What Objects To Focus On For School Astronomy? 377
IceDiver writes "I am a teacher in a small rural school. My Grade 9 students are doing a unit on astronomy this spring. I have access to a 4" telescope, and would like to give my students a chance to use it. We will probably only be able to attempt observations on a couple of nights because of weather and time restrictions. I am as new to telescope use as my students, so I have no idea what objects would look good through a 4" lens. What observations should I attempt to have my students make? In other words, how can I make best use of my limited equipment and time to give my students the best experience possible?"
Re:The Sun (Score:2, Interesting)
Moon first, it's amazing and easy to find. They'll get to see it in more vivid detail than possible in pictures.
Jupiter and Saturn are a different experience. They'll be dull and tiny compared to everything we've seen. The rings of Saturn will be visible as well as the 4 big moons of Jupiter. The big "ooh" factor here is that when you zoom in on those two particular "stars", there is a whole lot more to see.
I've heard people say good things about M42, in Orion, but I've never had much luck, too much light in my area.
Most star viewing is probably best done without a scope, maybe a green laser pointer.
Some equipment that might be helpful:
A filter for the moon, especially if it will be full. On a 4" scope, that's a lot of light to be focused on the eye. $12
I spent about $130 on a nice eyepiece with good eye relief (distance from your eye to the eyepiece). This made it much easier to share the scope with my kids. It also lets people with glasses view with glasses on. I only bought the really nice one at my highest resolution (so far).
Re:The Sun (Score:4, Interesting)
I used my binoculars to go spotting at Jupiter a while back after this image... ...totally blew me away.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0907/lune-jupiter4_riou.jpg [nasa.gov]
Screw the sun and moon, The Blue Marble and dozens of infographics of the solar system with "you are here" labels.. that image - and subsequent direct viewing - instilled far more of a sense of being inside a solar system than any of those things.
That said - I'd go for the moon right afterward as well.. seeing the craters, especially on a waxing or warning moon, is great and can easily be done by kids.
The aforementioned image happens to have our moon -and- Jupiter + its 4 largest (well, most visible at the time) moons, which just makes it all the more awesome.
4" is a small telescope - stick to bright objects (Score:4, Interesting)
Some suggestions:
- Start with the planets, and bright messier objects (brighter than magnitude 4 to start with). Don't waste too much time on fainter deep sky objects - you need a larger scope (bigger aperture) and/or low light pollution.
- Take a look at the zodical constellations and plan ahead to look at what's visible at the time of year your course is on.
- Get a planisphere, and a book or two.
- Take a look at the free astronomy software out there - especially Cartes Du Ceil/Skycharts, Celestia, Stellarium. There's excellent paid stuff too but start with what's free.
- Get in touch with your local astronomy club and talk to them - some of them will have been in it for decades and will intimately know what's viewable from your location for a given time of year. You might even be able to get one to come out for an observing night.
- Look up the brightest stars in wikipedia
- Find a local professional astronomer and ask if they know of any school programs your school can get involved in. There may be a chance to get the kids to do some real science
- Get a hold of a cheap pair of 7x50 binoculars. Binoculars are easier to use than a telescope, can be mounted to a camera tripod if you wish, and easier to learn to use before stepping up to a scope.
- Create some basic analogue setting circles for your telescope and learn to align it so you can be sure you know what you're looking at
- Make sure your kids know what they're looking at. Kids are use to big visuals and if they don't understand what they're seeing even the most impressive sites like Saturn's rings will be a let down
The web is your friend. Lots out there. Not all related to observing. Google beginner astronomy.
Re:The Sun and Stars (Score:3, Interesting)
Simple list - easiest to more difficult (Score:3, Interesting)
1) The moon - easiest to find, everyone enjoys seeing it up close for the 1st time. Focus on Tycho crater and terminator.
2) Saturn and Jupiter - next in line of ease. details apparent in even the smallest of scopes. You might get lucky and see Saturns rings at a large angle, or a transit of one of Jupiter's moons.
3) Venus and mars - Though not that difficult to find, the detail, other than venus's phases can be a little disappointing.
4) Some of the easier Messier objects -
- Globular clusters - once you practice, they are easy to find in binoculars. Will be very surprising to students who are unfamiliar with Globular Clusters.
- Open clusters - Pleiades for example
- Galaxies - Andromeda would be the easiest, next in line is probably M81, M83
Once you get down to #4, you really need to practice finding them before attempting it for the 1st time in front of the students.
Re:The Sun (Score:3, Interesting)
I've definitely had great luck viewing Jupiter even from my suburban backyard and a cheap telescope. Moons and all..
Re:Options. (Score:3, Interesting)
I've managed good photos using a point and shoot digicam with it's lens similar in size, using small cheap telescopes. You do need to have manual controls and manual focus on the camera, and have some idea how to use them. You also need to be willing to try different settings and ways of focusing.
Here's what I did years ago with a 3MP camera, and my first scope which is worse than what you described:
http://www.progsoc.uts.edu.au/~sammy/photography/Moon8567.jpg [uts.edu.au]
http://www.progsoc.uts.edu.au/~sammy/photography/MoonInDaylight.jpg [uts.edu.au]
Here's one of my latest images, through a 10" dobsonian telescope - animated gif comparing to Virtual Moon Atlas:
http://www.progsoc.uts.edu.au/~sammy/photography/IMG_1488_OverlayAnimationSmall.gif [uts.edu.au]