Table of Contents
1 Becoming a Star Mentor ........................................................................... 1
Teaching to Learn ...................................................................................... 4
Activities Indoors and Out ......................................................................... 5
2 The Earth and Moon ................................................................................. 7
Activity 1: What Shape Is the Moon? ........................................................ 8
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 8
Building the Lunar Model (Fig. 2.1) ...................................................... 9
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 12
Healthy Skepticism ................................................................................ 13
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 14
Following Up ......................................................................................... 15
Activity 2: Sketching the Moon Using the Clock Method ......................... 15
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 16
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 16
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 20
Following Up ......................................................................................... 20
Activity 3: Modeling the Lunar Surface in Clay ........................................ 21
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 22
Building the Model ................................................................................ 23
Exploring the Model .............................................................................. 27
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 31
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 32
Following Up ......................................................................................... 32
Activity 4: Exploring the Lunar Maria ...................................................... 32
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 33
The Maria ............................................................................................... 34
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 40
Following Up ......................................................................................... 40
Activity 5: Making Craters in Flour ........................................................... 41
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 42
Building the Model ................................................................................ 42
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 45
Following Up ......................................................................................... 46
Activity 6: Exploring Craters in Plaster ..................................................... 46
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 46
Building the Model ................................................................................ 47
Exploring the Model .............................................................................. 49
Observation Time ................................................................................... 50
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 52
Following Up ......................................................................................... 52
3 Exploring Size, Distance, and Motion ...................................................... 55
Activity 7: How Big Is the Moon’s Orbit? ................................................. 56
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 58
Building the Model ................................................................................ 58
Exploring the Model .............................................................................. 61
Mini-Activity: Sketching the Moon’s Orbit to Scale ............................. 61
Mini-Activity: Apparent Size of the Moon ............................................ 62
Mini-Activity: Traveling to the Moon .................................................... 63
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 63
Following Up ......................................................................................... 63
Activity 8: Exploring Earth’s Rotation ...................................................... 64
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 65
Conducting the Activity ......................................................................... 65
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 66
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 69
Activity 9: Building and Exploring the Quadrant ...................................... 69
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 70
Building the Quadrant ............................................................................ 70
Exploring the Quadrant .......................................................................... 72
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 77
Following Up ......................................................................................... 77
Activity 10: Tracking the Moon’s Orbital Motion ..................................... 78
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 78
Notes ...................................................................................................... 78
Conducting the Activity ......................................................................... 79
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 81
Following Up ......................................................................................... 81
Activity 11: The 1,000-meter Solar System ............................................... 82
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 82
Building the Model ................................................................................ 83
Exploring the Model .............................................................................. 86
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 87
Following Up ......................................................................................... 88
Activity 12: Million–Billion–Trillion ........................................................ 88
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 89
Building the Model ................................................................................ 89
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 92
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 93
Following Up ......................................................................................... 93
4 Teaching the Visual Sky ............................................................................ 95
Activity 13: Using the Planisphere and Dividing the Sky ......................... 96
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 96
Building the Model ................................................................................ 96
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 98
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 102
Following Up ......................................................................................... 103
Activity 14: Sketching a Single Constellation ........................................... 103
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 103
Conducting the Activity ......................................................................... 104
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 108
Following Up ......................................................................................... 108
Activity 15: Measuring and Mapping a Single Constellation .................... 109
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 110
Building the Model ................................................................................ 110
Using the Pantograph ............................................................................. 112
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 113
Following Up ......................................................................................... 115
Activity 16: The Circumpolar Constellations ............................................ 115
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 115
Conducting the Activity ......................................................................... 116
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 117
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 122
Following Up ......................................................................................... 122
5 The Bowl of Night – Spring and Summer ............................................... 123
Activity 17: Spring – Mr. Orion’s Neighborhood ...................................... 124
Facts you Need to Know ........................................................................ 124
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 124
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 126
Activity 18: Spring – Exploring the Northern Milky Way
with Binoculars .......................................................................................... 127
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 128
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 129
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 133
Following up .......................................................................................... 133
Activity 19: Summer – Scorpio’s Neighborhood ....................................... 133
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 134
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 134
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 137
Following up .......................................................................................... 137
Activity 20: Telescope Pointing and Star Hopping in Scorpio .................. 137
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 137
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 138
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 140
Following up .......................................................................................... 140
Activity 21: Exploring the Southern Milky Way with Binoculars ............. 141
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 142
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 142
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 144
Following up .......................................................................................... 144
6 The Bowl of Night – Autumn and Winter ................................................ 145
Activity 22: Autumn – Counting the Stars in the Sky ................................ 147
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 148
Building the Model (Fig. 6.2) ................................................................ 148
Exploring the Data ................................................................................. 152
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 154
Following Up ......................................................................................... 155
Activity 23: Autumn - Sketching the Zenith .............................................. 155
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 156
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 156
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 158
Following Up ......................................................................................... 159
Activity 24: Autumn - Zenithal Wonders ................................................... 159
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 160
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 161
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 163
Following Up ......................................................................................... 164
Activity 25: Winter – Leonid Meteor Shower ............................................ 164
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 166
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 166
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 168
Following up .......................................................................................... 168
Activity 26: Winter – Cancer and Gemini ................................................. 169
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 169
Instructions ............................................................................................. 169
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 171
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 172
Following Up ......................................................................................... 172
Activity 27: Winter – Sketching Zenith Constellations ............................. 172
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 173
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 173
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 175
Following Up ......................................................................................... 176
7 Introducing the Inner Planets .................................................................. 177
Activity 28: Confrming Your Location on the Earth ................................. 178
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 178
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 179
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 182
Following Up ......................................................................................... 182
Activity 29: Classical Planets and the Ecliptic .......................................... 182
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 183
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 184
Mini-Activity: Planets in Conjunction ................................................... 185
Mini-Activity: Retrograde Motion ......................................................... 186
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 188
Following Up ......................................................................................... 188
Activity 30: Planet Mercury – Observing Near the Sun ............................ 188
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 190
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 191
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 191
Following Up ......................................................................................... 192
Activity 31: Observing the Phases of Venus .............................................. 192
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 194
Building the Model ................................................................................ 194
Mini Activity: Exploring the Heliocentric Model of the
Phases of Venus ...................................................................................... 197
Mini Activity: Exploring the Geocentric Model of the Phases of Venus 199
Exploring the Superior Planets .............................................................. 200
Exploring the Evidence .......................................................................... 201
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 203
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 205
Following Up ......................................................................................... 205
8 Welcome to Mars ....................................................................................... 207
Activity 32: Sketching Mars using the Clock Method ............................... 212
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 213
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 213
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 215
Following Up ......................................................................................... 215
Activity 33: Tracking Mars in Retrograde Motion .................................... 216
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 216
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 217
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 218
Following Up ......................................................................................... 219
Activity 34: Observing Surface Changes on Mars ..................................... 219
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 221
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 221
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 222
Following Up ......................................................................................... 222
9 Discovering the Outer Planets .................................................................. 223
Activity 35: Jupiter – Cloud Bands and Storm Systems ............................ 225
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 227
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 227
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 229
Following Up ......................................................................................... 229
Activity 36: Jupiter – The Galilean Moons ................................................ 230
The Little Solar System ......................................................................... 231
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 232
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 232
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 234
Following Up ......................................................................................... 235
Activity 37: Jupiter – Moons in Transit and Occultation ........................... 235
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 237
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 237
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 238
Following Up ......................................................................................... 238
Activity 38: Planetary Rings and the Roche Limit .................................... 238
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 242
Building the Model ................................................................................ 242
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 245
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 249
Following Up ......................................................................................... 250
Activity 39: Saturn – Rings and Gaps ........................................................ 250
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 250
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 251
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 255
Following Up ......................................................................................... 255
Activity 40: Saturn – Inner and Outer Moons............................................ 255
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 256
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 257
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 260
Following Up ......................................................................................... 260
10 Star Clusters and Nebulae ........................................................................ 263
Activity 41: Globular Star Clusters ............................................................ 264
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 265
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 265
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 266
Following Up ......................................................................................... 267
Activity 42: Globular Clusters in Sagittarius and Scorpio ......................... 268
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 268
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 269
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 269
Following Up ......................................................................................... 270
Activity 43: Comparing Open Star Clusters .............................................. 270
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 272
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 272
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 273
Following Up ......................................................................................... 274
Activity 44: Star-Forming Nebulae ............................................................ 274
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 274
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 275
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 277
Following Up ......................................................................................... 277
Activity 45: Refection Nebulae ................................................................. 278
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 279
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 279
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 282
Following Up ......................................................................................... 283
Activity 46: Emission and Planetary Nebulae ........................................... 283
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 284
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 285
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 287
Following Up ......................................................................................... 288
11 Galaxies ...................................................................................................... 291
Activity 47: Galactic Neighbors – Andromeda and Triangulum ............... 293
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 294
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 294
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 296
Following Up ......................................................................................... 297
Activity 48: Galaxies in Thrall ................................................................... 297
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 298
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 298
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 300
Following Up ......................................................................................... 301
Activity 49: Galaxy Groups ....................................................................... 301
Facts You Need to Know ........................................................................ 301
Observation Time!.................................................................................. 302
What Have We Learned? ........................................................................ 304
Following Up ......................................................................................... 305
12 Telescope Equipment for Beginners ......................................................... 307
Activity 50: Visiting an Astronomy Club ................................................... 308
Beginner’s Equipment: The Planisphere .................................................... 309
Understanding the Telescope ..................................................................... 309
Understanding the Eye ............................................................................... 311
Aperture and Focal Ratio ........................................................................... 313
Refractor Telescopes .................................................................................. 315
Refector Telescopes .................................................................................. 316
Catadioptric Telescopes ............................................................................. 318
Telescope Mounts ...................................................................................... 319
The Dobsonian Mount ........................................................................... 320
Equatorial Mount ................................................................................... 321
GoTo Mount ........................................................................................... 323
The Best Telescope .................................................................................... 324
13 Binoculars for the Beginner ...................................................................... 327
Why Two Eyes Are Better than One .......................................................... 328
Anatomy of Binoculars .............................................................................. 329
Magnifcation and Field of View ................................................................ 330
Optical Coatings and Effciency ................................................................ 334
Strengths and Weaknesses .......................................................................... 336
Glossary ...........................................................................................................................339
Bibliography ....................................................................................................................349
Index ................................................................................................................................351