Baker Lab #1: Constellations

Caleb W. Skocy

AST 115 Honors

17 February 2016

Baker Lab #1: Constellations

Introduction

        In this lab, we went to Baker Observatory to study the night sky.  We identified the constellations that were visible in the sky at the time.  Using a telescope, we observed the Moon, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Orion Nebula.  We searched the sky for any visible planets.  We also located the position of several bright and prominent stars.

Procedures

        For this lab, we used the StarChart app, Scientifics Direct’s Star and Planet Locator, and our naked eyes to identify constellations, stars, and planets in the night sky.  We also used a telescope to make some observations about several objects in the night sky, including the Moon, Jupiter, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Orion Nebula.  To determine altitude or azimuth of any given object in the night sky, we used our hands for a rough estimate, with the width of a hand with fingers spread equaling 20 degrees, a closed fist equaling 10, and a finger 2 degrees.

A) Using StarChart on your phone, identify constellations in the night sky.

B)  Locate the moon.

C)  Locate as many planets as you can and identify the constellations they are in.

D)  If they are visible, Find the Orion nebula and the Andromeda galaxy.

E)  Find the Milky Way

F)  Identify the five brightest stars in the night sky.

G)  Find Polaris.

Discussion and Results

A) Using StarChart on your phone:

1. Identify as many constellations as you can that are currently visible. Mark them for later reference.

• The constellations we were able to identify were Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Orion, Canis Minor, and Andromeda.  There would likely have been many more visible if it weren’t for the clouds and the light pollution from the Moon.

    1. Ursa Major                 2. Ursa Minor                    3. Cassiopeia

          4. Orion                         5. Canis Minor                    6. Andromeda

     2. Find the constellations of the zodiac.

• The zodiac constellations we were able to identify were Gemini, Taurus, and Leo.  According to StarChart, other constellations we should have seen if not for the Moon and weather would have been Cancer, Aries, and Pisces.

             7. Gemini                                   8. Taurus

               9. Leo

B)  Locate the moon. If it is visible:

10. Moon on February 17, 2016

1. What is the phase of the moon?

• Waxing Gibbous

     2.   What is its approximate altitude and azimuth?

• Altitude: 70 degrees.  
• Azimuth: 165 degrees

     3.   Can you cover it up with the tip of your finger, at arm’s length with one eye closed?

• Yes

     4.   Knowing that the width of your finger is approximately two degrees when held at

arm’s length, what is the approximate angular diameter of the moon?

• It looks like it would be around 1 degree.

     5.    Is it easier or harder to see stars next to the Moon? Why might that be?

• It is harder to see stars near the Moon.  The light from the Moon is so bright because of its proximity to us that it overpowers the light from the stars.  In other words, it is light pollution from the Moon.

     6.    What craters can you identify?

• We could see none with our naked eyes, but with the telescope, we were able to identify Copernicus, Plato, and (we thought) Bullialdus.

    7.    What maria  can you identify?

• The maria most identifiable were Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquilitatis.  Most of the maria were visible, since the Moon was in a gibbous phase.  The only maria that we couldn’t see were those on the northwestern region of the Moon, including Oceanus Procellarum, Mare Insularum, and Mare Humorum.

C)  Locate as many planets as you can and identify the constellations they are in.

1. At approximately what altitude and azimuth angles are they located at? What is the time of your observations?

• The only planet visible was Jupiter.  It was in Leo.  The altitude was approximately 20 degrees and azimuth approximately 90 degrees when we observed it at 9:02 P.M.

D)  If they are visible, Find the Orion nebula and the Andromeda galaxy.

1. Were you able to see that they are “fuzzy” and and not “star like” single points of light?

• Yes

     2.    At approximately what altitude and azimuth angles are they located at? What is the

time of your observations?

• Our observations of the Andromeda Galaxy and Orion Nebula are recorded on Table 1.

Table 1: Andromeda Galaxy and Orion Nebula

	Altitude (degrees)	Azimuth (degrees)	Time
Andromeda Galaxy	60	310	9:04 P.M.
Orion Nebula	50	195	9:06 P.M.

     3.    When you looked at the Andromeda Galaxy, you were seeing the light of a 100

billion stars. Could you tell? Was it really bright? If not, why not?

• We couldn’t tell with our naked eyes, but it was a little more noticeable that it was more than one star when we used the telescope.  It wasn’t very bright, but that is because its distance is so much greater than that of the stars in our galaxy.

E)  Find the Milky Way

1. At approximately what azimuth angle does it start and end?
2. At approximately what altitude angle does it reach a maximum.
3. What is a constellation in the Milky Way?

• We were unable to see the Milky Way because of the bright Moon we had.

F)  Names of stars:

1. Identify five of the brightest stars in the sky right now by name. Keep in mind the brightest star in any one constellation can still be fainter than the second or even third brightest star in another constellation.

• The five stars that appeared to be the brightest to us were Sirius, Procyon, Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Capella.

     2.    What are their approximate altitudes and azimuth angles and what time did you

make the observations?

• Table 2 shows the approximate altitude and azimuth (remember, these are very rough hand measurements) of the five stars we thought were the brightest.

Table 2: Bright Stars and Their Locations

Star	Altitude (degrees)	Azimuth (degrees)	Time
Sirius	40	180	9:15 P.M.
Procyon	60	140	9:19 P.M.
Betelgeuse	60	190	9:23 P.M.
Rigel	45	200	9:26 P.M.
Capella	80	315	9:30 P.M.

G)  Find Polaris.

1. To the nearest two degrees, how many degrees above the horizon is it (altitude)?

• 36 degrees

2. What is the azimuth angle of Polaris?

• 0 degrees (due North)

3. How does that compare to the latitude of Springfield (-37.1950 Degrees North)

• The altitude seems to be almost equal to the latitude of Springfield.  This would make sense, with the closer you get to the north the higher above you Polaris should be, since it is the North Star.  At the North Pole it should be directly overhead at 90 degrees, and at the equator it should be just above the horizon.

Conclusion

Overall, this lab helped familiarize us with the night sky.  We got to observe several constellations and other celestial objects.  We learned to roughly measure the locations of objects in the night sky.  We were able to see, through the telescope, that the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy are not single points of light.  Because the Moon was so bright, we were unable to see some of the stars and constellations, though we were able to observe that the Moon can be a kind of cause for light pollution when trying to observe other celestial bodies.  Altogether, we were able to learn and observe much about our night sky with our naked eyes.