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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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 1 st natural moon from sun, 6 th largest moon in solar system

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

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

Oct. – Dec 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)

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

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

Summer Triangle as seen in Fall Western evening sky Vega Deneb Altair

Capella, 7 Sisters & Aldebaran in the East on Fall Evenings 7 Sisters Aldebaran Capella

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

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)

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)

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.

Send any sky questions to…. Bob Doyle Be sure that questions involve basics about sky, moon, planets and stars