astronomy and natural history:
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Astronomy and Natural History:. What’s the Connection?. We live right next to a star!. The Sun is a star up close . Other stars are Suns very far away . Think of stars as Distant Suns . The Main Points About Living Right Next to a Star:. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Astronomy and Natural History:
What’s the Connection?
We live right next to a star!The Sun is a star up close.
Other stars are Suns very far away.
Think of stars as Distant Suns.
The Main Points About Living Right Next to a Star:
What stars do: The Sun is a typical star that generates heat and light via nuclear fusion reactions
deep in its interior.
How that affects planets: The Sun is, ultimately, the source of ALL the energy that
ultimately drives ALL weather, ALL climate and is responsible for ALL life on the Earth.
Warmth
The Sun Moves Air in a Big Way
Winds are caused by the Sun. When the Sun warms up the oceans they warm the air around them causing the air to get stirred up. This creates wind. Weather is simply the Sun managing the Earth’s heat budget.
Seasons
The Sun Regulates Animal Schedules
annual migrations, hibernations, mating seasons, and molting times are all triggered by sunlight.
Snowshoe rabbits, for example,
completely change their appearance each fall.
The shortening days of fall also alert
bears to the approach of winter. Changing amounts of daylight prompt
geese to fly south in the fall and north in the spring.
Monarch butterflies, caribou,
salmon, and even turtles all respond to the changing length of days throughout each year.
Phototropism, Photoperiodism, and the Biggie: Photosynthesis
"To the best of our knowledge, our Sun is the only star proven to grow vegetables." ----- Philip Scherrer, 1973
The Sun Makes Communications Possible
The solar activity of the Sun influences radio-wave propagation by effecting the Earth's ionosphere.
What the Sun Looks Like to Us When One of Us Has Bought a
$4,300 Hydrogen-alpha Solar Filter:
Time
"Anyone who has lived through an English winter can see the point of building Stonehenge to make the Sun come back."
- Alison, Jolly 1988
Human Health Health Cleanses waters Affects tidal flow
All life on a planet in a solar system is utterly dependent
on the energy radiating from the central star(s)
within the system.
Planets, in fact, may be byproducts of stellar
formation.
The Sun, Our Nearest Star, Influences Everything
There is not one single thing on Earth that is not influenced by the Sun. NOT ONE THING.
Astronomers Monitor Near and Distant Suns
(i.e., Stars)
…and all the detail that entails!
The Night Sky: An Endangered Natural
Resource
Maryland and Virginia
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The International Dark Sky Association
Distant Suns: The Stars
Star Counts on a Good Night On top of a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan
= 150 (only the very brightest stars) Within the confines of any metropolitan area
having a population of about one million persons = a few hundred
Bluebird Observatory (Ellicott City, MD) = 1500-2500
The American Southwest away from urban light pollution = 10,000+
The Fate of the Sun in About 5
Billion Years
Astronomy without a Telescope
Naked Eye Astronomy
Requirements for Naked Eye Observing
Zero budget Start tonight if weather permits Need only to want to learn plus… A good beginner’s astronomy book plus… A desire to find astronomical objects in the night sky Red flashlight Cheap compass (unless you already know how to find N, S, E, and
W in the dark) A place to go observe One year of your time on this planet Tenacity and clear skies
First Tips Learn the brightest 20 or so stars first by watching for them as
they rise in the eastern sky. This way you will associate the star with the month and season.
Learn the 15-20 common constellations AFTER you can name the brightest 20 or so stars.
Go out several nights per month… The best first telescope is a pair of binoculars; work with them for
a year It doesn’t matter which telescope you buy as long as you spend
more than $400.00 for it. The $400.00+ first telescope will teach you everything you need
to know about buying your second telescope.
“Highly recommended! Used it and still use it myself!-----Jerry Persall
The Best First Learning Tool: A Planisphere
The Basics for Learning the Night Sky
Night Sky in Ursa Major – Tiny White Diamonds on Black Velvet
The Great Bear in Ursa Major
It’s a lovely day in the cosmic neighborhood. These are the constellation boundary lines.
The 110 Messier Objects
TheUnlabeled
Moon
The Labeled Moon
1st Quarter Moon
Waterworld Quarter Moon
Sea of ColdLake of DeathLake of Dreams
Sea of Serenity
Sea of Crises
Sea of Tranquility
Sea of Fecundity
Bay of Asperity
Sea of Nectar
Sea of Vapors
Mountainworld Quarter Moon
The Alps Mts.
The Caucasus Mts.
The Apennines Mts.
The Altai Fault
Rheita Valley
Craterworld Quarter Moon
Aristoteles and Eudoxus
Aristoteles and Eudoxus
In tentative conclusion, because the story of the universe is always
constantly unfolding…
We live on an island in space…
Which is itself on yet another island in space of incredible proportions
And the Milky Way Galaxy is itself only one of billions and billions of similar island worlds in the cosmos
How we became astronomers: one night we looked up.
Thank you!Clear skies!