Paul Derrick's Stargazer

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LEARNING THE NIGHT SKY

Have you wondered about the many beaautiful objects in the night sky?
But after finding the Big Dipper, are you lost?
Utilizing Paul's system of sky regions and stories, this class will help you
learn to identify and name the major constellations and stars of the season,
and introduce you to the basics of stargazing.

Next class: August 18, 19, 20 & 21, 2008
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

COURSE INFORMATION

COURSE: Emphasizing naked-eye viewing, the aim of this course is to introduce participants to the basics of stargazing and help them learn the major constellations and stars of the season. This seemingly daunting task becomes do-able as we divide the northern hemisphere night sky into nine regions, and learn a story or theme related to each. (See the Course Content Outline below.)

SESSIONS: The 4-session course includes 2 indoor "classroom" sessions followed by 2 outdoor "under the stars" viewing sessions. Indoor sessions are at my residence (918 N 30th St, Waco, TX) and outdoor sessions are TBA.

CLOUDS: Viewing sessions canceled due to clouds are rescheduled.

AGES: All ages are welcome although children at least 9 or 10 years of age have worked out the best. Since parents are the best judge of their children's interest, attention span and potential for disruptive restlessness, they can best decide the appropriateness of this course for their children (and vice versa).

COURSE FEE: There is no fee. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to consider joining the Central Texas Astronomical Society. For more information on CTAS, go to Central Texas Astronomical Society.

PREREQUISITES: None. No prior knowledge is required and no equipment is necessary to enjoy this course. There are no tests, no grades, no required homework and no attendance taken.

MATERIALS: None required. Since the course follows the content of Paul's book, Learning the Night Sky, students might wish to purchase their own copy ($25; $20 for members of CTAS), however loaner copies will be available for use during the course. Also while all will receive a sky map for the season, students may wish to purchase a planisphere ($12). [Click Learning the Night Sky to learn more about Paul's book.]

INSTRUCTOR: Paul Derrick has been teaching stargazing and amateur astronomy since 1989. He is a founding member of CTAS.

For information or to register,
call 254-753-6920 (home) or 254-723-6346 (cell) or e-mail: paulderrickwaco@aol.com.

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COURSE CONTENT OUTLINE

  • Our Personal Journeys to the Stars
       Introductions
       Briefly sharing our personal journeys
  • Getting Oriented
       Where in the World Are You? (longitude, latitude, directions)
       Celestial Net (hours of right ascension, declination, celestial poles and equator,
          meridian, zenith, altitude, azimuth)
  • Movement in the night sky
       Basic East-to-West Movement (due to Earth's daily west-to-east rotation,
          centering around Polaris)
       Sidereal Day vs. Solar Day
       Seasonal Skies (due to Earth's annual revolution around the Sun)
       The Ecliptic and the Movement of the Planets
       Movement of the Moon (both directions simultaneously)
  • Cosmic Distances
       Miles, kilometers, astronomical units, light years
  • Objects for Observation: Solar System
       Sun, Moon, planets, comets, meteors, meteor showers, other
  • Objects for Observation: Deep Space
       Binary & double stars, star-forming nebulae, open clusters, globular clusters,
         planetary nebulae & supernova remnants, galaxies
  • Appearances
       Magnitudes
       Colors
  • Angular Distances
       Degrees, arcminutes, arcseconds, estimating degrees using your hand
  • Factors Affecting Stargazing
       Dark adaptation and red flashlights
       Light pollution
       Moonlight
       Averted vision
  • Time
       Standard time, daylight time, universal time
  • Basic Stargazing Equipment
       Binoculars
       Telescopes (not covered in this course)
       Sky maps and Planispheres
       Flashlights (red light and white light)
       Star Party Suggested Check List and Etiquette
  • Resources
       Periodicals, Websites, CTAS (or other astronomy clubs)
  • The Night Sky by Regions
       Learning the Night Sky
         Stars, constellations, superpatterns, asterisms and regions
       Circumpolar (all seasons)
       Great Winter Arc (winter, early spring)
       Southern Ship (spring)
       Cosmic Baseball (spring, early summer)
       Macho Quadrangle (summer, early fall)
       Sagittarius' Tea Party (summer)
       Milky Way Triangle (summer, fall)
       Andromeda's Rescue (fall, winter)
       Water World (fall, winter)

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