Baker Lab Constellations- Megan Purgahn

Megan Purgahn
Baker Lab Constellations

Introduction:
This was the first lab we were able to complete at the Baker Observatory. We traveled to the observatory and spent our time studying, identifying, and observing different constellations, stars, the moon, and galaxies. In this report I will discuss my observations and findings that I observed in the night sky with my own eye.
I used the Star Chart app on my iPhone, my constellation chart from my lab packet, and a list of  the constellations to complete this lab.
The goal of this lab was to be able to locate, identify, and study stars and constellations in the sky without using a telescope.

Procedure:
A. I used Star Chart to identify as many constellations as I could see.
B. I located the moon, measured its altitude and azimuth, and identified any maria and craters that were visible.
C. I located as many planets as I could see, and measured their altitudes and azimuths.
D. I found the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy, and observed their characteristics.
E. I was suppose to find the Milky Way but was unable to locate it.
F. I identified five of the brightest stars by name and measured their altitudes and azimuths.


Results and discussions:

A.) Using a free app on your phone like StarChart for iPhones and Androids:

1. Identify as many constellations as you can that are currently visible. Mark them on your constellation chart for later reference.
1. I was able to identify the constellations of Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Triangulum, Orion, Canis Major, and Canis Minor.
2. Find the constellations of the Zodiac.
1. I was able to find Taurus and Gemini.

B.) Locate the moon, if it is visible:

1. What is the phase of the moon?
1. The moon was a Waxing Gibbous.

 

1. What is the approximate altitude and azimuth?
1. At 8:50 that night, the altitude of the moon was 60 degrees, and the azimuth was 180 degrees.
2. Can you cover it up with the tip of your finger at arm's length with one eye closed?
1. Yes, I could cover up the moon with the tip of my finger at arm's length with one eye closed.
3. 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?
1. Based on the fact that my finger is about two degrees, I would estimate that the moon is approximately one degree, because it is about half of the size of my finger.
4. Is it easier or harder to see stars next to the moon? Why might that be?
1. It is harder to see stars next to the moon, because the moon is so bright that its light covers up many stars.
5. What craters can you identify?
1. I was not able to identify any craters of the moon with my bare eye, because the moon was too bright to see the details.
6. What maria can you identify?
1. I was able to identify mainly the centrally located mare and mare on the right side, such as Mare Serenitatis, Mare Tranquilitatis, and Mare Nubium.

 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 observation?
1. I was only able to identify Jupiter, and at 8:58 pm the azimuth was 98 degrees, and the altitude was 8 degrees.

 

D.) If they are visible, find the Orion Nebula (Orion's sword) and the Andromeda Galaxy

1. Were you able to see that they are fuzzy and not "star like" single points of light?
1.  Yes I was able to see these characteristics.
2. At approximately what altitude and azimuth angles are they located at? What is the time of your observation?
1.  The altitude of the Orion Nebula was 30 degrees, and the azimuth was 210 degrees at around 8:58 pm. I was not able to measure the altitude or azimuth of the Andromeda Galaxy.
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?
1.  No, I was not able to tell that i was looking at so many stars at once, and no they were not very bright either; this is  most likely due to how far away they are from Earth.

 

E.) Find the Milky Way.

1. At approximately what azimuth angle does it start and end?
2. At approximately what altitude does it reach a maximum?
3. What is the constellation in the Milky Way?
1.  I was not able to identify and observe the Milky Way, so I could not answer these questions.

F.) Names of Stars:
The brightest stars have given names, e.g. Arcturus, Sirius, Polaris, and Vega. In the early 1600s, astronomers began a system of giving the brighter stars "Greek letter designations" in addition to proper names.The designation consists of the Latin genitive forms of the constellation name preceded by a lower case Greek letter, starting with alpha for the brightest star in the constellation, beta for the next brightest, and so on through the Greek alphabet. For example, Vega is the brightest star in the constellation of Lyra, so it is given the name Alpha Lyrae.

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.
1. I identified Sirius, Rigel, Procyon, Castor, and Pollux.
   
2. What are their approximate altitudes and azimuth angles and what time did you make the observations?
1. The altitude of Sirius was 38 degrees, and the azimuth was 180 degrees.
2. The altitude of Rigel was 42 degrees, and the azimuth was 206 degrees.
3. The altitude of Procyon was 52 degrees, and the azimuth was 160 degrees.
4. The altitude of Castor was 64 degrees, and the azimuth was 95 degrees.
5. The altitude of Pollux was 58 degrees, and the azimuth was 100 degrees.
6. These observations were made around 9:06 pm.

G.) Find Polaris.

1. To the nearest two degrees, how many degrees above the horizon is it (altitude)?
1. The altitude of Polaris was 28 degrees at 9:12 pm.
2. What is the azimuth angle of Polaris?
1. The azimuth of Polaris is 0 degrees.
3. How does that compare to the latitude of Springfield - 37.1950 degrees N?
1. The both have very similar latitudes, there is only about 9 degrees in difference.

Conclusion:
Although I was not able to see and locate everything in this lab, I successfully located many constellations, stars, the moon, and Jupiter. I learned how to measure and record the altitudes and azimuth of objects in the sky. In this lab, I was able to identify all of these things without a telescope, just my naked eye. I can now find certain stars and stars in the sky whenever I am outside looking up at the sky.