Dark Sky Observing- Alternative Sp23

Dark Sky Observing – Spring 2023 Name Rishi Saranu Observing the night sky is an important aspect of any astronomy course but our online format, with students participating from far-flung locations, does not always allow us to hold traditional telescopic group observing. For this project you will assess the darkness of the night sky near you, use weather information to plan your own observations, spend some time looking at the real sky and recording your observations, use an automated telescope to get images of planets and deep sky objects, and finally putting everything together in a presentation. This assignment is worth 75 pts. You should expect to spend a few hours on this project. I encourage you now to consider attending a CUAS Family Sky watch some time in the future. You can find the dates for these free events here - https://cuas.org/calendar/ For this activity you will need to watch a short video, go outside and look at the sky, use some websites, and create a small presentation. You will need to plan this assignment because it will take at least a few days to get some of the required images. Bad weather can also be a factor, so make sure to start early. Part 1 – Dark Sky Observing – Why? First, we will begin with the Why? Why is it suggested that you find a site away from city lights for observing, instead of observing right outside your door? Go to this link to watch the video and read the information about Light Pollution. Answer the questions below. https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/ 1. What causes most of the light pollution? Be specific. Most of the light pollution is caused by the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light. Sources of light pollution include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. Much of the outdoor lighting used at night is inefficient, overly bright, poorly targeted, improperly shielded, and often unnecessary. 2. How does light pollution hurt our environment? Light pollution hurts our environment by disrupting the natural day-night pattern, shifting the delicate balance of our ecosystem. It affects wildlife, as many species (including plants, insects, and animals) rely on the natural rhythm of light and dark for their behavior, reproduction, and feeding patterns. 3. How can light affect our health? Light pollution can affect human health by interfering with our circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep patterns and other biological processes. Exposure to artificial light at night has been linked to sleep disorders, depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. 4. Have you ever been out at night and looked at the sky? Have you seen the Milky Way? This is something we generally see when we take you out. I have gone out at night to observe the sky, and I have been fortunate enough to see the Milky Way during a backpacking trip in New Mexico. It was a breathtaking sight that allowed me to appreciate the vastness and beauty of Updated: Spring 2023

our universe. In urban or suburban areas where I live, it's much more difficult to see the Milky Way due to the high levels of light pollution. 5. How can we help reduce light pollution? First, we can raise awareness about the issue by sharing what we've learned in our astronomy class with friends and family. Second, we can advocate for better lighting policies and regulations on our campus and in our communities. This could involve promoting the use of energy-efficient, properly shielded, and downward-facing lighting fixtures to minimize the impact on the night sky. Lastly, we can participate in citizen science projects, such as Globe at Night, to collect data on light pollution and help researchers understand its extent and impact. By taking these actions, we can contribute to preserving the beauty of the night sky for future generations. 6. Use the New World Atlas of Artificial Sky Brightness https://cires.colorado.edu/artificial-sky to compare where you live and a large city. Please include which large city you selected to compare your location to. What color is your location compared to the large city? (You may have to zoom out to see the colors, if you zoom in to far, you will not get an accurate answer). The big city I chose to compare to my current location was Washington, D.C. My current location, Champaign, is the same pink color as D.C. This is most likely due to my current location residing in a large college campus, so it makes sense why the light pollution would be similar to D.C. Starting your observations. Use Astrospheric to plan. https://www.astrospheric.com/?Latitude=40.178550720215&Longitude=-88.405921936035 You may need to change your location if you are not in Champaign this semester. This website is one that astronomers use to determine if the sky will be clear enough for observations and contains other useful information. Save a screenshot of the Astropheric forecast for the date you plan to observe. You will need it for your presentation. 7. Explain 5 things you can determine from this website. Looking at the data provided, determine a good date and time to observe. Using the Astropheric website, I can determine cloud cover, transparency, seeing, wind, temperature, and dew point. A decent date to observe would be April 26 th at 8pm. There is a cloud cover of 8% and the transparency is average. Materials : ● Star viewing app (you can find a variety of free apps, however IF you can purchase any of them you can view planets and satellites ~$2) ○ Night Sky, SkyView, StarWalk2, or Sky Map (android only) ○ Note on app locations : apps use an algorithm and may differ slightly from your view. Be sure to use your EYES first, app second. ● Your eyes ● Measuring device (your hands) ● Compass to locate North (phone compass is fine) ● Something to record your observations Location: Updated: Spring 2023

12. What is the azimuth of Polaris? The azimuth of Polaris is approximately 0 degrees, as it is located close to the North Celestial Pole and serves as the North Star. 13. What would the azimuth be of an object directly opposite the sky as Polaris (due South)? If an object is directly opposite the sky as Polaris (due South), its azimuth would be 180 degrees. Review of Altitude and Azimuth Altitude is the height above the horizon and is measured in degrees 0 to 90. Azimuth is measured as degrees around a circle, starting at North (0). Using Altitude and Azimuth measurements can always tell us where to look in the sky for a particular object. For example, if we wanted to find something at an azimuth of 90, we would look East, because North is 0. Part 3: Star Observations Find 5 bright stars (not Polaris, use your app to identify and your hands to estimate the positions.) Remember you need a clear night for this part of the activity. For each star, fill in the following in the table below: Describe the sky conditions and record the temperature of your observation night. 1. Name: Make sure this is the name of the actual star (from your app) not the cluster. The star name may include a Greek letter afterwards. This indicates the brightness within a given constellation. 2. Hand measurements- Altitude above horizon, and azimuth degrees from North. I realize these will be approximate but try and be as specific as possible. General observations, compared to neighbor stars. Think about the general color, relative size and how much it twinkles compared to other stars in the sky. The goal is to make observations which reflect a more scientific understanding, not surface level, such as bright or twinkly or in the sky. 14. Record the location, date, and time: Champaign Illinois, April 26 th 2023, at 8:30pm 15. Describe the sky conditions and record the temperature. There is a cloud cover of 8% and the transparency is average. The temperature is 51 degrees Fahrenheit. 16. Complete the Table below of your Star Observations Name Altitude Azimuth General Observations Arcturus (Alpha Boötis) 50 degrees 130 degrees Arcturus has an orange hue, and it's relatively bright compared to neighboring stars. The twinkling is be moderate. Vega (Alpha Lyrae) 5 degrees 60 degrees Vega appears bluish-white but might not be very bright at this time due to its low altitude. The twinkling might be more noticeable because of its proximity to the horizon. Capella (Alpha Aurigae) 40 degrees 330 degrees Capella has a yellowish hue and appears quite bright. The twinkling might be moderate due to Updated: Spring 2023

its brightness. Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris) 8 degrees 240 degrees Sirius is a very bright, white-blue star. Its brightness might be somewhat diminished due to its low altitude, and there is noticeable twinkling because of its proximity to the horizon. Spica (Alpha Virginis) 25 degrees 145 degrees Spica has a bluish-white hue and is relatively bright compared to neighboring stars. The twinkling is moderate to high. Part 4: Planets The Naked Eye Planets, the five brightest planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - have been known since ancient times and can easily be seen with the naked eye if one knows when and where to look. They are visible for much of the year, except for short periods of time when they are too close to the Sun to observe. All the planets will not normally be visible on a single night or morning, however. Since the planets can be difficult to view, you are going to observe them a little differently. We are going to use NASA Micro Observatory Robotic Telescope Network. About Micro Observatory MicroObservatory is a network of robotic telescopes that can be controlled over the internet. The telescopes were developed at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and are designed to enable a nationwide audience of learners to investigate the wonders of the deep sky from their own computers, tablets, or even cellphones! The telescopes are located and maintained at observatories affiliated with the Center for Astrophysics, including locations in Cambridge, MA, Amado, AZ, and Coquimbo, Chile. Follow these directions 1. Go this website. https://mo- www.cfa.harvard.edu/OWN/index.html 2. Watch the video How to Request an Image 3. Go to Select your Target. https://mo- www.cfa.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/OWN/Own.pl 4. Select 3 planets. You are going to request images of each. 5. Select a field of view, exposure time, and filter selection. Record the objects and the settings that you selected below. 6. Provide your contact information. – You will need these images for your presentation in Part 6. 7. Submit 17. Complete the table below with your 3 planets. Planet Name Date of image request Field of View Exposure Time Filter Selection Venus April 26 th , 2023 Normal View 0.5 seconds Gray Filter Saturn April 26 th , 2023 Normal View 0.5 seconds Blue Filter Mars April 26 th , 2023 Normal View 0.5 seconds Green Filter Part 5: Stars, Nebulae and Galaxies There are a number of deep sky objects you can see with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope that we normally view at the Dark Sky Observations. You are going to use the MicroObservatory to collect images of 5 other objects.  The 5 objects should include at least 1 nebula, 1 star, 1 galaxy, and a Messier object.  Follow the same directions above (use the hints given when you select your settings.  Record the objects and settings below. Updated: Spring 2023

o Do a quick online search and includes 2-3 facts about the object o Cite your sources – see information below. o Dark Sky Summary – (highlight what was most interesting to you? what did you learn?) Cite your sources for the information you used above. View this library resource on evaluating sources found with this lab to make sure your resources are reliable. Do not just list the links – properly cite your sources. Use this link for how to properly cite your sources. Citing Sources - Plagiarism - Web Site at Parkland College Updated: Spring 2023