Astronomy Worksheet

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University of Houston, Clear Lake *

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1301

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Astronomy

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by MajorDragon7685

Astronomy Worksheet Week 14 Online Earth Science Instructions: Astronomy is the only observable science. Through the vision of telescopes, we have learned a great deal about our planet and our universe. Today’s lab will also help you learn more about the solar system by having an interactive experience. When you open the Stellarium Web Online Star Map link, you will be taken to a real-time view of the night sky. You may have to enter in your zip code for it to show you what stars and planets are visible from where you live. Answer the following questions by either writing (typing) on this lab or you may submit your answers via an MS Word email attachment. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question 1: Once you start to play around with the program, move the field of view to where you see North right in the center of the screen (in other words, you’re “facing” north). Find the star Polaris by either clicking on random stars or by simply typing in the word in the search field at the top center. How many light years away is this star? ___________432.57______________________ Question 2: Located directly west (left) of this star is a constellation that you may recognize... it looks like a spoon. Can you name this formation? _______ ____________________________The Big Dipper Question 3: The “formation” that you found in question 2 is not a constellation at all... it’s a part of a constellation called an “asterism”. Find the “Constellations” button at the bottom and click on this to determine the real name of this astronomical feature. __The Ursa Minor

Question 4: Are there any planets visible tonight? Rotate the starfield around and find a planet. Give the name of the planet that you found, it’s general direction (north, south, east, or west), and click on it to determine both it’s distance and magnitude. Name: ______________saturn_____________________ Direction: ____________south____________________ Distance: ____________9.76 AU____________________ Magnitude: _____________0.84__________________ Question 5: There seems to be a linear region that is more dense than the surrounding sky. What is this region showing? (Hint: Click on “view settings” and turn things on and off to determine the answer) I believe the answer is the milky way Question 6: Try to locate a star called “Antares”. If you click on this star, it indicates that it’s a double star. What does that mean? That there are two stars so closed together that they are counted as a binary star. Question 7: Check the icons on the bottom and make sure that “Deep Sky Objects” is white in color (that means it’s “on”). Then look for M31. What exactly is M31 and how far away from Earth is it? M 31 is the Andromeda Galaxy and it is 765 kpc away Question 8: Find the constellation Orion. It may be below the horizon. (just search for it). There’s a star within this constellation called “Betelgeuse” and another called “Rigel”. These are supergiant stars but how are these two stars different from one another? The Betelgeuse has a magnitude of 0.50 and has a distance of 497.95 light years, while the star Rigel has a magnitude of 0.19 and is 862.86 light years away. Question 9: Make sure that the “Constellations” button and the “Constellations Art” button are both “on”. Find the constellation called Ursa Minor. What is the name of the constellation that is directly above this one and what does it resemble? The constellation directly above Ursa Minor is Cepheus and it resembles a king of Aethiopia.

Question 10: Turn “on” the equatorial grid and turn “off” landscape. You notice that, at the north pole, the nearest star is Polaris. But what is the nearest star at the south pole? The nearest star is the Gaia DR2 5764612195959600000.

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