Our night sky, always seems to be sparkling at night, due to stars. Stars are luminous ball of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium, held together by its own gravity. Our night sky is filled with groupings of stars creating a galaxy, or also known as The Milky Way. The Milky Way, is one of many galaxies in a Local Group, containing between 100- 400 billion stars. Observing these stars with the naked eye is sometimes difficult, however technology today has made it much easier. In the experiment “Number the Stars”, we used two different types of telescopes, and a paper towel roll to record different counts of stars in different brightness’s in the sky. Between my partner and I we hypothesized that the larger focal point on the telescope, would …show more content…
When we compared the counts between the bright and dark locations. The bright locations average around 90% less stars than in the dark regions. However, when observing the sky with two different eye pieces, the number of stars drastically increased when viewing through the 40 mm, almost doubling. The viewings/counts came out to be very diverse in which the tables will show below.
a. Naked eye/ through the paper towel roll:
Observation #
Number of stars counted (5 random locations)
Number of stars counted (5 Bright locations)
Number of stars counted (5 Dark locations)
1
3
0
5
2
1
2
4
3
2
0
3
4
5
0
5
5
4
0
1
Totals
15
2
15
Telescope view:
Focal Length:
-Telescope Eyepiece 1: 26 inches
-Telescope Eyepiece 2: 40 inches
Observation #
Number of stars counted
(Eyepiece 1)
Number of stars counted
(Eyepiece 2)
1
11
10
2
11
19
3
6
17
4
5
10
5
7
15
Totals
40
71
III. Discussion
a. When looking at the data between the two different eyepieces, with different focal lengths, we can see that our hypothesis was correct. Eyepiece two has a larger focal point allowing us to see more stars in the dark night. Also, we can conclude that the darker the viewing/ observing area in the sky, allows the naked eye to see more visible light.
b. An experiment like this allows us to understand the visibility in light vs dark and the comparison between telescopes and the
For this experiment, the formulas used are the lens equations 1/f = 1/di + 1/do to find the focal lengths of the lenses, M = fo/fe for the prediction of magnification, and M = Hi/Ho for the actual measurement of magnification. According to theory, a telescope consisting two convex lenses acting as objective and eyepiece lens will form an inverted, magnified and virtual image. From the pictures taken using the telescope, this theory has
2) Why are there different brightness of stars and how do we describe their brightness as compared to one another?
14. Why do stars have different levels of brightness, and how does one describe their brightness as compared to one another?
Meridian has been manufacturing fine telescopes for 80 years and has developed a well-earned reputation for quality craftsmanship. The company itself produces and sells two distinct lines of telescopes, which are produced in its 200,000 square feet facility. Furthermore, both lines have been developed to appeal to distinct target audiences who have an interest in the company’s products. The older line, for which there has been steady demand, consists of small professional telescopes that ultimately have laid the foundation for Meridian’s strong reputation. Following the success of
Generally in astronomy, light pollution and thick atmospheres distort and impair images from optics like telescopes. Light pollution crowds out the targets being observed, while the atmosphere dims the light received from them. When choosing the location for the building of a new telescope, it is highly beneficial to build in areas with a thinner atmosphere and low light pollution . This is why mountaintops are typically the preferred sites for new telescopes, and why Mauna Kea is a highly desirable location. A new telescope called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is revolutionary in
First, it is important to distinguish that the size of the universe gives us a different view of our sky than what may actually be happening in it. In 1929, Edwin Hubble established a law that implies one of the more mind-bending, Star Wars worthy concepts of astronomical study: what we see is not only far, far away, but is also long ago (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Astro/hubble.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.). Light takes so long to travel from even some of the closest objects to our solar system that we are not capable of viewing things in real-time. Objects we see at night may, in fact, be long gone from their regions of the sky.
The movement of the stars in the night sky can be categorised into two different motions. The first is diurnal, and it is an astronomical term referring to the motion of the stars every 24 hours around the two celestial poles (Earth). The diurnal motion of the stars is caused by Earth’s rotation on its axis from west to east, resulting in every star moving in a circle (the diurnal circle). One sidereal day (23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.09 seconds) is the time it takes for one complete rotation. If one were to look into the night sky in the southern hemisphere, the stars would appear to rotate from east to west around the South Celestial Pole (due to the rotation of Earth). Stars are also only visible during certain times of the year, as the brightness
I have always been amazed at how beautiful the sky can be not only during the day but also at night. There are several great things to be observed over the year as the seasons and the constellations change. When looking up into the night sky, everything seems so close but yet in reality it is many light years away. Light years are equivalent to 6 trillion miles. That is a significant amount of distance compared to the few miles we may drive going to work or school. Light travels approximately 186,000 miles a second. Light can travel around the earth seven times in one second. Far beyond the stars is the Milky Way which is 2.5 million light years away. This is where scientific notation is extremely useful for astronomers. Anytime they are
How bright does a star have to be. You can only make as much as you can count.
It is important to know the positions of things to best understand our own personal views. Measuring stellar distances is an interesting and complex method of attempting this positioning. The purpose of this essay is to explain how distances of stars are calculated. The essay will also comment on the units of measurement and the limitations of the methods used to calculate this information.
aperture, so that its progress through the night could be observed. Old Silenus mounted on this with
Optical astronomers have the sun to deal with. Because our sun is closer to us than other stars, a greater amount of light reaches us. When the sun is out, it effectively blocks visible light waves emitted by a distant star from reaching us. At night there is no interference. Radio Astronomers have the advantage in that they are able to observe at any time of the day. Since the sun does not produce radio waves, there is no interference received by the telescope from the sun.
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While a telescope is usually used at night to observe the stars, a spotting scope is meant only to be used during the day. When comparing a spotting scope to a telescope or a set of binoculars, there are some important distinctions, such as the size and the level of magnification.
Earth’s galaxy, the Milky Way consists of more than 100 billion stars, many of which can be interpreted by human visual perception, while other can only be observed with the aid of a magnifying or light-collecting optical device such as a telescope. The stars are organized into various groupings according to their visible arrangement as observed in earth’s atmosphere. Human beings from cultures of eras bygone such as the Greeks, Romans, and Babylonians, and bestowed most, if not all of the titles upon the constellations as we know them today. Earth’s atmosphere comprises eighty-eight constellations, of which I have chosen the following five to discuss for my laboratory report: Andromeda, Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Draco