1 / 19

Spring 2014 Sky Sights Presentation for Middle School & Intermediate Students

This educational presentation, created by Dr. Bob Doyle from Frostburg State Planetarium, is available for free use by students, teachers, and the public. It covers essential sky concepts such as finding directions, understanding sunrises and sunsets, basic moon phases, and the visibility of planets and stars during spring. Included are built-in quizzes, a moon schedule, and helpful diagrams. This resource is invaluable for enhancing astronomy knowledge in a classroom setting. For changes or queries, please contact Dr. Doyle at rdoyle@frostburg.edu.

kimball
Télécharger la présentation

Spring 2014 Sky Sights Presentation for Middle School & Intermediate Students

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. About this presentation…. • Is free to be used by students, teachers & public. Please acknowledge it is from FSU. It can also be copied and downloaded. • Is written in Microsoft Power Point that can be read by a number of computer systems. • If you find any needed changes, please contact Dr. Doyle at rdoyle@frostburg.edu

  2. Frostburg State Planetarium presents Spring 2014 Sky Sights for Middle School & Intermediates by Dr. Bob Doyle Next Edition: July 2014

  3. Big Topics Treated • Horizon, Finding directions, Sunrise/Sunset • How Day Sky Works, Twilight AM & PM • Moon basics, It’s Origin Why has varying shapes? • Bright points seen at night? Easy Spring Planets • Best Stars & Groups Seen on Spring Evenings • 3 Built in Mini Quizzes with answers supplied • Spring ‘13 Moon Schedule & Star diagrams • Spring Talk Show Schedule & related info

  4. Horizon & Directions • When looking at sky, we may view ½ of universe! • Horizon surrounds us, the sky/ground boundary • At top of sky is zenith, 90 degrees from horizon • From North rightward, East, then South and West. • Sun rises in East, face sunrise, left is North • Midday shadow N (1pm in April, May & June) • Sun sets nearly in West, face sunset, right is North • Can use Big Dipper’s pointers to find N. Star

  5. Sunrise & Sunsets? • Earth’s daily rotation makes it look as if sun rises each morning & sets each afternoon • Time of sunrise, sunset varies thru year • Earliest sunrise & latest sunset in late June • Latest sunrise & earliest sunset in late Dec. • Longest days when sun highest, farthest N • Shortest days when sun lowest, farthest S • Change in sunrise/sunset reduced closer to equator • Change in sunrise/sunset increased near poles

  6. Let’s review these ideas • What point in sky is farthest from horizon? • Is it Celestial Pole? Zenith? Nadir? • Which direction recipe WON’T work? • S= Moss side of tree N = Shadow in mid day? • Place where biggest changes with seasons? • Polar Regions? Mid Latitudes? Equator? • Write down your answers for these questions. • Answers: Zenith, Mid day shadow, Polar regions

  7. Interesting facts about day sky • Noon sun 400,000 x brighter than full moon • Day Sky max. polarization 90 deg. from sun • Maximum sunlight energy in early summer • Sun peaks around 1 pm when Daylight time • Minimum sunlight energy in late Dec. • To find North, face where sun goes down and extend your right arm out, points North.

  8. Twilight or Dusk? • When sun disappears from our view, the air overhead is still ‘seeing’ sun and glowing. • Sun 6 degr. below horizon, turn on lights • Sun 18 degr. below horizon, sky darkest • To see most stars, sun must be 12 degr. below hor. • Arctic Circle cities no darkness in June & July • Equatorial places have shortest twilights • Our twilights last about 90 min. at dusk & dawn

  9. What about Moon? • Our moon is 2160 miles across, ¼ Earth’s width • Moon ¼ as big as Earth; if Earth a regular globe (1 ft.wide), moon is a tennis ball. • If Earth-moon distance about 30 x Earth’s width. • As Earth, Moon lit by sun with day & night halves • As Moon orbits Earth, see varying part of day side • After line up with sun, moon waxes (grows) 14 d • After full moon, moon wanes (shrinks) 14 days • Moon phase cycle 29.5 dy, approx. month length

  10. Just a little bit more about Moon • Moon rocks reveal moon matter from Earth! • Moon due to planets colliding, debris hurled • Moon formed from ring of orbiting debris • Early moon closer, much stronger tides • Moon slowly spiraling out, lengthen our day • Earth has 1st natural moon from sun, 6th largest moon in solar system

  11. Spring 2014 Moon Schedule • Early April: Moon in pm sky, ½ full on 4/6 • Mid April: Lunar eclipse in am hrs. on 4/15 • Late April : 1/2 full moon in morn. sky 4/22 • Early May: Cr.Moon in early May, ½ full on 5/6 • Mid May : Full moon 5/14, rapid shift to am sky • Late May: ½ Morn.moon 5/21, Dusk cr.mn 5/30 • Early June: ½ full even. Moon on 6/5 • Mid June: Full moon on 6/12, low sky path • Late June: ½ full morn. moon 6/19, dusk cr. 6/30

  12. Another review of ideas.. • As you face sunset, what points North? • Back of Head? Right arm (out)? Left ear? • If Earth 1 ft. wide, how far away is moon? • Is it 10 feet? 30 feet? 100 feet? 300 feet? • How long does moon ‘grow’ or ‘shrink’? • Is it A week? A half month? A month? • Write down your answers to above 3 questions. • Answers: Right arm (out), 30 feet, A half month

  13. Bright points we see at night? • Even the nearest planets appear as * (points) as we see them with our eyes; for even these objects far away Venus at closest 100x farther than our moon • To tell a planet from a star, all night stars twinkle and planets usually shine steady. • Also satellites (especially Space Station) shine steadily as creep eastward across sky • Night stars are distant suns, really, really far away compared to our planet neighbors. • If Earth penny size, moon 22” away, sun 730 ft. away (6.3 ft. wide), nearest star is 37,000 mi.away

  14. Easy Spring 2014 Planets • Jupiter is brilliant point in SW dusk (Apr. & May) • Crescent Moon & Jupiter close 4/6, 5/4 & 5/30 • Brilliant Venus low in the E dawn thru summer • Mars closest & brightest in E dusk in April • Saturn a month behind Mars – well seen in April • Mercury low in W dusk in late May, early June • Jupiter drops from view in W. dusk sky of July

  15. Spring Stars & Groups • Evening: Big Dipper upside down, pointers to N.* • Same Dipper * point right to sickle of Leo • Arc of Dipper’s handle arc to golden “Arcturus” • Low in SE is Scorpius, it’s stars forming ‘J’ • In SE is the Summer Triangle, peaked by * Vega • Bright golden star Capella seen briefly low in NW

  16. Big Dipper & N. Star in Spring Big Dipper North Star

  17. Southern sky in Spring ‘14 Arcturus Sickle of Leo Regulus Saturn Mars Spica

  18. Let’s review once more… • Planet NOT prominent in Even.Spring skies’14? Venus? Mars? Jupiter? Saturn? • When closest to us, neighbor planet is invisible? • Is it Moon? Mars? Jupiter? Venus? • Big Dipper’s handle arcs to what bright star? • North Star Sirius Capella Arcturus • Write down your answers • Answers: Venus Venus Arcturus

  19. Send any questions to…. • Bob Doyle email rdoyle@frostburg.edu

More Related