Stargazing Live!

A big part of astronomy is looking up at the night sky! As part of our Astronomy unit
we are going to do some observations.

Instructions
1. Download the free app SkyView Lite that is FREE on the apple store or
google play to help you find these constellations. The app will work a little
better if you find a place in your backyard or driveway that is distanced from
streetlights.
2. If you have a pair of binoculars at home, find them for closer viewing!

Pre-knowledge questions
1. What are the phases of the moon?
1. New moon.
2. Waxing Crescent.
3. First Quarter.
4. Waxing Gibbous.
5. Full moon.
6. Waning Gibbous.
7. Third Quarter.
8. Waning Crescent.

2. What causes the different phases?

The phases of the Moon depend on its position in relation to the Sun and Earth. As
the Moon makes its way around the Earth, we see the bright parts of the
Moon's surface at different angles.

3. What is a constellation?
A constellation is a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally
named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure.

4. How do some Indigenous Australian Cultures use the dark places between the
stars to make constellations?

5. Describe two ways constellations have been used in past societies.

1. Oral Traditions

The poet Hesiod, around 700 BC, was the first to offer up to the Greeks a
mythology of the cosmos. The story, using the stars, shared the secret of the
Universe’s journey from its primitive void of nothingness to its big bang existence
by detailing a genealogy of elements, goddesses, gods and mythical creatures.
Centuries later writers and artists built upon this cosmological mythology by
creating heroes, such as Perseus, who killed the monster Cetus to rescue the
princess Andromeda. Perseus, Cetus and Andromeda can still be found in the night
sky.

2. Circle, Stone or Timber Calendars

As early as 5,000 years ago, some of the first astronomers observed changes in
the sun and moon. They noticed patterns in the sun's rising and setting and in the
shape and position of the moon on any given evening. They often built shrines or
henges that told them of key astrological moments such as the winter and summer
solstices or the spring and fall equinoxes. This helped them to know when to plant
crops after frosts and when to harvest them before winter descended. Henges exist
all over the United Kingdom, the most famous being Stonehenge. Henges could be
no more than a circular ditch, a circular mound or consist of stones and timbers to
define the circle.

ACTIVITIES ARE ON THE NEXT PAGE

Activity 1:
Draw the moon on 5 occasions over the next two weeks. Record the date and time
that you completed your drawing.

Date and Time Drawing

Activity 2:
See how many objects you can find. Check the box next to the object if you see it.
Take a photo of each constellation on your phone (if possible) and put your image in
the table below:

Checklist:

Constellation/objects Photo

❏ The Moon

❏ Auriga

❏ Leo

❏ Lynx

❏ Cancer

❏ Southern Cross

❏ The Emu in the Sky

 ❏ Uranus

❏ Venus

❏ Leo Minor

Please upload your checklist to Simon under class tasks by the end of week 3.