatory Visit section on Blackboard.