Over the course of your semester of astronomy, you must complete an observing project, which will be worth 10% of your total grade and which will be presented to your classmates, instructor and a couple of independent evaluators on Wednesday, May 7. A rubric for the poster presentation is attached and can also be found on the course website.
Listed below are brief synopses of the nine project options along with required materials and cautions about common mistakes. Detailed descriptions of each lab are available on the course website. You may also design your own observing lab or modify one of these options, but must clear it with me in person or by e-mail before February 15, 2014.
Also available on the course website are “tips” on each of the individual observing projects from former students, including mistakes that they made and had to correct. I recommend that you check these comments out before choosing a project, and you should certainly check them out after choosing a project to avoid repeating mistakes that others have made previously.
Weather
Although we live in the land of few clouds, there will occasionally be a night or two when you will be unable to make your observations due to weather. This is fine so long as you complete the minimum number of observations outlined in each lab. Almost all of these projects involve more than one night of observing, and many of them take weeks or months to complete so START EARLY.
Compatibility with Observing Journals
You will also be keeping an Observing Journal throughout the semester with a number of shorter observing assignments. The Observing Journal will have you complete a small piece of several of the longer Semester Observing Projects, however the Semester Observing version of these observations is much more involved and will require additional measurements and observations. Read the specifics for the Semester Observing Project before completing the Observing Journal observation if you think you may choose it as your project to avoid missing any necessary measurements.
Equipment
Most of these labs can be completed without any equipment other than your eyes and simple materials that we will construct in class or that you can easily make at home. If you would really like to do a lab that requires equipment you don’t have, come see me. I have a couple of Galileoscopes, binoculars, shutter cables, etc. that I am willing to loan out.
Photography
If you have a camera you may want to consider experimenting with astrophotography as a means of recording and presenting your data. In fact, there is a lab option entirely on astrophotography if it interests you, but you can also use a camera to record data for other projects.
However, students who choose to use a camera to record data have occasionally lost that data and had to choose a new project at the last minute. Be careful about checking what you have (developing frequently if using a film camera, examining digital images carefully), saving your data in an appropriate place, and avoiding overexposure. Complete relevant backups, such as sketches, just in case your pictures don’t turn out.
I have a fair amount of experience with astrophotography, so bring your camera to class and I’m happy to help you figure things out, but do it early so that you still have plenty of time to complete the lab!
Midterm Check In
Some of these labs require consistent observations over the course of an entire semester. The general rule of thumb is that the smaller the interval of time in which the lab can be completed, the more difficult the observations themselves become.
Option 1: Change in the Position of Sunset
Find an unobstructed view of the western horizon somewhere that you can return to once per week over the course of the semester. Using either a sketch or camera, record the changing position of the sunset over the course of the semester.
Minimum: 10 observations spread over at least 2.5 months
Materials: compass, camera (optional)
Cautions: You have to observe from exactly the same location every time. If you choose to track the changing location of sunset with a camera you must have the camera on the same zoom every time. You also need to observe against a relatively unobstructed horizon with some recognizable distant landmarks (mountains are ideal for this). A backup sketch is always a good idea, even if you plan to present photographs for the final product.
Option 2: Planetary Motion
Track the movement of Jupiter relative to the stars in that portion of the sky. Make your observations once per week over the course of the semester.
Minimum:10 observations spread over at least 2.5 months
Materials: Planisphere, camera (optional)
Option 3: Moon Phases
For 14 days from the date of a new moon, go outside at exactly the same time (which must be within approximately 30 minutes of sunset) and record the position and phase of the moon relative to a detailed sketch of the horizon, being careful to accurately record its location, size and orientation. You will measure the moon’s altitude above the horizon and apparent size using simple instruments.
Minimum: at least 12 observations over 14 days
Materials: Astrolabe, calculator, camera (optional)
Cautions: You have to observe from exactly the same location every time. If you choose to track moon phases with a camera you must have the camera on the same zoom every time (so that the same landmarks appear on the horizon) and you must not overexpose the moon in your pictures (you need to be able to clearly see the phase!). A backup sketch is always a good idea, even if you plan to present photographs for the final product.
Option 4: Astrophotography
Using a 35mm camera and a shutter cable or a digital SLR camera, you will take photographs of a number of objects including: several constellations, star trails, at least two deep-sky objects, a planet, and the moon. Astrophotography is a hobby of mine and I’m happy to help, but you should approach me for help early in the semester.
Materials: 35mm camera with shutter cable and film OR digital SLR camera capable of taking at least a 30 minute exposure (may require an external remote), tripod
Caution: People who do not do well on this project typically fall into two categories: (1) They wait too long to begin the project and end up with very few useable photographs (typical for those using 35mm cameras where you can’t tell if an image turned out until the film is developed) or (2) They get very creative with the pictures they’re taking but fail to follow directions or to do any science with or analysis of their photographs. This lab is not just about taking pretty pictures!!!!
Option 5: Sunspots
Construct a solar viewer and use it to record the changing location of sunspots. This requires that there be one or more visible groups of sunspots when you begin your observations. You will use your data to calculate the rotation rate of the sun.
Minimum: 10 observations over 2 weeks.
Materials: Solar viewer (tinfoil, safety pin, paper plate, white paper), binoculars or small telescope (optional)
Option 6: The Eratosthenes Experiment
If you will be traveling 150miles or more north or south this semester, you can attempt to recreate Eratosthenes’ experiment measuring the size of the Earth by finding the altitude of the North Star from each location. You will use your data to calculate the circumference of the earth and the error in your measurement.
Materials: Astrolabe, calculator
Caution: Phoenix is not far enough away and San Diego and LA are not far enough North/South! This is a good option only if you are traveling somewhere north of about Flagstaff (East/West doesn’t matter so anywhere in the US North of Flagstaff) or south of Hermosillo in Mexico.
Option 7: Telescope Hunt
Using a small telescope (Galileoscope or your own), find at least 10 deep sky objects from 5 different categories (binary stars, nebulae, galaxies, planets, star clusters) and sketch them. Calculate the field of view of your telescope. Note that you are welcome to borrow a galileoscope, but will need to find a tripod to use it with.
Materials: telescope, stopwatch, planisphere
Caution: Galileo was a very impressive and patient man. Although Galileoscopes are a remarkable contribution to the field of low budget astronomy, they are very difficult to use, and virtually impossible to use without a tripod. If you choose this option, you will need to be very patient.
Option 8: Total Lunar Eclipse
On the night of April 14/15, there will be a total lunar eclipse visible from Tucson. Use careful observations of the entire eclipse (10pm-3am) to calculate the size of the Earth.
Materials: none
Caution: If it’s cloudy on the night of the eclipse, which is a real possibility, you will have less than a month to complete an alternate project.
The Rubric for the semester observing project presentations can be found here