Assignment A4 Instructions & Worksheet (1)
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Assignment A4:
Observations of the Moon
Observing the moon will be one of the easiest assignments you will do this semester.
The Moon
observation work will make you aware of the Moon's changing locations and its phases.
It will
be visible at different times throughout each month depending on its phase.
Observe the moon
twice each week and try to view it in each of its seven visible phases
(all the phases except the
“invisible” new moon phase).
These seven phases are:
waxing crescent
1
st
quarter
waxing gibbous
full moon
waning gibbous
3
rd
quarter
waning crescent
As you follow the Moon, you will soon notice it is visible at different times throughout the
month, depending on its phase.
You will see that crescent moons are seen fairly close to the
Sun, quarter moons are seen at about right angles to the Sun, and the full moons are seen in the
opposite direction from the Sun in the sky.
For more information, read the section in the
textbook on lunar phases.
Many calendars state when the new, 1
st
quarter, full and 3
rd
quarter moons will be visible during
each month.
This information will assist you in scheduling the nights and times you should be
observing to see all of the different phases.
Some of the waning phases (those found between the
full moon and new moon) will require late night or early morning observations rather than
evening ones.
You should know what these phases look like and when they are visible.
There are two things you are to determine from your observations:
(1) the relationships between the day of the month, the phase of the moon, and the time of
night (or day) when the moon is visible.
(2) the dates during this term when the moon is located near any bright stars or visible
planets.
To learn these things, you will record your moon and planet observations in the tables provided.
In the tables, list the date and time of observation, the object observed, the approximate position
of the object in the sky in altitude and azimuth, the phase for any moon observations and any
notes you care to add (e.g. weather or if anything unusual was seen, such as if the moon had an
unusual color or a halo, if it was near a visible planet or some other object, or if you saw a
meteor or comet).
The position of the moon will change over the course of a night and also will change from day to
day.
The time of day or night the moon is visible depends on the phase.
You will discover this
as you make your observations.
With your observations, you will be able to predict the phase of
the moon and approximately where in the sky and at what time it can be seen for any date in the
semester.
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A4
Part 1.
Moon Observations
Whenever you see the moon in the sky, make a note of its position, its
phase
(shape), and the
date and time of the observation. The approximate position should be indicated by azimuth and
altitude, that is giving a compass direction and estimating how far above the horizon the moon
appeared to be (example: WSW, 30° up).
You can add any notes you wish, such as if the moon
had an unusual color or a halo, if it was near a bright object or if you saw a meteor or comet.
Remember to make observations twice a week over at least a month-long period so that you
obtain all (7) visible moon phases (excludes the “invisible” new moon phase).
As you make your observations, enter them on Observing Record Form for
Assignment A4.
You will need this information for your observing report. Include a
sketch or a photo of the moon phase. Make sure each column in the table is filled in
for each observation.
As you make your observations, you also need to plot the Moon’s approximate position on one
of your Equatorial (long) star maps.
Use the stars you can see near the Moon to estimate its
position.
As you make your Moon observations, plot its approximate position on one of your
long star maps.
Label the plotted position with the date. Use the Star Locater and
Stellarium to help you.
Be sure to make observations of the Moon over at least a month-long period.
You should try to
observe the moon at least twice each week and view it in each of its seven visible phases (all the
phases except the “invisible” new moon phase).
It is not possible to make all observations for
this Assignment at the same time of night.
You will have to observe at different times of the
night and morning to observe all seven visible phases of the moon.
Remember, many calendars state when the new, 1
st
quarter, full and 3
rd
quarter moons will be
visible during each month.
This information will assist you in scheduling the dates and times
you should be observing to see these different phases.
Some of the waning phases (those found
between the full moon and new moon) will require late night or early morning observations
rather than early evening ones.
You should know what these phases look like and when they are
visible.
Do not record an observation with a negative altitude. If the moon is below the
horizon then observe it at a different time of day/night.
Part 2.
The Moon’s Path in the Sky
The plots of the Moon’s position made on your long star map for different days will show the
eastward direction of the Moon’s motion in the sky relative to the stars.
This motion can also be
seen if the Moon happens to be near a bright star or planet; observing it twice (about two hours
apart) will show that the moon moves eastward about one lunar diameter per hour.
After a six-week period, you will have a general idea of the Moon’s monthly path in the sky.
Below is an
ephemeris,
or daily position table, for the Moon from September 2011.
The first column gives the date
the second one the
right ascension
(RA) coordinate
the third the
declination
(Dec.) coordinate.
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A4
R.A. is the horizontal (east-west) coordinate on your Equatorial Star Chart and is
measured in time units; the R.A. coordinates from 0 hr. to 24 hr. are given along the
map’s central horizontal line.
Declination is the vertical (north-south) coordinate and is measured from 0 to 90 degrees
north or south of the central line. are marked at the right and left edges.
Thus, the ephemeris has the two coordinates which you can use to mark the Moon’s
position for a given date in the ephemeris.
Using a second Equatorial Star Chart, plot the positions of the Moon for September 2011.
This will show what the Moon’s motion in the sky (and on the star map) looks like over the
course of a month.
Your own observations will resemble this, but will not be as accurate given
that they are only naked-eye estimates of positions.
Do not worry that this information is from
2011.
Describe how well your observations of the Moon’s path in the sky agrees with the
path from the ephemeris.
Ephemeris of the Moon for 2011 September at 00:00 Greenwich time
DATE
RA
Dec
DATE
RA
Dec
Sept 1
13:01
-11
Sept 16
01:55
15
Sept 2
13:58
-16
Sept 17
02:43
18
Sept 3
14:57
-19
Sept 18
03:32
21
Sept 4
15:57
-22
Sept 19
04:24
22
Sept 5
16:56
-23
Sept 20
05:17
23
Sept 6
17:55
-22
Sept 21
06:11
22
Sept 7
18:51
-21
Sept 22
07:06
20
Sept 8
19:44
-18
Sept 23
08:01
17
Sept 9
20:35
-14
Sept 24
08:56
13
Sept 10
21:24
-11
Sept 25
09:50
8
Sept 11
22:10
-6
Sept 26
10:45
2
Sept 12
22:55
-1
Sept 27
11:40
-3
Sept 13
23 39
3
Sept 28
12:37
-9
Sept 14
00:23
7
Sept 29
13:36
-14
Sept 15
01:09
12
Sept 30
14:36
-18
At the end of this course, you are to submit a brief report on all of your observations from Unit A
including your lunar observations.
In your report, address the following questions from the
Observation Record for this assignment.
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A4
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Observation Record Form for Assignment A4 – Unit A
Assignment A4:
Part 1 - Moon Observation Project
Make observations of the Moon twice a week over at least a month-long period up to a six-week
period.
Record the date, time, moon phase, position of the moon and include any notes you feel
are important in the data table below.
Be sure to observe all seven visible moon phases.
These
observations do not need to be made at the same time of day as it will be impossible. But
you should try to get as many as you can at the same time of day/night. Ideally you would
have only two or three different times.
When Observed
Moon
Position in Sky
Notes (include if the moon
was near a planet or other
object
Sketch or photo
Date
Time
Days
since 1
st
obs
Phase
Azimuth
Altitude
1.
Is there a relationship between the phase of the Moon and the direction it is seen
in the sky and the time of day?
2.
What did you observe about the direction of motion of the Moon relative to the
background stars over the course of a month?
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A4
Assignment A4:
Part 2 - Plotting the Position of the Moon
In this section include the photos or scans of your plots.
3.
As plotted on your map, how did the orbit of the Moon compare to the ecliptic?
4.
Based on the plot, how did the moons position change relative to the stars?
5.
How do the positions of September 2011 compare to the positions you estimated
from your observations you made?
6.
Based on long star map is there a relationship between the Zodiac Constellations
and the ecliptic?
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A4