Astronomy Lecture Tutorial
Daily/Monthly/Yearly motion of the sky.
 

1. If you look west tonight from our location at WWC and watch the stars set, or take a time-exposure photograph of the star trails, sketch a picture of the trails as stars set in the west.

 
 
 
 
 

2. If you look due north tonight from WWC, and take a time exposure of the region of sky around the celestial pole, sketch the star trails.

 
 
 
 
 
 

3. Joe Astro says that the star trails in question #1 descend at an angle to the horizon, that is the stars appear to get further north as they descend.  Suzy Spacey says that the star trails in question 1 should be perpendicular to the horizon.  Which student do you agree with and why.
4. The moon is between new phase and first quarter.  What part of the sky do you look for the moon soon after sunset tonight.  The moon is located in the constellation Libra.
5. Joe Astro says that the star trails of question #1 are tilted to the horizon because the earth's axis is tilted.  Suzy Spacy disagrees.  She says it is due to our latitude on earth.  Which student do you agree with and why?
6. Where in the sky is the moon located in two days at sunset?  What part of the sky and in which constellation?
7. In less than two weeks the moon will be full.  In what part of the sky (direction) will the moon rise?
8. Sketch the path of the moon relative to the horizon as the full moon rises.
9. What constellation is the full moon located in September?
10. What month of the year does Orion culminate at 8:00 pm?
11. Suzy has a cousin who lives in Australia.  Sketch the path of the setting stars in the west as seen by her cousin in Australia.