Phase 5 :
Onceyou ’ velocatedtheeclipticandaplanettoobserve , compare itwiththestarsyouseeinthesky . Theplanetwilprobablybe brighterandmoreobvious . Itmightevenlookbiggerthansome stars . ThisisbecausetheplanetsaremuchclosertoEarththan anyofthestarsyousee . Ofcourse , thestarsareal , inreality , far biggerandbrighterthananyofourplanets . Theylooksmalerand dimmerbecausetheyaresofaraway .
Phase 6
:
Makeamentalnoteofwheretheplanetappearedandgoout againthefolowingevening . Isitstilinthesamepartofthesky ? Whathappensoverseveraldays ? Dotheplanetssteadilymove furthereastorwesteachnight ? Dothey ‘ rise ’ earlier , orlater ?
Thingstothinkabout
rUnlikestars , planetsdon ’ temittheirownlight , sowhyaretheysobright ? Whatdoyouthink ?
rWhileyou ’ restaringupatthenightskyyou cantakeamomentortwotonoticesomeother things . Whatcanyouhear ? Whatcanyousmel ? Whatdoyoufeel ?
rCanyouthinkofthreedifferentwaystorecord whatyouhaveobserved ?
Phase 7 :
Ifyouhavebinocularsoratelescope , trainthem ontheplanetyou havefound . Canyouseeanevenbiggerdifferenceinbrightnes andsizenowthattheplanetismagni�ed ? Ifyouarespoting Jupiter , youwilalmostcertainlyseeitasmoreofadiscthana pointoflight . Amorepowerfultelescopemightevenletyou makeoutitsstripes ! Whynotlookforitsfourlargestmoonsina diagonallineeithersideoftheplanet ( ithasover60altogether !).
ThesearecaledGanymede , Calisto , IoandEuropa . Ganymedeis thelargestmooninoursolarsystem . It ’ sbiggerthantheplanet Mercury !
Fortherestof2020 , thesearethetimesyouwilbemostlikelytoseethefolowingplanetsinthenorthernhemisphere :
Mercury : lateMaytoearlyJune , andmidSeptembertoearlyOctober , lowinthewesternskyaftersunset .
Venus : midtolateApril , verybrightinthewestaftersunsetandthensetingbelowthehorizon . Itthenwon ’ tbe visibleagainuntilmidJulytomidAugust , intheearlymorningskybeforesunrise , soyou ’ dneedtogetupvery early !
Mars : midOctobertolateDecember , risingintheeastaftersunsetandtravelingwestwardsalongtheecliptic . It wilbebrightestearlyinthisperiodandappearsshininglikeastarwithayelowy-orangecolouring . Marswilalso bevisiblefrom lateMaytoearlyJune , veryearlyinthemorningbeforesunrise , lowinthesoutheasternsky .
JupiterandSaturn : midJulytomidSeptember , brightlyvisible , travelingacrostheskyalnightfrom sunset . AgoodpairofbinocularsoratelescopeshouldpermitobservationofsomeoftheirbrightestmoonsandSaturn ’ s rings . Laterintheirperiod , JupiterandSaturnwilappearhigherinthesky , earlierintheevening .
Anoteaboutplanetspotingfrom thesouthernhemisphereandneartheequator : From thesouthernhemisphere , theeclipticappearsinthenorthernsky , withtheplanetsappearingtotravelfrom right toleft . From theequator , theeclipticismoreorlesdirectlyoverhead .
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