Physics 55: Observation Information

Observation Session

1. Directions to the observation site.
2. Weather:   weather.com,   NOAA weather forecast

Instructions for the Meade LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope:

• Go here for a photo tour of how to assemble the scopes.
• Use this link to access information about how to assemble and use the 10" Meade reflecting telescope. Please read through this information before your first observation session, you will be able to set up the scope more easily and quickly.
• The manual for the telescope is available here.

Guidelines to Fall and Winter Constellations, from the book "NightWatch"

• Map of autumn sky.
• Schematic of autumn sky.
• Winter sky stars.
• Schematic of the winter sky.

Books

• NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing The Universe, 3rd Edition by Terence Dickinson (Firefly Books, 1998).
• Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope - And How to Find Them, Third Edition by Guy Consolmagno and Dan M. Davis (Cambridge University Press, 2004).

Constellations

• The Constellations, from starryskies.com.
• The Constellations and Their Stars.
• Graphics of all Constellations.
• Mythology of the Constellations.
• Culture Related to the Stars and Constellations
  • Myths from several cultures about stars and constellations, from the webpage Windows to the Universe.
  • The story linking the constellations of Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, and Pegasus.

Stars:

• Arabic star names.
• Bright stars to know, list by John Pratt.
• Less bright stars to know, list by John Pratt.
• Stars, Professor Jim Kaler's "Portraits of Stars and their Constellations".
• Ten Brightest Stars, nice article from space.com.

Useful sites:

• Current events:
  • Abrams Planetarium Skywatcher's Diary.
  • Amazing Space Night's Sky.
  • BBC Sky Maps and Notes.
  • Current Night Sky, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
  • Inconstant moon, guide of what to see and when of the Moon.
  • Sky & Telescope Observing Highlights. Check out also the Sky & Telescope Interactive Sky Chart.
  • Skyhound.com "What's Up in the Sky?"
  • StarDate Online, suggestions of what to see each week.
  • Tonight's Sky, of Earth & Sky.
  • What's Up Tonight of space.com.

• Belmont Society, many suggestions of what to look at with drawings.
• BinoSky, best bets for stargazing with binoculars.
• John Pratt astronomy links.
• Messier Catalog Clickable Map
• NGC/IC Observing List Generator. Give this a constellation, an object type, and a limiting magnitude to produce a list. Check out, say, galaxies in Virgo!