Chapter 2 SkyGazer CD-Rom Activities

Motions of the Stars

INTRODUCTION
In this activity, you will learn about the motions of the stars that can be observed from
your location and other locations on Earth. Before beginning this activity, read
Altazimuth Coordinates in Basic Concepts: Astronomical Coordinates in the Sky
Guide under the Explore menu. If you need detailed instructions on how to change such
Sky Chart settings as time, date, and location refer to SkyGazer Activity 1, Introducing
SkyGazer.

PART 1: OBSERVING THE MOTIONS OF THE STARS FROM HOME

File | Open Settings | Basics | Linked Charts
1. Close all the windows except the one titled Chart 1. Enlarge the window by clicking
and dragging the lower-right corner.
2. Select Sky and Horizon under the Display menu, then select a Translucent horizon
and click OK.
3. Bring up the Time Panel* and select a time step of 1 minute.
4. Select Set Location . . . under the Chart menu and set the location to a city near
you. Also, open the Location Panel to see your location. If necessary, expand the
panel by clicking on the third (green) circle in the upper-left corner.
5. Select Set Date and Time . . . under the Chart menu and change the time to the
current date at any time of day.
6. Under the Display menu, deselect Natural Sky. This will take away the displays
changes between day and night, which is better for this activity. Also select Labels
under the Display menu and deselect Planets and Moons.
7. Zoom out by clicking on the - button at the bottom left of your Sky Chart until
your chart looks similar to Figure 2-1.

A shortcut for bringing up or turning off the Time, Location, Display, and Planet panels is to press the
T, L, D, and P keys, respectively.

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Figure 2-1 Your Sky Chart after Steps 17 in Part 1

8. Now use the Time Panel to advance time in 1-minute time steps. To manually
advance time, click on the inner arrows on either side of the Start button and hold
down your mouse button, or use the out arrows to advance time manually. Observe
the motion of the sky.
9. Watch the stars as they appear to move, observing first due east, then due west, due
south, and finally due north. Use the back and forth scroll bar on your Sky Chart or
your keyboards left and right arrow keys to look in the different directions. When
you use the scroll bar, a compass will appear in the lower-left corner of your Sky
Chart. On your RESULTS sheet, draw an arrow that represents the direction of the
stars motion when viewed in each of these four directions. It may help to focus on
the motion of a single star.
10. Note the point above the horizon around which the sky seems to be moving. Note
the star very close to that point. Under the Display menu select Labels, then select
Reference Points. Also under the Display menu, select Reference Markers, select
Show Reference Markers, and make sure that Cardinal Points and Celestial Poles
are check-marked. Click on that star to bring up its Info Panel and record the
information requested on the RESULTS sheet.
11. Use the Location Panel to record your latitude.

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PART 2: USING THE SKY TO DETERMINE YOUR LOCATION

The spot marked on the Location Panel (see Fig 2-2) is your location marker. By
clicking on the location marker and holding down the mouse button, you can drag the
location marker and set your position to anywhere on Earth.

Figure 2-2 The Location Panel

1. Click and drag your location north and south, east and west, and observe what
happens. Pay special attention to the north celestial pole in the sky when you move
north or south.
2. Change your location to the North Pole, 90 north latitude. Once you have dragged
your location marker to the top of the Location Panel display, you can increase your
latitude on the Location Panel up to 90 by clicking on the arrows next to the
Latitude box. Now click on the pole star you have identified to bring up its Info
Panel again and record its altitude when seen from the North Pole on your
RESULTS sheet.
3. Advance time and watch the motion of the stars. On the RESULTS sheet, draw an
arrow that represents the direction of motion of the stars when viewed from the
North Pole.
4. Move your latitude south by slowly dragging the location marker on the
Location Panel downward. With the Sky Charts scroll bars or your keyboards
arrow keys, adjust your Sky Chart so that it faces due north and observe what
happens to the north celestial pole. Stop moving south when you reach 0 latitude,
the equator. Click on the pole star and record its altitude on the RESULTS sheet.
Also, draw an arrow that represents the direction of the motion of the stars when
viewed from the equator.

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PART 3: WHICH STARS CAN YOU SEE?

1. Use the Location Panel to return to your original position and once again advance
time to observe the motion of the stars. This time, take notice of the stars as they rise
and set. Answer the questions on the RESULTS sheet.
2. Repeat Step 1 at the North Pole and equator and answer the questions on the
RESULTS sheet.
3. Now drag the location marker on the Location Panel to a location in the
Southern Hemisphere that is comparable in southern latitude to the northern latitude
of your home location. Observe the motion of the stars there and answer the
questions on the RESULTS sheet.
4. Predict what you will observe from the South Pole and fill in the RESULTS sheet
with your prediction. Then actually go to the South Pole and see if your prediction
was correct.

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RESULTS SHEET 2 Motions of the Stars

NAME __________________________DATE ___________ SECTION __________________________

PART 1: OBSERVING THE MOTIONS OF THE STARS FROM HOME

Draw an arrow in each panel of Figure 2-3 to represent the direction of the stars motion
that you observed. Do not be afraid to zoom in if necessary.

Figure 2-3 Draw an arrow in each panel to represent the direction of the stars' motion
Name of the point around which all the stars seem to move:
Name of a star near that point:
Altitude of that pole star (from its Info Panel):
Your location:
Your latitude (from Location Panel):

PART 2: USING THE SKY TO DETERMINE YOUR LOCATION

Altitude of the pole star as seen from the North Pole:
Latitude of the North Pole:
Altitude of the pole star as seen from the equator:
Latitude of the equator:
Draw an arrow in each panel of Figure 2-4 to represent the direction of the stars motion
that you observed. Do not be afraid to zoom in if necessary.

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Figure 2-4 Draw an arrow in each panel to represent the direction of the stars motion
that you observed first at the North Pole, then at the equator.
Complete the following table:

Location
North Pole
Your location:
Equator

Latitude

Altitude of Pole Star

What relationship do you notice between the observers latitude and the pole stars
altitude?

PART 3: WHICH STARS CAN YOU SEE?

Do stars rise and set in your home location?
Are there stars that never set in your home location? (These are known as circumpolar
stars.)
Are there stars that never rise in your home location?

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Transfer your answers to the last three questions to the Your location row of the table
below. Fill in the name of your home location in the Location column. Based on your
observations, fill out each space in the table for the North Pole and equator with either
yes or no.

Location
Rise and Set?
North Pole
Your location:
Equator
Southern location:
South Pole

Never Set?

Never Rise?

Fill in the name of the Southern Hemisphere location you chose in the Location column
and again, based on your observations, fill out each space in the table with yes or no
for that location.
What do you notice about the stars that never set and never rise at the Southern
Hemisphere location compared to your home location?
Predict how the stars will move when observed from the South Pole. Fill in the table with
your predictions.
Go to the South Pole. Was your prediction correct?
After observing the motions of the stars from the South Pole, name one similarity and one
difference compared to the motion you observed at the North Pole.

CONCLUSION
In the space below, write a conclusion for this activity. Briefly explain what you did and
what you learned from it.

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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 2: MOTIONS OF THE STARS

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. The altitude of the pole star
a. is always 90.
b. is the same as the observers latitude.
c. is the same for all Northern Hemisphere observers.
d. is exactly the same as the altitude at the north celestial pole.
2. Stars near the north celestial pole appear to move
a. in lines parallel to the horizon.
b. in lines perpendicular to the horizon.
c. in concentric circles around the north celestial pole.
d. in east-to-west arcs centered below the horizon.
3. When observed above due south on the horizon, stars appear to move
a. in lines parallel to the horizon.
b. in lines perpendicular to the horizon.
c. in concentric circles around the north celestial pole.
d. in east-to-west arcs centered below the horizon.
4. When observed from the equator, stars appear to move
a. in lines parallel to the horizon.
b. in lines perpendicular to the horizon.
c. in concentric circles around the north celestial pole.
d. in east-to-west arcs centered below the horizon.
5. When observed from the North Pole, stars appear to move
a. in lines parallel to the horizon.
b. in lines perpendicular to the horizon.
c. in concentric circles around the north celestial pole.
d. in east-to-west arcs centered below the horizon.

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6. If stars appear to move toward the horizon, you are looking

a. north.
b. south.
c. east.
d. west.
7. If stars appear to move downward at an angle less than 90 toward the horizon, you
could be at
a. the North Pole.
b. the equator.
c. a middle-north latitude.
d. [none of the above]
8. When observed at a southern mid-latitude, stars appear to
a. rise in the west.
b. move in circles around a point above the northern horizon.
c. reach their highest altitude above the northern horizon.
d. [all of the above]
9. About what percentage of the stars visible from Earth can be seen at some time from
the equator?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
10. -About what percentage of the stars visible from Earth can be seen at some time from
the North pole?
a. 0%
b. 50%
c. 100%
d. [It depends on the time of year.]

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OPEN-ENDED ACTIVITY
Use the skills you learned in this activity to identify a constellation that is circumpolar
from your location. Also identify a rising and setting constellation that will currently be
visible from your location and

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