Requirement #4A

We’re going to use the Stellarium program to run a night sky simulation…

Set up:

1. Start the Stellarium program.

2. Press the Ctrl-Q keys to turn on the N,S,E,W direction displays.

3. Press the Ctrl-V keys to display the Constellation names

4. Set the time to one hour after sunset.

o Bring up the Configuration Window and select the Date-Time Tab.

o Set the mouse cursor over the small up-down arrows near the Hour field.

o Adjust the time so the sun sets, the sky is dark and the stars show.

o Click on the Rendering Tab of the Configuration Window

o Make sure that the checkbox labeled Constellation and Constellation Names are checked.

o Also make sure that the check box labeled ecliptic line is checked

o Close the Configuration Window by clicking on the small box in the upper right hand of the Configuration Window.

Observation:

o Explore the evening sky using the arrow keys on your key board. You will see stick pictures that look like someone used the stars to play connect the dots. Well, these 'sky pictures' are called constellations. Back in the old days before TV and video games people used to entertain themselves by watching the night sky, making up imaginary pictures among the stars. In the northern hemisphere most of the pictures are of characters from Greek mythology because Greece was located north of the equator. Constellations like Gemini, Hercules and Orion decorate the skies in the north. As scientists explored the southern part of the Earth, that is south of the equator, a lot of the pictures have names that relate to science, like Microscopium and Telescopium.

o Remember when we were setting up Stellarium for this requirement and you checked a box labeled ‘ecliptic line’? Look for a red line in our computer sky. This line, called ‘the ecliptic’ is pretty special. The sun always falls on a point along this line. Adjust the time so you can see the sun. It is the path sun travels across the sky over the course of a year. Also all the planets and moon travel near this line in the sky. Look for some planets; see how they are always near the ecliptic line?

o There is a special name for some constellations that are either on the line or very near it. They are called the constellations of the zodiac. You may have heard of the zodiac if you read about fortune telling or horoscopes. Your sign is determined by where the sun is when you were born. For instance; if you were born on December 12th, the sun was near the constellation Sagittarius. So you are a Sagittarius. Scientists don't believe that this has any real affect on your future but some folks do.

Conclusion:

§ Write down the names of some of the Constellations that you have discovered and make a little sketch to help you remember. Are there any particularly bright stars in the constellation? If you get time try to look up some the star lore associated with a constellation.

§ Find at least 4 of the constellations of the zodiac that lie on the ecliptic line and make sure they are on your list.