Students completed the "Using Star Charts Activity":
If they had time, they were to begin their "Constellations Lab":
If they had time, they were to begin their "Constellations Lab":
Astronomy: September 2010 Archives
We discussed the correlations of Right Ascention and Declination as analogues to Longitude and Latitude.
These base star maps were handed out:
These base star maps were handed out:
We continued our investigations into the moon phases and began discussing eclipses.
We introduced the concept of "angular diameter" and how that influences eclipses on the Earth.
We compared the terms that we have covered...
And we calculated the sun's altitude on a specific day...
And we calculated the sun's altitude on a specific day...
We constructed our "Solar Motion Demonstrators" last Friday, and we will begin to answer questions with them today.
Solar Motion Demonstrator.doc
Solar Motion Demonstrator.doc
We compared the motions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun in their respective alignments.
We covered the following topics and how their miniscule differences lead to long-term effects:
We covered the following topics and how their miniscule differences lead to long-term effects:
- Sidereal Day
- Solar Day
- Apparent change of sunrise/sunset
- Sidereal Month
- Synodic Month
- Phases of the moon and their progressions
- Sidereal Year
- Tropical Year
- Polar precession
We explored the geometry of Inferior and Superior planets compared to the orbit of the Earth.
New vocabulary:
We also began reckoning the differences in time-keeping between "normal" humans and astronomers.
New vocabulary:
- conjunction
- inferior conjunction
- superior conjunction
- greatest western elongation
- greatest eastern elongation
- opposition
- western quadrature
- eastern quadrature
We also began reckoning the differences in time-keeping between "normal" humans and astronomers.
- Solar day
- Sidereal day
