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Winter 2013 Sky Sights Presentation

Explore the wonders of the night sky with Frostburg State Planetarium's educational presentation for primary grades and beginners. Learn about stars, planets, the moon, and more!

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Winter 2013 Sky Sights Presentation

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  1. This presentation …… • Can be used by the public, any school, group, provided credit is given to FSU Planetarium. • May be downloaded and copied freely. • Is written in Microsoft Power Point so many operating systems can view it. Advance by pressing Enter or the Space Bar or Arrows • If you see any need for corrections, please contact Dr. Doyle at rdoyle@frostburg.edu

  2. Frostburg State Planetarium presents Winter 2013 Sky Sights for Primary Grades & Beginners by Dr. Bob Doyle Next Version: April 2013

  3. Big Topics Treated • Horizon, Finding directions, Sunrise/Sunset • How Day Sky Works, Twilight AM & PM • Moon basics, Made of what? Lady in moon? • Bright points at night? Winter 2013 Planets • Best Stars & Groups Seen on Winter Evenings • 3 Built in Mini Quizzes with answers supplied • Winter ‘13 Moon Schedule, Planet Table

  4. Horizon & Directions • When looking at sky, we may view ½ of universe! • The Horizon is line between ground and sky. • 4 directions along horizon – North, East, South & West. To learn, say Never Eat Salty Worms! • North is direction your shadow points in mid day. • East is about where sun rises each morning. • South is where sun is highest in sky (in mid day) • West is about where sun sets in late afternoon.

  5. Whydoes SunRise & Set? • For thousands of years, humans believed that sun & sky objects moved about Earth every day! • In the 1500’s, Copernicus proposed that the Earth itself was moving, not the sky objects! • Copernicus wrote that the Earth was spinning every day and orbiting the sun every year! • It took over a century until most were convinced that Copernicus was correct (thanks to Newton). • The Earth spins so the sun seems to rise and set.

  6. Let’s review these ideas • What is the line between ground & sky? • Is it Ground line? Horizon? Edge of sky? • In what direction are shadows in mid day? • Is it North? East? South? or West? • Why does sun seem to rise and set? • Because Sun is moving? Earth is spinning? • Write down your answers for these questions. • Answers are: Horizon, North & Earth is spinning

  7. How Day Sky Works • Sun, our day star is so bright that it lights up air, causing it to glow blue on a clear day. • As Earth turns, sun seems to rise in morning • Due to our turning, sun slowly rolls right. • Sun peaks Noon in Jan. & Feb. 1 pm in Mar. • Sun sets near direction West as we turn. • 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. • As we turn more away from sun, only very thin, very high air still lit & sky gets darker. • This time is twilight or dusk, lasts an hour. • During dusk, bright planets, stars show 1st. • By end of dusk, bright star groups seen. • Just as dusk after sunset, dawn before sunrise.

  9. What about Moon? • Our moon is a ball of rock that orbits Earth. • Moon ¼ as big as Earth; if Earth a regular globe (1 ft.wide), moon is a tennis ball. • If Earth is regular globe, moon is 30 ft.away • As moon orbits us, we see day & night sides • In evening, lighted side ‘grows’ for 12 days • Then moon is full, shining all thru the night • Then moon ‘shrinks’ for 12 days, leaving even.sky • Moon’s lighted shapes change as we see its lighted side; its dark side blends in with the night sky

  10. Half full moon shows craters near its straight edge where sun there is rising or setting.

  11. When evening moon looks like a ‘D’, the sun is rising along left edge, lighting up the crater rims and mountains. This ‘D’ moon allows you to see craters & mountains with binoculars held steadily or with a small telescope on tripod (better). A week after the moon is full, you can see it In the morning day sky, as a backwards ‘D’. Even during the morning hours, you can see the craters & mountains on moon with binoculars or a small telescope. Never look at SUN!

  12. Just a little bit more about Moon • The moon NOT a big cheese ball! (Sorry!) • See figure on moon’s disk from dark plains • Dark plains of hard lava, good to land there • Over 40 yrs. ago, 1st men walked on moon • Perhaps in 2020’s, humans fly around moon • Current rockets can’t carry people, new rockets needed, Russia or China to try

  13. Winter 2013 Moon Schedule • Early Jan., Feb. & Mar. Shinking AM Moon • Mid Jan. : Even. Cr. Moon to D on 18th • Late Jan. : Full moon on Jan.27, moonlit ev. • Mid Feb.: Ev. Cr. Moon to D on 16th • Late Feb.: Full moon on 25th, moonlit ev. • Mid Mar.: Ev. Cr. Moon to D on 19th • Late Mar.: Full moon on 27th, moonlit ev.

  14. 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 dozen days? A month? • Write down your answers to above 3 questions. • Answers: Right arm (out), 30 feet, Dozen days

  15. Bright steady points at night? • Even the nearest planets appear as * (points) as we see them with our eyes; for even these objects very far away (moon=1 unit). Venus 100x farther. • 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

  16. Easy Winter 2012 Planets • Venus is brilliant point in SW dusk (early even.) • Crescent Moon & Venus close 1/26, 2/25 & 3/26 • First number is month number / 2nd is date • Bright Jupiter ‘seems’ to move towards Venus • Moon & Jupiter near on 1/2, 1/29, 2/26 & 3/25 • Mars moves into E even. sky, best in March • Mercury seen low in SW dusk in early March • Saturn seen in late even. E sky in March

  17. Best planets to see in Winter 2011 Bright Jupiter drifts towards Venus, side by side mid March Venus in SW in early even. Venus Jupiter Southwest S in Jan., SW in Feb/Mar.

  18. Jupiter as seen From spaceprobe with Great Red Spot shown by brackets

  19. Easy Winter Stars & Groups • Evening: Big Dipper to right of North Star • 2 top Dipper stars point left to N. Star • Same 2 Dipper stars point right to Leo’s sickle • Orion (hr.glass shape) with 3 * belt South • Orion’s belt points left to Sirius, brightest * • High in the sky is bright golden star Capella • To right of Orion is Taurus & 7 Sisters

  20. B. Dipper & N. * on Winter Evenings Pointers North Star

  21. Orion & friends - winter evenings in South Orion on winter evenings in South Betelgeuse 7 Sisters Aldebaran (Taurus) Orion’s belt Rigel Sirius

  22. Let’s review once more… • How to tell a planet from a star? • Planet always brighter Planet shines steady • Best Evening Planet this Winter? • Venus Jupiter Mercury Mars • Which part of Big Dipper points to N.Star? • End of Scoop or Arch of Dipper’s Handle • Write down your answers • Answers: Planet shines steady, Venus, Scoop

  23. Frequently asked questions • What are falling stars? (Aka shooting stars) • Nearly all are pea sized space grit burning up in our upper atmosphere. Only dust left. • Can the planets line up like beads on string? • No, orbits are tilted but even if they could, pull is extremely weak, compared to our moon. • What keeps stars, planets floating in sky? • There’s no up/down in space. Earth floats too!

  24. FSU Sky Shows (free)Compton 224 Sundays, 4 pm • February “Bears & their Skies” starting 2/5 • March “Far North Animals with Hooves” • April “African Plain Predators” exc. 4/8 (Easter) • May “Grazers of the Savannahs” 5/6, 5/13 & 5/20 • Programs last less than an hour, include current even. sky • Feature covers a group of animals in Discovery Center • Visit Discovery Center where can see animal specimens • Limited free materials: Sky maps, bookmark/schedule

  25. Send any additional questions to…. • Bob Doyle email rdoyle@frostburg.edu • Be sure that questions involve basics about sky, moon, planets and stars • For questions about 2012, collisions – go to Sky Shows, talk to Dr. Doyle • Sunday programs are free at 4 p.m. in Febr. thru May change monthly – new site Compton 224 • Call (301) 687-7799 request free planetarium bookmark, map, schedule be sent to you thru mail

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