Stargazing: Locating Stars and Constellations using the Big Dipper, Study notes of Astronomy

Download Stargazing: Locating Stars and Constellations using the Big Dipper and more Study notes Astronomy in PDF only on Docsity! LIGO Star Chart All of the stars used in our galaxy model are parts of constellations (or star patterns) that are very easy to observe in the night sky from almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere. No telescope is necessary but the sky should be dark. This activity will show you how to locate several features of the night sky. The Big Dipper is the easiest group of stars to identify and can point you in the direction of other interesting areas of the sky. Once you have located the Big Dipper you can use it to find the North Star. Simply imagine connecting Merak and Dubhe with a line and continuing until you reach a medium-bright star. Big Dipper North Star The Big Dipper rotates around the North Star through the night and through the seasons. The position of the Dipper around the North Star depends on the time of night and the month of the year. The diagram to the right shows the position of the bowl of the Dipper in the early evening according to the month. For observers in the northern states the dipper never sets below the horizon, although it does become very low in the sky during the winter months. North Star July April FebruaryNovember Let’s now use the Big Dipper to locate the constellation “Cassiopeia”. Simply imagine a line connecting the second star in the Big Dipper’s handle to the North Star and extend that line until you see a group of stars squished into an “M” or “W”. Cassiopeia Our sun and almost any lights you see in the sky originate from our own disc- shaped, spiral galaxy called the Milky Way. The Earth and our sun are located away from the center of our galaxy. Often you will be able to see a hazy band of light that seems to run through Cassiopeia. During the summer, part of this band of light is actually light from stars located in the thickest part of our galaxy! In the winter you are looking in the opposite direction and the band of light originates from an outer arm of our galaxy. Estimated location of our sun and solar system. The Milky Way Galaxy