Quiz review

Quiz:

Questions about:

1.  H-R diagram.

- know what it means

- the axes and general shape

- the Main Sequence

- where to find white dwarfs and giants/supergiants

- the stellar classification (O B A F G K M)

- what kind of star the Sun is (G2)

I may just draw an H-R diagram and ask you to fill in information.

2.  Doppler effect

- understand the general nature of the DE, not just for sound but also for light (it's all about an apparent change in the frequency)

- know the difference between red shift and blue shift

- know that the red shift of distant galaxies suggested to Edwin Hubble that the universe was expanding

3.  Basics of optics

- how light behaves when it hits a mirror or lens
- be able to draw paths that light would take

4.  Revisit the parsec and recall the definition.

- at a distance of 1 parsec, a length of one AU subtends an angle of one arcsecond.  It also works in reverse - if the Earth travels a distance of 1 AU in orbit, the parallax angle of nearby stars (with respect to further-away background stars) can be used to measure their distances:

d = 1/angle

where d (distance, in parsec) is 1 divided by the parallax angle (in arcseconds).

5.  Electromagnetic radiation

Know a little about the EM spectrum chart:

- it goes from low frequency waves to high frequency waves

- you can also think of it as going from long wavelength to short wavelength waves

- Radio, microwave, IR, visible, UV, X, gamma

- ALL of the waves travel at the speed of light (c) in a vacuum.  

Scroll back to blog posts as far as Tuesday, November 12.

Observing 2 - the early winter sky

Observing II:  The Winter Sky

Despite the cold, the late fall and early winter skies present some of the best opportunities for viewing.  Heat haze is at a minimum, though precipitation can be a problem for telescopes.  In this lab, you will locate several gems of the winter sky, drawing and identifying what you see.  So throw on some gloves, bundle up, and dig the night sky!

Check out the December and January maps on www.skymaps.com.  You can also see the maps from Abrams Planetarium (Michigan State University), distributed in class.

Answer the following questions based on your map reading and/or field experience.  Good luck.  Take hot chocolate with you.  And cookies – definitely take some cookies, even if you never get outside.

1. What planet(s) is/are visible in the evening (before midnight)?  Find it.

2. What planet(s) is/are visible after midnight?

3. Where in the sky is the Andromeda Galaxy (M31 ? that’s Messier object #31)?

4. Draw the constellation Orion as it appears to you.  Identify Rigel and Betegeuse, and note their colors.

5. Where is the great square of Pegasus?

6. Find the Northern Cross.  In what constellation is it?  Name any star in the Cross.

7. Name the three brightest stars visible tonight – find them, also.

8. What are the two brightest stars in the constellation of the twins?

9. Draw the Big Dipper as it appears to you, facing it.

10. Identify any other winter constellations or objects of interest.

11.  Find the 3 stars in the belt of Orion.  What are their names?

12.  Follow these 3 stars in a line to a bright star.  What star is that?

13.  Where is the Orion nebula?.

14.  Find the winter triangle and name the 3 stars in it.

If a telescope or binoculars are available, find the following objects and describe them:

Pleiades cluster, Hyades cluster, M42 (the Great Orion Nebula)

Questions

1.  What are the easiest ways to tell the difference between a star and a planet?

2.  Are there any comets viewable right now (with telescope)?

3.  When is the next full Moon?

4.  What is the brightest star visible in the evening sky?

5.  Tell me something about the mythology of Orion.

6.  How does the winter sky compare to the fall sky?  You may need to reference an earlier star map.

7.  Anything else worth mentioning about the sky?

Cool.

http://chandra.si.edu/learn_snr.html

Ison :-(

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/So-It-Ends-for-Comet-ISON-234123671.html

Comet Ison?

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/232699581.html

We haven't chatted about it in class - it's an early morning object, and not terribly bright yet.  Still, it *may* end up great.  Nobody seems to be sure.

FYI - observation night and optics

Observation night is:  December 5, 7 PM.  Backup night:  December 10, 7 PM

Here's the lens applet I was playing with today in class:

http://www.physics.metu.edu.tr/~bucurgat/ntnujava/Lens/lens_e.html

Hella-cool!

Interactive supernova

http://54.225.120.196/tour/seeing-around-remnant-supernova

A bit of background:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/Cassiopeia-A-in-3D-232367901.html