Constellation Notes
Constellations Day 1
Objective: • You will use critical
thinking skills in order to differentiate between astronomy and astrology.
• You will use the apparent motion of the earth in order to explain the changing view of our night sky.
Warm-Up• What is astrology?• Are you familiar with your
zodiac sign?
Find Your Sign!
Astronomy vs. Astrology
• ASTRONOMY: the scientific study of the stars, planets, comets, etc.
• ASTROLOGY: the belief that the stars can predict the future and determine a person’s personality
Astrology vs. Astronomy
What “real” science is astrology based
upon?
What makes astrology a
pseudoscience (fake science)?
Apparent (not your mom or dad)• APPARENT MOTION: rotation of the earth on it’s axis and revolution around the sun makes the stars appear to move in the night sky
Apparent (not your mom or dad)
What does the word “apparent” mean
again? How it _________
Appears to move
Apparent (not your mom or dad)• NORTH STAR: star around which all other stars appear to revolve; currently Polaris, located in Ursa Minor (Little Dipper)
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Time Elapsed Photo
Apparent (not your mom or dad)
Why do you think that Polaris doesn’t
appear to move?
Apparent (not your mom or dad)• CONSTELLATIONS: apparent patterns of stars (there’s that word apparent again!)
• 88 total Constellations–Name the night sky
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What do you see in this picture? Can you find
Orion?
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Stars in the same constellation are not the same distance from us. They are spread out in space.
Apparent (not your mom or dad)
Explain why constellations are called “apparent”
patterns. (use Orion as an
example)
Apparent (not your mom or dad)• ECLIPTIC: apparent path of the sun, moon, and planets through the sky
Zodiac Constellations (Circle of Animals)• Zodiac constellations are constellations the sun appears to travel through
What is that path called again?Ecliptic
Zodiac Constellations
• Your zodiac “sign” is the constellation the sun was supposedly “in” when you were born
• 13 Zodiac Constellations
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Zodiac Constellations
Take a minute to see if you know the
animal?
Can you identify what they all are?
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Cenataur32
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History of Astronomy 34Where the heck did this guy come from?
Precession
• PRECESSION: wobble of the earth on it’s axis changing our perspective of the stars (how they ___)
• North star changes over time (a lot of time!)
Precession
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Precession
• Positions of zodiac in night sky shifted
• Aries originally began with the vernal (spring) equinox which now occurs in Pisces
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Did you learn some stuff?
Differentiate between astrology and
astronomy.
Give two specific reasons why one is
considered a pseudoscience.
Sun’s Length
Objective• You will compare
astronomical and astrological time using the calculations of the time the sun appears in each constellation in order to analyze the zodiac constellations defined by astrology.
Warm-Up• What are constellations?
• How many constellations there?
• What is their purpose?
Measuring the Ecliptic
Find the ECLIPTIC : Point to itWhat is the ecliptic?
The apparent path the sun takes through the sky
Measuring the Ecliptic
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You will be
measuring along
the ecliptic!
For Leo You would measure from The orange arrow to the red arrow. Lets try it!
Closure
• Do the astrological dates for the zodiac align with the astronomical dates? Explain
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Objective• You will use constellation
coordinates (know) in order to identify the constellations.(do)
• You will use a celestial sphere (a scientific model) (know) in order to locate stars and constellations (do).
Warm-Up• What is a scientific
model? • What information would
you need to identify a certain constellation or a star?
Celestial Coordinate System• Celestial Poles: point in space directly over the North and South Poles
Celestial Coordinate System
What is currently located at the North Celestial
Pole?
Polaris the North Star
Celestial Coordinate System• Right Ascension (RA): celestial (sky) longitude
• Right ascension unit: hours, min (0-23 beginning at the vernal equinox moving westward)
Celestial Coordinate System
How can you remember it?
• It moves from RIGHT to left
• There are 24 divisions and there are 24 _____ in a day
Celestial Coordinate System
Let’s Try It! • Look at your star chart and name 2
constellations that are found at 3 hours
RA.• Sometimes it’s
easier if you use a ruler!
Celestial Coordinate System• Declination (DEC): celestial (sky) latitude (“ladder”tude)
• Declination unit: degrees
How can you remember it?
• Declination and Degrees both start with ____.
Celestial Coordinate System
Let’s Try It! • Look at your star chart and name 2
constellations that are found at -100 DEC• Use the ruler again
to help!
Celestial Coordinate System• Celestial equator: imaginary line in space directly above earth’s equator
Celestial Coordinate System• If the celestial equator is at 00 declination, degrees above zero would be _________ and below zero would be __________ (think about a thermometer)
Positive
Negative
Celestial Coordinate System
At what latitude is the earth’s equator? _____0
Guess what declination is the celestial equator? _____0
Celestial Sphere
Declination
Right Ascension
Celesti
al
Equato
r
Celestial Coordinate System• Vernal (spring) Equinox: point in space where the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator
• 0 hours right ascension (celestial Prime Meridian)
Celestial Coordinate System
How can you remember it?
• But it used to be at the beginning of Aries and now it’s in Pisces
• Can you come up with something?Where the ecliptic and celestial equator meet! Meet in spring
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Make a labeled sketch of the coordinate system shown
Celestial Coordinate System
Let’s Try It! • Find the
constellations at the given coordinates.
• Remember that the numbers proceed
from RIGHT to left, be careful!
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Closure
• 3 things you learned; • 2 questions • 1 surprise
• How did you like this style of notes?
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Constellations
Objective• You will apply knowledge
of constellations and coordinates in order to complete constellation quest.
• You will research stellar information and the constellation legend in order to identify the constllations origins
Warm-Up• When is your birthday?
From your birthday what is your horoscope?
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Find Your Sign!
Permission Slip: DUE 3-20
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Closure
• what are the two you choose?
• What two pieces of information would you need in order to locate Hercules?
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