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Astronomy104:StellariumAssignment1(Estimatedtimeforcompletionbetween1-2hours)

TURNINANSWERSONTHESESHEETS0.BesuretodownloadStellariumversion0.15.2orlater(Iamusing0.18.2).Instructionstodosoareavailableontheclasswebsite.1.LaunchStellarium.Theviewyouseewilldependontheactualtimeyoustartthepro-gram.Let’sbeginbytakingaquicktourthroughtheprogram’scontrols.2.MovethemousetothelowerleftsideoftheStellariumwindowandclickyourmouse;asyoudothis,youshouldseetheleftsidebarslideintoview.Theiconsonthissidebarwilllooksomethinglikethis:

ThetopiconopenstheLocationwindowwhichisusedtospecifytheviewinglocation(youcanalsousetheF6keytoopenthiswindow).ThesecondfromtopiconopenstheDate/Timewindowwhichallowsyoutochangethetimeofobserervation(youcanalsouseF5toopenthiswindow).ThethirdiconfromthetopopenstheSkyandViewingOptionswindow(youcanuseF4toopenthiswindow).ThefourthiconfromthetopopenstheSearchwindow(orF3).ThefifthiconfromthetopopenstheConfigurationwindow(F2).ThesixthiconfromthetopopenstheAstronomicalCalculationswindow(F10).AndthebottomiconopenstheHelpwindow(F1)Inthisassignment,wewillonlybeusingtheLocation,Date/TimeandHelpwin-dows.

Wheneverindoubtofaboutcommands,usetheHelpwindow(F1).3.Let’sstartbyspecifyingatimeandlocationofobservation.OpentheDate/Timewin-dow(withthemouseorF5).Youwillseethefollowingwindow:

Enterthedateandtimespecifiedinthefigureabove(Feb21,2016,andapproximately12:00:00).Thesecondswilladvanceatanormalrateasyouenterthetime,butthatisok.Closethewindowbyclickingthe‘X’intheupperright.Now,opentheLocationwindow(mouseorF6);youshouldseethefollowingwindow:

IntheSearcharea(wherethehandlensiconisvisibleandimmediatelyabovethe‘ResetLocationList’button),enter‘AnnArbor’.ThenclickonAnnArbor,UnitedStatesfromtheselectionwindowinthetoprightandselectAnnArbor.Youshouldseethenamesinthestatusbarsinthelowerrightregionofthewindowupdate.Closethewindow(‘X’inupperright).YoushouldnowseeaniceviewthatshowstheSuninaclearbluesky.

4.Whenyouareviewingthesky,youcanalwaysmoveyourviewaroundwiththearrowkeys;moveleftorrightuntilyouarelookingdueSouth(thedirectionsareshownalongthehorizon).YoushouldseetheSunalmostdueSouth.Moveup(uparrowkey)tocentertheSuninyourviewandthenclickontheSun.Youshouldseealonglistingofinformationintheupperleftoftheview.Searchforthelinethatsays‘Az/Alt’(forazimuth/altitude).WhatisthealtitudeoftheSun(answerinthespacebelow)?Besuretonotetheunits.Youcanerasetheinfolistingbytwo-fingerclickingyourmouse.5.Now,‘turnoff’theskybytypingthe‘A’key(loweroruppercaseisfine).TheskyshouldturndarkandyoushouldseemanyotherobjectsnowotherthantheSun.WhatplanetsarevisibleinthevicinityoftheSun?Again,usetheleft/rightarrowstomoveyourviewintheeast/westdirections(andup/downarrowstooasneeded).6.OpentheDate/Timewindowagain(clickingontheiconorF5).Keepallvaluesthesameexceptchangethehourto‘6’.Whatplanetsarenowvisibleinthesky?Whatpromi-nentstarislocateddueSouthofyourlocation?7.Nowadvancethedatebyonesiderealday.Thiscanbedonewith‘Option=’onaMac,and‘Alt=’onaPC.Whatwillhappenisthatthestarswillnotmovebutanyobjects,suchasaplanetthatismovingrelativetothestars,willappeartomove.Dothistentimes.Usethebrightstaryounotedinsection6aboveasareferencepoint.Describehowthetwoplanetsmove.

8.Repeatthesiderealdayadvancecommand(Option=orAlt=)numeroustimesuntilthebrighterofthetwoplanetschangesdirection.WhereisitlocatedrelativetothatbrightstaryounotedinSection6?Continuetomovebyunitsofasiderealdayuntilthatplanetchangesdirectionagain.Whereisitrelativetothatbrightstar?Youhavejustseenretro-grademotion!9.ContinuetoadvancebyunitsofonesiderealdayuntiltheSunshowsupinthefieldofview.Thedateandtimeoftheviewisnotedalongthebottomofthewindow.WhatdateisitandabouthowmuchtimehaselapsedsinceyoustartedwatchingtheplanetarymotionsonFeb21?10.UsetheleftorrightarrowtomoveyourviewsoyouarefacingdueNorth.Whatprom-inentstarisvisiblenearestthecenterofyourviewasyoulookinthisdirection?11.Centerthatprominentstarfromquestion11usingtheup/down,left/rightarrowkeysandthenhitthe‘L’key3times.Thisspeedsupthepassageoftimeintheprogram.De-scribewhatthestarsappeartodo.Iftheymoveinacertaindirection,whatdirectionisthat?Whatdoesthestarnotedinpart11aboveappeartodo?Whatistheobviouslyspe-ciallocationvisibleinthisviewcalled?HINT:Thenameofthestaryoucenteredthefieldonwillhelpanswerthatlastquestion!Pressthe‘K’keytoresumethepassageoftimetoitsnormalrate.

12.OpentheLocationwindowandsearchfor‘Melbourne,Australia’andselectthatloca-tionwhenitshowsupinthelisting.ClosetheLocationwindow.Youshouldstillbelook-ingdueNorth.UsethearrowkeystochangeyourviewsoyouarelookingdueSouth.Asyoudidinpart12above,advancetherateatwhichtimepassesbypressing‘L’3times.De-scribethemotionsofthestarsyouseeinthisspeeded-upview.HowdoesthisviewdifferfromwhatyousawfromAnnArborwhenlookingNorth?Whatprominentlocationintheskyisclearlyapparentinyourcurrentview?Whendone,pressthe‘K’keytoresumenor-maltime.13.AsafinaltestofyournewStellariumskills,setthetimetoyourbirthdayataroundnoonandsetthelocationtowhereyouwereborn.Noteboththatdateandthatlocationinthespacebelow.Now,usethearrowkeystofindandcentertheSuninyourfieldofview.Press‘B’then‘V‘toshowtheboundariesandnamesoftheconstellations.Iftheskyisbright,youshouldalsopress‘A’.InwhichconstellationistheSunlocated?Isthatthecon-stellationofyourZodiacsign?Oftenitisn’t.BONUS:CanyoudiscoveronlinewhateffectcouldhavecausedtheSuntomovetoadifferentconstellationthantheonecorrespondingtoyourZodiacsign?