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fandomhigh2006-08-09 07:32 am
stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2006-08-09 07:32 am
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Observational Astronomy -- August 9
Week 5 - August 9 - The Moon and Jupiter
[Class Roster ]
Star maps: East | West | North | South | Overhead
"Tonight we're going to look at the moon and the visible planets. Or planet, as the case may be.
"The definition of a planet is a relatively large mass of accreted matter in orbit around a star. A mass that becomes massive enough to undergo nuclear reactions is considered a star, not a planet. The name comes from the Greek term planetes, meaning "wanderer" -- ancient astronomers noted how certain lights moved across the sky in relation to the other stars. The International Astronomical Union lists nine planets in our solar system -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus (stop snickering), Neptune, and Pluto. However, some people say that Pluto isn't really a planet, and some people want to include 'Planet Ten,' a body that orbits beyond Pluto. Some people call that body Xena. Anyway, there's a trick to remembering the order of the planets: just remember the phrase 'My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.'
"There's just one planet visible to the naked eye tonight -- Jupiter. You can find this bright 'star' easily over between Virgo and Libra. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest within the solar system. It is usually the fourth brightest object in the sky (after the Sun, the Moon and Venus); however at times Mars appears brighter. Jupiter is 2.5 times more massive than all the other planets combined, and it is 318 times more massive than Earth, with a diameter 11 times that of Earth, and with a volume 1300 times that of Earth. Its best known feature is the Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth which was first observed by Galileo four centuries ago. Some astronomers have termed Jupiter as a 'failed star.' If Jupiter had been more massive and become a star, life on earth would be very different.
"Jupiter has at least 63 moons. The four largest moons are known as the 'Galilean moons' -- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. If you have a steady hand, you might be able to see some of the moons through your binoculars. Galileo's discovery of these moons was further evidence that the Earth was not the center of the universe.
"And now to the Moon, Earth's only natural satellite. I don't think I have to tell you how to find it! The Moon is in synchronous rotation, meaning that it keeps nearly the same face turned toward Earth at all times. The side of the Moon that faces Earth is called the near side, and the opposite side is called the dark side or the far side. The Moon makes a complete orbit about the Earth approximately once every 27.3 days. Right now the Moon is waning gibbous and is just over 15 days old. It's about 99% full.
"If you want to stay up until sunrise, you can see Venus and Mercury on the horizon. Venus will be brighter than any star in the sky. You can't miss it. And if you see what seems to be a moving star to the south and west of the moon near the horizon, that's the International Space Station!"
[Class Roster ]
Star maps: East | West | North | South | Overhead
"Tonight we're going to look at the moon and the visible planets. Or planet, as the case may be.
"The definition of a planet is a relatively large mass of accreted matter in orbit around a star. A mass that becomes massive enough to undergo nuclear reactions is considered a star, not a planet. The name comes from the Greek term planetes, meaning "wanderer" -- ancient astronomers noted how certain lights moved across the sky in relation to the other stars. The International Astronomical Union lists nine planets in our solar system -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus (stop snickering), Neptune, and Pluto. However, some people say that Pluto isn't really a planet, and some people want to include 'Planet Ten,' a body that orbits beyond Pluto. Some people call that body Xena. Anyway, there's a trick to remembering the order of the planets: just remember the phrase 'My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.'
"There's just one planet visible to the naked eye tonight -- Jupiter. You can find this bright 'star' easily over between Virgo and Libra. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest within the solar system. It is usually the fourth brightest object in the sky (after the Sun, the Moon and Venus); however at times Mars appears brighter. Jupiter is 2.5 times more massive than all the other planets combined, and it is 318 times more massive than Earth, with a diameter 11 times that of Earth, and with a volume 1300 times that of Earth. Its best known feature is the Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth which was first observed by Galileo four centuries ago. Some astronomers have termed Jupiter as a 'failed star.' If Jupiter had been more massive and become a star, life on earth would be very different.
"Jupiter has at least 63 moons. The four largest moons are known as the 'Galilean moons' -- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. If you have a steady hand, you might be able to see some of the moons through your binoculars. Galileo's discovery of these moons was further evidence that the Earth was not the center of the universe.
"And now to the Moon, Earth's only natural satellite. I don't think I have to tell you how to find it! The Moon is in synchronous rotation, meaning that it keeps nearly the same face turned toward Earth at all times. The side of the Moon that faces Earth is called the near side, and the opposite side is called the dark side or the far side. The Moon makes a complete orbit about the Earth approximately once every 27.3 days. Right now the Moon is waning gibbous and is just over 15 days old. It's about 99% full.
"If you want to stay up until sunrise, you can see Venus and Mercury on the horizon. Venus will be brighter than any star in the sky. You can't miss it. And if you see what seems to be a moving star to the south and west of the moon near the horizon, that's the International Space Station!"
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