Astronomy                 Natural Science 1001

Topic Outlines

Ed Wehling
Home Page

Courses
Astronomy
Meteorology
Geology

Links
Astronomy
Meteorology
Geology

13. The Sky

***Eclipses    [p. 42-45]     Explanation D2L

  • How do they occur?
    --Understand ecliptic plane (or plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun)   [p. 15
    --Understand how moon's orbit around the Earth is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane
    --Understand what nodes are and how they are involved in eclipses
    --Understand why eclipses typically occur only twice a year
  • Lunar eclipse
    --How do Earth, moon, and sun line up for a lunar eclipse? Draw.
    --Explain the differences (with drawings) between a penumbral lunar eclipse, a partial lunar eclipse, and a total lunar eclipse. Draw what they look like from outside the solar system, and what they look like if you are on the Earth.
  • Solar eclipse
    --How do Earth, moon, and sun line up for a solar eclipse? Draw.
    --Explain the differences (with drawings) between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse. Draw what they look like from outside the solar system, and what they look like if you are on the Earth
    --Explain (with drawings) the differences between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse. Draw what they look like from outside the solar system, and what they look like if you are on the Earth
  • Links
    --animation of Moon's nodes
    --THE Eclipse web page

    --lunar eclipse movie
    --lunar eclipse essentials   2 min

    --June 30 1954 Mpls solar eclipse map
    --Movie from space
    --Page of several solar eclipse movies
    --1 min animation of 3/9/16 eclipse

Introduction

  • Compass directions

Apparent motion of celestial bodies through a day   [p. 29-31, 95-100]    Explanation D2L

  • Interlude--drawing hemispheres of the sky
  • Motion of sun in sky throughout a day
    --Relate to motion of Earth
  • In Minnesota, sun halfway up in South sky (why?)
    --Relate to motion of Earth
  • Motion of stars in sky throughout a day
    --Relate to motion of Earth
  • Links
    --excellent animation
    --Chart of sun's path in the sky for anywhere on the Earth
    --Excellent animation of how rotation affects path of sun and moon

Different stars at night at different times of year  [p. 32]      Explanation D2L

  • Relate to motion of earth around Sun
  • Sun moves eastward with respect to stars
  • Define a day   [p. 84-85]    Explanation D2L
    --solar day
    --sidereal day
    --Relate to motions of Earth
    --drawing and description
  • Change in appearance of star sky from day to day
  • Movement of stars throughout a year
  • Change in location in sky of moon from day to day
    --Relate to motion of moon
  • Motion of planets in sky   [p. 48-49]

Why do sun, moon, planets appear in a band across the sky?

Why is the Milky Way a band in the sky?

Seasons    [p. 15, 32-36]

  • Axis of rotation of Earth
  • Revolution of Earth around Sun
  • Angle of sunlight affects how much energy we get from sun
    --Depends on time of year, time of day, location
  • Hours of sunlight in a day affects how much energy we get from the sun
    --Depends on time of year, location
  • Path of sun across sky
  • Solstices, equinoxes

Phases of the Moon   [p. 39-41]     Explanation D2L

  • ***Phases
    --Names
    --Positions of Earth, Sun, Moon
       --Relate positions to phases we see
    --
    Phases over time
  • Moon/sun in the sky
    --How the sun moves through the sky each day
      --rotation of the Earth
      --What is a day Explanation D2L
    --***Right/left rules
    --Finding the moon in the sky [by phase and time]
    --Future/past moon in the sky 
  • Links
    --good starting point for the basics
    --good moon phase interactive
    --another interactive
    --and another interactive
    --current Moon phase
    --phase of moon any time in history

 


©2000-2019     D. Edward Wehling                   Comments should go to ed.wehling@anokaramsey.edu

The views and opinions expressed on this page are strictly those of the page author.  The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Anoka-Ramsey Community College.