About this presentation….

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 Oct.-Dec. 2014 Sky Sights for Middle School & Intermediates by Dr. Bob Doyle Next Edition: Jan. 2015

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? Fall Planets • Best Stars & Groups Seen on Fall Evenings • 3 Built in Mini Quizzes with answers supplied • Fall ‘14 Moon Schedule & Star tables

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 to right, East, then South and West. • Sun rises in East, face sunrise, left is North • Midday shadow N (1pm July – Oct.) • 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 June • Latest sunrise & earliest sunset in Dec. • Longest days when sun highest, farthest N • Shortest days when sun lowest, farthest S • Change in sunrise/sunset vanishes at equator • Change in sunrise/sunset increases as 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. Side of tree with moss? 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 July - October • Maximum sunlight energy in late June • 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. • When sun 6 dg. below horizon, turn on lights • When sun 18 dg. below horizon, sky darkest • To see faint star groups, sun must be 12 dg. below • Arctic Circle cities have no darkness in June • 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. • 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. 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

12. 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

13. Oct. – Dec. 2014 Planets • Venus on far side of sun, very tough to see • Bright Jupiter in morning sky, then late even. Dec. Venus barely creeps out of W. dusk at year’s end • Mars, dim & seen in western dusk thru yr’s end • Saturn low in SE dawn in December • Mercury-moon Oct.22 (dawn), Nov.21 (dawn)

14. Fall Even. Stars & Groups • Evening: Big Dipper hard to see, low in NNW • Two right scoop * point upward to North Star • In the West is bright white-blue star Vega • Vega is the brightest star in Summer Triangle • In Northeast, bright golden star Capella climbs • To right of Capella is 7 Sisters star cluster • Late fall evenings in late PM hours see Orion

15. B. Dipper & N. * on Fall Evenings North Star Pointers

16. Summer Triangle as seen inFall Western evening sky Deneb Vega Altair

17. Capella, 7 Sisters & Aldebaranin the East on Fall Evenings Capella 7 Sisters Aldebaran

18. Orion on late fall evenings in East Orion on late fall evenings in East October at Midnight, November at 9 pm Aldebaran (Taurus) Betelgeuse Rigel Orion’s belt

19. Let’s review once more… • What is best evening planet this fall? • Is it? Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn? • Name two very bright fall evening stars. • Are they (North Star, Vega) or (Vega, Capella) • Special sight seen on fall evenings? • Is is (7 Sisters) or (Northern Lights)? • Write down your answers, Correct answers are Venus, (Vega, Capella) (7 Sisters)

20. Fall ‘14 Moon Schedule • Full moon 10/8; shrinks & goes into morn. • Mid Oct.: ½ Morn. moon 11/15 (craters) • Late Oct.: ½ Even. moon 10/31 (craters) • Full Moon 11/6 then shrinks & into morn. • Mid Nov.: ½ Morn. Moon 11/14 (craters) • Late Nov.: ½ Even. Moon 11/29 (craters) • Full Moon 12/6 then shrinks & into morn. • Mid Dec.: ½ Morn. Moon 12/14 (craters)

21. Frequently asked questions • What are shooting or falling stars? • Pea sized space grit impacting upper atmosphere and bursting into flame. • What if planets aligned (as beads on string)? • They can’t as orbits are not in 1 plane. But even if they could, their pull very weak next to our moon. • Why study other worlds? won’t ease our problems • By understanding other worlds, better know Earth • Your questions are welcome at our public programs.

22. Send any sky questions to…. • Bob Doyle email rdoyle@frostburg.edu • Be sure that questions involve basics about sky, moon, planets and stars