Normally, we meet at the Observatory on clear nights, and do in-class lab projects on cloudy nights.
Lab Project Booklet:
* This I will hand out at the beginning of the semester; it has the lab projects you'll be doing on clear nights at the Observatory. These include:
--- estimating the brightness of different types of variable stars, using binoculars. You'll assembe light curves of each star by your estimates
--- Tracking the planets Jupiter and Mars among the stars. Each class night you use binoculars to carefully plot the position of Jupiter and Mars among the stars of Taurus and Gemini, Cancer, and decide if these planets are in retrograde, or prograde motion.
--- Identifying binary stars. A telescope project to look at some classic double stars, and show you know how to aim a telescope
--- Finding deep sky objects in a telescope. Galaxies, nebulae, star clusters... choose a few and locate them in the telescope
--- Logging the particulars of your Astrophotography subject, your night with the big 12" Dome scope
--- Logging meteors, you'll see some "shooting stars" at night. Log them and what constellation, their length, magnitude
--- Drawing the Orion Nebula - show your mental observation skills by carefully drawing the brightest and most beautiful deep sky object in the sky with pencil and paper
--- Time the occultations of stars by the moon, and the moons of Jupiter as the pass in front or behind Jupiter. Some nights these events will happen, and we'll get you primed for doing the data
Cloudy Night Projects: On cloudy nights, we'll be indoors in Rm 705, and I will choose a lab project for you to work on. Projects can include:
--- Zooniverse "Citizen Science" contributions: classifying variable stars or perhaps other new projects being added. Help "machine learning" to handle the huge new data sets astronomers are getting.
--- Mapping the orbit of Mercury. Use simple angles and a little high school math to work out the orbit of Mercury from observational data (not yours, already collected)
--- Plotting the H-R Diagram for a collection of stars, and identify the main features of the diagram
--- use dice to play "photon" trying to emerge from the core of the sun!
--- Video and video quiz. I have a few PBS Nova programs we can watch and then take a quiz afterwards
--- End of semester: Combine class light curves of our variable stars, and assign winners
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Estimating the brightness of variable stars from photographs I've taken in the past.
We never know when it'll be clear, or cloudy. My lab assistant Cade Knorr will notify the group chat as it gets close to 7:30pm on Tuesday and make sure you know what the decision is, to meet in the classroom because of clouds, or meet at the Observatory. Often it'll be obvious. But sometimes it's iffy.
The moon in the sky will often constrain what we can do, and so I've shown our tentative schedule assuming every night is clear (it won't; maybe half the nights will be cloudy)...
Feb 4- Meet in 705. Introduction, some basics. Intro to Choosing your Astrophoto Project and demo of our Student Gallery.
Feb 11- Learn your variable stars and constellations at the observatory, get first observations. Get 12" scope into shape for photography
Feb 18- last quarter moon, . Cloudy? Zooniverse project: classifying variable stars.
Feb 25 -new moon; good for photography, all projects
Mar 4
- first quarter moon, good for astrophotography, variable, other deep sky projects. good for some occultation projects
Mar 11- full moon, no photography, but can do binocular variable stars and binary star labs
Mar 18- last quarter moon, night sky projects good, including photography
Mar 25- no moon; good for photography. OK for variable stars still, and binary star telescope project.
Apr 1 - Spring Break - no class
Apr 8
- gibbous moon. some occultations, most projects, but not good for most photography
Apr 15 - waning gibbous moon. Astrophotography with the 12" dome scope
Apr 22 - no moon - good for all projects except occultations
Apr 29 - crescent eve moon. good for all projects
May 6- Gibbous moon, not good for astrophotography projects at the Observatory
May 13- Waning moon won't rise till mid-class, Help with completing your projects at the Observatory. This is our last Observatory night. Photo projects must be completed.
May 20 - Last regular day of class. Help with finishing your projects in the classroom 705, especially the photo projects.
May 27 - 6-9pm. Our "Final Exam" period. Meet again in Room 705. We'll convolve together our light curves (last labs of the course), celebrate winners, answer questions, show our astrophoto projects.