Beginners Astronomy

BEGINNERS ASTRONOMY

Martin Crow Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society

Lunar and Solar Observing

Last time


Meteor watch:

Visually observing variable stars

Visual observation

What are meteors

Imaging meteors

A look at setting up and using telescopes

This week:


Lunar observing using a telescope:

Using charts / maps of the Moon

Things to look out for

Grazing occultations

Drawing / sketching

This week:


Safe Solar observing using binoculars and a telescope:

Do’s and don’ts

Ways to observe safely

What to see in white light

Other ways to view the Sun

Observing the Moon


Observing the Moon visually and optically

What you will see and what you can do.


Visually

Most obvious are the phases of the Moon


Phase Northern Hemisphere Visibility Standard time of culmination (mid-phase) New moon Not visible, traditionally Moon's first visible crescent after sunset 12 noon

Waxing crescent moon Right 1–49% visible afternoon and post-dusk 3 pm First quarter moon Right 50% visible afternoon and early night 6 pm Waxing gibbous moon Right 51–99% visible late afternoon and most of night 9 pm Full moon Fully visible sunset to sunrise (all night) 12 midnight Waning gibbous moon Left 51–99% visible most of night and early morning 3 am

Third quarter moon Left 50% visible late night and morning 6 am

Waning crescent moon Left 1–49% visible pre-dawn and morning 9 am

Dark moon Not visible, traditionally Moon's last visible crescent before sunrise 12 noon


Lunar phases


Visually contd.

Lunar eclipses


Occultations

Jim Burchell

Jim Burchell

Visually contd.

Observing the Moon


Use an atlas or map to find your way aroundOptically

Observing the Moon


What to look out for

Observing the Moon


Grazing occultations of stars

Optically contd.


On a similar note - Asteroid occulting a background star

Observing the Moon


Occultation of Saturn

Images by Jim Burchell

Optically contd.

Observing the Moon


Draw / sketch what you see

Safe Solar observing


Do’s and Don'ts

Never look directly at the Sun

Never leave equipment pointed at the Sun unattended without coveringthe object glass / telescope front.

Never use eye piece solar filters

Never look directly at the Sun through unfiltered binocularsand telescopes



How to observe the Sun safely

Image projection

This is by far the cheapest and easiest of the safe methods.

This image can be just viewed and shared by a group of people.

It can be drawn.

Or you can take a picture of it.



Solar filters for the front end of the telescope: There are two types:

1. Reflective film – Baader astro solar



2. Reflective coated glass filters – Thousand oaks

Solar filters for the front end of the telescope: There are two types:



Solar filters for the rear end of the telescope:

Herschel wedge

This allows safe viewing of the sun full spectrum in white light.



Basic solar observing Working out the Sun spot number



Solar filters for the rear end of the telescope:

Hydrogen Alpha dedicated telescopes



Drawing by Honor Wheeler



Images by Honor Wheeler

Beginners Astronomy

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