Lab -   Measurement Techniques in Astronomy - Handout

Lab -   Celestial Sphere Lab

Lab -   Lunar Phases Lab

Lab -   Kepler's Law and the Mass of Jupiter

Lab -   Erathosthenes - Determining the size of the Earth

Lab -   Spectroscopy - Lenses and spectroscopy - Handout

Lab -   Solar noon part#1

Lab -   Solar noon part#2

Lab -   Horizon calendar

Lab -   Stellar spectroscopy - Handout

Please be sure to look at all of the information on this page. There are links to follow!

For the celestial sphere lab, you must remember the idea of the RA and DEC system and the celestial equator. If you go outside tonight, (I hope you do) stand facing due south and using your hand measuring technique, measure up from the horizon 60 degrees. This point is the celestial equator, declination 0 degrees. During the course of the year the Sun will travel as high as 23.5 dgrees above this line and 23.5 degrees below this line, the Summer and Winter Solstices.  In actuality, Huntsville is at a latitude of 30.71 degrees and if you subtract this figure from 90 degrees you will arrive at 59.28 degrees. This is the altitude of the celestial equator above the horizon. Now if you add or subtract 23.5 degrees from that figure you will get the correct altitude for the Sun at the solstices. Proof is at the USNO astronomical tables. It shows the Sun will be at an altitude of 82.7 degrees at an azimuth of 181.7 degrees @ 12:25PM June 21, 2000, the Summer Solstice!

You need to try to get your mind to think in a 3D mode for these concepts to make any sense at all. If you have questions about the lab stuff try to email me by Friday so I  can dedicate Saturday for replying to them. That way you can mull the info over before you come to class next week. A student asked me last night about why the date and  hour dial on the celestial globe does not match with the ecliptic dates. Well to be honest, I don't know but I will ask Dr. James and I will post an answer here for you. Even though they don't match, when you set the globe up for a certain date and time it does work out properly. I demonstrated this last night, and sure enough the stars were where they are supposed to be.

I asked Dr.James about the settings on the globe and she was not sure about why it is setup that way. For whatever reason the globe does work.

We covered the lunar phases lab so far and I would like for you to get at least 2 observations taken so we can go over the math part of this next time we meet. Please make sure you record your date and time of observation. I will make a couple of observations as well and we can compare results together. I will be doing this lab right along with you. It would be advisable to go out as soon as you can to make your first observation. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, to do this lab. I cannot stress this enough to you.

I'll tell you what, you folks are a tough crowd. Ok, it looks as though I will have to do a second page that will tie into this one so I will link over to it. We are going to be doing at least 3 different labs at the same time during the next month or so. The lunar phases and motion lab, the horizon calender lab and the solar gnomon lab. I will be explaining how to do the solar lab in a bit.