northern hemisphere field guide - experience astronomy

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NORTHERN HEMISPHERE!

FIELD GUIDE!

Weekly activities September through May

Weekly Assignments!This Field Guide provides 33 weeks of astronomy observation activities, from the beginning of September through the end of May. Many activities repeat themselves to show the changes that take place in the sky over time.

The assignments listed appear in the order they will be assigned through the Experience Astronomy course.

p.4 – Build a Compass

p.5 – Summer Constellations

p.6 – Limiting Magnitude

p.7 – Stars Around Polaris

p.8 – Finding the Planets

p.9 – Sky at a Glance

p.10-11 – Summer Constellations

p.12 – Fall Constellations


p.14 – Draw the Zodiac


p.16 – Finding Orion

p.17-18 – Fall Constellations


p.20 – Winter Constellations

p.21 – Finding Orion




p.25-26 – Winter Constellations

p.27-28 – Finding Orion

p.29-30 – Stars Around Polaris

p.31-40 – Moon Phases (4 weeks)

p.41 – Spring Constellations


p.43 – Meteor Shower


p.45-46 – Spring Constellations

p.47 – Draw the Zodiac


Please go to experienceastronomy.com/dates/ to get a list of the current calendar dates that correspond to each of these activities.

Note: This Field Guide assumes your area practices Daylight Saving Time (DTS) following the current U.S. rules (which begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November). Adjust the times in this Guide if your area does not practice DTS or has different start and end times.

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http://experienceastronomy.com/dates/

Astronomy Links!More On Astronomy:

• 10 Reasons to Teach Astronomy to Your Kids – IntoxicatedOnLife.com/astronomy

• 10 Astronomy Videos My Students Loved - IntoxicatedOnLife.com/astronomy

Helps For Observation:

• Neave.com/planetarium – This is an interactive website showing what the sky looks like at any place in the world, any day of the year, any time of day or night. Use this website to acquaint yourself with the constellations before you go outside to draw them.

• ThePlanetsToday.com – This is an interactive website for learning about when and where the planets are visible in the night sky. Make sure to adjust for your latitude and longitude (your location on earth), and the play around with the other features. (Note: this site contains some astrology information.)

• Sky at a Glance – This weekly column from Sky & Telescope is a handy day-by-day activity guide for amateur astronomers (skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance).

• Latlong.net – This is a website for determining your latitude and longitude on earth.

• TimeAndDate.com – This a website for determining rise and set times of the sun and moon (as well as local weather).

Great Astronomy Teaching Materials:

• ExperienceAstronomy.com – An online, interactive class with teaching videos, quizzes, activities, and more. This class uses this field guide (see coupon code in the back of the book) along with the textbook mentioned below.

• ClassicalAstronomy.com – This is the best homeschool/Christian website for learning amateur astronomy. Their store includes a text book and a field journal for establishing high school credit.

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http://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2012/04/18/7-reasons-to-teach-astronomy-to-your-kids/

http://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2013/05/05/10-astronomy-videos-my-students-loved/

http://neave.com/planetarium/

http://www.theplanetstoday.com/

http://(skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance

http://www.latlong.net/

http://www.timeanddate.com/

http://ExperienceAstronomy.com

http://www.classicalastronomy.com/

http://www.classicalastronomy.com/On_line_Ordering.asp

Build a Compass!The purpose of this activity is to build a compass in your yard that will help orient yourself to the cardinal directions (North, East, South, West) as you study the sky.

1. Go to www.latlong.net and enter your street address. Find the Longitude number (not the DMS Long number) and take away the minus sign. Write that number here: _________________

2. Subtract from that number your time zone’s center longitude number: __________

• 60 if you live in the Atlantic time zone

• 75 if you live in the Eastern time zone

• 90 if you live in the Central time zone

• 105 if you live in the Mountain time zone

• 120 if you live in the Pacific time zone

• 135 if you live in the Alaskan time zone

3. Multiply that number by 4: ______________

4. If the number is positive, this is the number of minutes after 12:00 noon that is “high noon” for your house. If this number is negative, this is the number of minutes before 12:00 noon that is “high noon.” Write down that time (rounded to the nearest minute): _________

5. If you’re doing this activity during Daylight Savings Time, add one hour to this time: _________

6. Pick a spot in your yard with as wide a view of the sky as possible.

7. Place a stick into the ground about 1 foot long. Make sure it is sticking up as straight as possible.

8. At exactly “high noon” for your address, look at the shadow cast by the stick and place another stick in the ground at the tip of the shadow.

9. Using a yard stick or a long straight edge, use the line between the first stick and the second stick to create a straight line about 3 feet from the first stick. Place a stick there.

10.Continue the line in the opposite direction and place another stick 3 feet behind the first stick.

11.Draw a perpendicular line from this line, measuring 3 feet to the right and to the left of the first stick. Place sticks at those points.

12.You now have a compass. The direction the shadow is pointing from the center stick is North.

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http://www.latlong.net

Summer Constellations!Go out on a clear evening around 10:00 PM. Find the Summer constellations. This month you’ll see Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, and Hercules. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label where the Meridian is in your drawing. Also draw lines showing the Summer Triangle.

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Any Evening: 10:00 pm

Limiting Magnitude!

The limiting magnitude of your local sky is the magnitude of the dimmest star visible.

Use the stars of the Little Dipper as a test. The higher the number the dimmer the star.

The brightest stars in the Dipper are the one at the end of the handle (Polaris) and the one at the far rim of the bowl. On a clear night, these stars should be visible to nearly anyone in the Northern Hemisphere.

On an evening this week after 10:00 PM, find the Little Dipper (you can do this by finding the star Polaris). In the diagram to the right, circle the stars you are able to see.

Based on the magnitudes of these visible stars, write down what you think the limiting magnitude of your sky is:

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Stars Around Polaris!Find Polaris (the North Star), Ursa Major, and Cassiopeia. Draw these stars exactly as you see them twice on the same night, waiting two hours between each viewing.

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Same Evening: 12:00 Midnight


Finding the Planets!Look up the local sunrise and sunset times for your area this week. Before going outside, go to neave.com/planetarium, set the interactive planetarium to your location, and set the date to the day you plan to observe. Then set the time to one hour before sunrise. Hover your mouse over the sky to find any of the five planets visible to the naked eye (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). Then set the time to one hour after sunset. Look again for any visible planets. Choose which time the most planets will be visible (either before sunrise or after sunset). Note the planets’ locations in the sky. At the proper time, go outside draw the each visible planet and its relationship to the nearest Zodiac constellation.

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One hour before dawn or one hour after sunset

http://neave.com/planetarium

Sky at a glance!Visit the website of Sky & Telescope and find this week’s “Sky at a Glance” feature. Pick a date to go outside to observe one of the suggested sights. Draw all of the sights for that specific day, such as the moon, constellations, specific stars, eclipses, comets, or anything else that is mentioned.

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Any Date: Sky at a Glance

Summer Constellations!Go out on a clear evening around 10:00 PM. Find the Summer constellations. This month you’ll see Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Ophiuchus, Hercules, and possibly Sagittarius and Scorpius. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label where the Meridian is in your drawing. Also draw lines showing the Summer Triangle.

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Summer Constellations!(Continued)!

Compare and contrast your drawings of the Summer constellations on page 5 and page 10. Write any observations about how their positions in the sky have changed.

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Fall Constellations!Go out on a clear night around 10:00 PM. Find the Fall constellation. This month you’ll see Pisces, Pegasus, Aquarius, and possibly Pisces Austrinis. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label the Meridian in your drawing.

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Any Evening: 10:00 pm (or 9 pm if DST has ended)


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Same Evening: 12 Midnight (or 11 pm if DTS has ended)

Any Evening: 10 pm (or 9 pm if DST has ended)

Draw the Zodiac!Go out at 10:00 PM one evening this week and draw any visible Zodiac constellations. Look for Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, and Capricornus.

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Finding Orion!One evening this week, go outside and draw Orion in detail. The brightest starts should be the biggest dots on your drawing. Dimmer stars should be drawn smaller. Also write down if Orion is closer to the Eastern horizon, Western horizon, or Meridian. Draw the horizon (treetops and rooftops) in relation to Orion.

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Fall Constellations!Go out on a clear night around 9:00 PM. Find the Fall constellations. This month you’ll see Pisces, Pegasus, Aquarius, and possibly Pisces Austrinis. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label the Meridian in your drawing.

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Fall Constellations!(Continued)!

Compare and contrast your drawings of the Fall constellations on page 12 and page 17. Write any observations about how their positions in the sky have changed.

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Same Evening: 11:00 PM

Any Evening: 9:00pm

Winter Constellations!Go out on a clear night around 11:00 PM. Find the Winter constellations. This month you’ll see Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Gemini, Auriga, and Canis Minor. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label the Meridian in your drawing.

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Any Evening: 11:00 PM


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Any Evening: 9:00pm


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Sky at a Glance!Visit the website of Sky & Telescope and find this week’s “Sky at a Glance” feature. Pick a date to go outside to observe one of the suggested sights. Draw all of the sights for that specific day, such as the moon, constellations, specific stars, eclipses, comets, or anything else that is mentioned.

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Winter Constellations!Go out on a clear night around 11:00 PM. Find the Winter constellations. This month you’ll see Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Gemini, Auriga, and Canis Minor. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label the Meridian in your drawing.

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Winter Constellations!(Continued)!

Compare and contrast your drawings of the Winter constellations on page 20 and page 25. Write any observations about how their positions in the sky have changed.

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Finding Orion!(Continued)!

Compare and contrast your drawings of Orion on pages 16, 21, and 27. Write any observations about how its position in the sky has changed.

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Any Evening: 9:00pm

Stars Around Polaris!(Continued)!

Compare and contrast your drawings of the stars around Polaris on pages 7, 13, 19, 22, and 29. Write any observations about how their positions in the sky have changed over time.

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Moon Phases!The purpose of the Moon Phases activity is to notice the various phases and positions of the moon over the course of several weeks. You’ll be outside every day to draw the moon.

Starting the first day of the first week of March, use the Internet to find out what the phase of the moon is. If the moon is in the waxing phases or full, go outside 30 minutes after sunset. If the moon is in the waning phases, go outside 30 minutes before sunrise. Stay outside for about 20-30 minutes.

Draw the moon with as much exact detail as you can. Don’t just draw a general crescent, oval, or round shape. Note with careful detail how much of the lighted side is visible. Draw the horizon features directly below the moon, like the treetops or rooftops, so you can note the position of the moon in the sky. Note how high the moon is in the sky. If the moon is below the horizon, simply draw the twilight of the sun on horizon. If you see “earthshine” (the light of the earth faintly reflected off the “dark side” of the moon) be sure to indicate that as well.

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Phases of the moon

Earthshine

Moon Phases!Use the boxes below to draw the moon in its various phases and places in the sky.

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Moon Phases!Compare and contrast your drawings of the moon on pages 32-39. Write any observations about how the moon’s position in the sky has changed and how the phases of the moon have progressed.

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Spring Constellations!Go out on a clear night around 11:00 PM. Find the Spring constellations. This month you’ll see Boötes, Virgo, Libra, Leo, and if you can find it, Corvus. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label the Meridian in your drawing. To find Boötes, follow the “arc” of the Big Dipper handle to Arcturus in the constellation Boötes.

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Meteor Shower!Every year the Lyrids meteor shower lasts from about April 16 to 25 and peaks between the 21st and the 23rd. Often observers can see up to 20 meteors per hour, and at times surges that are even greater. Often these meteors can produce bright dust trails in the sky that last for several seconds.

The Lyrids is caused by Earth passing through particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. They are called the Lyrids because the meteors radiate from the constellation Lyra, but they can appear anywhere in the sky.

Go out 90 minutes before sunrise two times this week. Stay outside for 30 minutes each time, lying on your back or reclined in a chair. Choose one day before the peak of the shower and choose another day close to or at the peak of the shower. Count the number of meteors you see each morning and keep an accurate count.

Number of meteors seen the morning before the peak of the shower:

Number of meteors seen the morning at or near the peak of the shower:

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Sky at a Glance!Visit the website of Sky & Telescope and find this week’s “Sky at a Glance” feature. Pick a date to go outside to observe one of the suggested sights. Draw all of the sights for that specific day, such as the moon, constellations, specific stars, eclipses, comets, or anything else that is mentioned.

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Spring Constellations!Go out on a clear night around 11:00 PM. Find the Spring constellations. This month you’ll see Boötes, Virgo, Libra, Leo, and if you can find it, Corvus. Draw them below. Make sure to draw the view of the horizon below it, with trees and rooftops. Label the Meridian in your drawing. To find Boötes, follow the “arc” of the Big Dipper handle to Arcturus in the constellation Boötes.

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Spring Constellations!(Continued)!

Compare and contrast your drawings of the Spring constellations on page 41 and page 45. Write any observations about how their position in the sky has changed.

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Draw the Zodiac!Go out at 1:00 AM one day this week and draw any visible Zodiac constellations. Look for Sagittarius, Scorpius, Libra, Virgo, Leo, and Cancer.

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Glossary!Compass – A compass is device that is used to find direction using a line or needle that always points north.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) – Daylight Savings Time is the period of the year between spring and fall when clocks are set one hour ahead of standard time. Most areas of North America and Europe observe this practice, as well as a few nations in South America, the Middle East, and Australia.

Earthshine – Earthshine is the light of the Earth reflected off the Moon’s night side. Earthshine is especially visible during the Moon’s crescent phases.

Horizon – The horizon is the line where the land or sea appears to meet the sky.

Latitude – Latitude lines are horizontal lines drawn parallel to the Equator for the purpose of labeling exact locations on Earth.

Longitude – Longitude lines are drawn from the North Pole to the South Pole. The “prime meridian” is a longitude line drawn through Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in London. All other longitude lines are measured in degrees from the prime meridian for the purpose of labeling exact locations on Earth.

Magnitude – The “apparent magnitude” of a celestial object is its seeming brightness as seen from a specific location on Earth. The “absolute magnitude” of a celestial object is how bright it actually is if we were standing only 10 parsecs away from it (10 parsecs is 191.6 trillion miles).

Meridian – From the standpoint of any location on earth, the Meridian is the imaginary line that divides the sky into equal east and west halves. The line is drawn from due north, through the zenith (the point straight overhead), to due south.

Polaris – Polaris is also called the North Star because the Earth’s North Pole points toward it. It is the brightest star in the Ursa Minor (it is the end star in the “handle” of the Little Dipper). Polaris is actually a multiple star (one brighter star and two dimmer companions invisible to the naked eye).

Zodiac – The Zodiac is a band of 12 constellations that touch the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the general path taken by the Sun, Moon, and planets in the sky. In ancient times, superstitious and religion meanings were attached to the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and planets with these constellations. The Zodiac constellations are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgin, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces.

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northern hemisphere field guide - experience astronomy

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