Saxbyphysics.com



-19050-12700Star Maps0Star Maps Seed Question: Paste the Star Maps into your PJ as instructed. What is the celestial address of the star Aldebaran, in Taurus? Note: everything in the sky can be found using hours of Right Ascension (the horizontal axis of your graph) and degrees of Declination (the vertical axis of your graph.)Exploration: How much of the horizontal axis of your map (in hours of RA) can you see at any one time? Hint: How much of the sky can see at any one time if you were on the ocean, and could see from horizon to horizon?For 10 pm on Jan 20:What star is on your meridian?Find a constellation near your eastern horizon that is rising.Find a constellation near your western horizon that is setting.Where will Betelgeuse be by 4 am? Hint: remember how the sky clock moves to the west hourly…How far will the sun move toward the east (relative to the stars) in a month? Hint: the sun moves eastward 1o per day…What bright star will be on your zenith (as seen from Redmond) sometime this year? Hint: the declination of your zenith will be the same as your latitude: 47o north. You need your circular map of the northern sky…What date will this star be on your zenith at 10 pm?Let’s find where the sun was on the day you were born. Start by writing down your birthday. Example: Sara’s birthday was November 10th.Now find the RA of your meridian on your birthday at midnight. Hint: Find your birthday date on the top of the chart. This is your meridian at 10 pm. Go 2 hours later to midnight. For Sara, November 10th on the top of the chart corresponds with an RA of about 1 and ? hours. So that is the RA of her meridian at 10 pm. Let the sky clock shift 2 more hours into the west. The meridian at midnight will have a meridian at 3 and ? hours.Where will the sun be (RA)? Hint: 12 hours later!3 and ? hours + 12 hours = 15 and ? hours. So the sun will have an RA of 15 and ? hours on Sara’s birthday.Which constellation will the sun be in? Is this your sign of the zodiac? Probably not, your sign should be one constellation to the east.The sun was (and is) in Libra on Sara’s birthday. But since the constellations have shifted in the last 2000 years since astrology was invented, Sara’s sign is probably associated with the constellation to the left: Scorpio! Not that her sign makes any difference scientifically speaking…Big Ideas: On earth we use latitude and longitude to specify locations. In the sky we use Declination and Right Ascension. The apparent daily motion of the stars is to move westward, carrying the Sun, Moon and planets with them.The apparent annual motion of the sun is to move eastward relative to the stars at a rate of 10 per day.You can see about 12 hours of RA at any one time.The declination of your zenith corresponds to your latitude.Discussion: ? ................
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