PHY 106L Florida State University Introductory Astronomy Laborator Päper View the following celestial objects and mark on the celestial sphere given below

PHY 106L Florida State University Introductory Astronomy Laborator Päper View the following celestial objects and mark on the celestial sphere given below Introductory Astronomy Lab_Spring2020
Physics 106L
Experiment #5
Introductory Astronomy Laboratory
Spring, 2020
I. OBSERVING STARS
Introduction: The Sun is the only nearby star we can study. When we look into the sky, we see
that there is a wide range of characteristics in brightness, size, color, temperature, and age. The
Sun is a fairly normal star, somewhere in the middle of these ranges. In this lab, we are going to
concentrate on two characteristics, color and apparent brightness, to see if we can learn whether
or not there are other stars like the Sun. This question is related to another important pair of
unresolved questions: Are there other planets like the Earth? Does life exist elsewhere in the
universe? Since we are going to be looking at some of the brightest stars in the sky, we should
remember that there may be some characteristics that are peculiar to this group and not
necessarily all stars in the sky.
Background: There are relatively few things that astronomers can observe directly in the light
reaching us from the stars. These include the apparent brightness (energy reaching us), color,
spectral lines, Doppler shifts, and distance (for a small number of stars). From this scant
information, we have learned an enormous amount about the nature and evolution of stars.
Characteristics that can be deduced, using a variety of well-know physical laws, such as
Newton’s Laws of Motion and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, include temperature, intrinsic
luminosity (energy output), mass, size, velocity, and chemical composition. In this lab, we will
explore some of the characteristics of stars. This will include some outside observations of the
sky. First, we will observe some of the kinds of objects we can see in the sky with the unaided
eye. (Quite a bit more can be observed with binoculars, if you have a pair available.) These
objects will include planets, constellations, stars, and clusters of stars. Second, we will make
more systematic observations of a number of bright stars to compare their colors and
brightnesses.
Procedure:
A. Orientation to the Sky
Note: Before going outside, read this section in order to have some familiarity with the
names of the objects we are going to observe. Refer to the star charts in Skywatch 2019.
Make a list in your notebook of the objects mentioned below, leaving room to make a few
notes and sketches for each. When you go outside, dress warmly! You will not be moving
around, and you can get cold very quickly, even if it appears to be a warm night.
The evening sky in late winter and early spring is graced with the most brilliant display of
bright stars that can be seen from the Earth. This display includes the constellation of Orion, but
also includes stars in several other nearby constellations. Before going outside, familiarize
yourself as much as possible with the names and locations of the stars you will view. You will
find a star map for this month in your copy of Skywatch 2019. The stars we will be viewing are
Betelgeuse, Rigel, Bellatrix and Saiph in Orion; the three stars in the belt of Orion, from left to
right, Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka; Sirius in Canis Major; Procyon in Canis Minor; Castor
Introductory Astronomy Lab_Spring2020
and Pollux in Gemini; Capella in Auriga; Aldebaran and Alnath in Taurus; and Regulus in
Leo. The planets Venus and Mars are visible in the evening sky this winter and early spring.
These planets are close together, low in the southwest: Mars is to the upper left of Venus.
Jupiter is in Virgo in late spring, but will not be in the evening sky in winter and early spring.
Look for Venus and Mars in the southwest. Look for Orion, high in the southern sky in
the evening. Once you find Orion, the other stars are fairly easy to locate relative to it. Notice
the almost equilateral triangle comprised of Betelgeuse, Sirius, and Procyon. Castor and Pollux,
the “twins”, are bright stars fairly close together; they are to the north (higher in the sky) of
Procycon. In the evening in late winter and early spring, Leo can be seen rising above the
eastern horizon, and Regulus is its brightest star, at the bottom of a backwards question mark.
Aldebaran is to the northwest of Orion, near a faint cluster of stars called the Hyades. It
may appear as a faint V with Aldebaran near the upper ends of the V. This is part of the horns of
the constellation of Taurus, the Bull. Continuing to the north and west of the Hyades cluster is a
faint, small group of stars shaped like a small dipper; this is the Pleiades (not the Little Dipper),
a small cluster of stars. Further to the North of Aldebaran, there are the bright stars Alnath (in
Taurus) and Capella (in Auriga). Capella will be the furthest north bright star that we will view.
Analysis and Questions:
1) View the following celestial objects and mark on the celestial sphere given below.
a) Ursa Major (Big dipper)
b) Ursa Minor and Polaris (polar star)
c) Draco
d) Orion
e) Taurus
f) Sirius (brightest star in the sky)
g) Pleiades (also called seven sisters)
2) The bright stars we see in the sky are at a large range of distances. Some of these stars appear
bright because they are fairly close, while others that are further away appear bright because they
are intrinsically bright stars. Here are the distances of the stars you have seen:
Betelgeuse: 520 light years
Rigel: 800 light years
Bellatrix: 240 light years
Saiph: 820 light years
Sirius: 9 light years
Procyon: 11 light years
Castor: 52 light years
Pollux: 34 light years
Aldebaran: 65 light years
Alnath: 130 light years
Capella: 42 light years
Regulus: 78 light years
Which of these stars do you think must be intrinsically much brighter than the others?
Explain.
Introductory Astronomy Lab_Spring2020
North
West
East
South

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