In this part of the project, you will collect information on several stars in your constellation. This is information you will use to complete part 3 of the project. Most of the information you need is in Stellarium, but you will also reference some outside sources.
Note: as you follow these instructions, you may want to fill in your answers on the answer sheet (Excel, Google Sheets). If you need graph paper for plotting the stars, you can print this sheet here.
If you use the Google Sheets file, you won't be able to edit it. Click "File", then select "Make a copy".
Make sure your computer's time zone is set to Central Time for the US and Canada.
Please tell me which version of Stellarium you are using for this assignment.
Begin by opening up Stellarium. The shortcuts given the first lab can also be in the PDF found here. You may have to hold "Function" with some of these keys. http://natsci.parkland.edu/ast/101/shortcuts2.pdf
Open the Configuration window and select the Information tab. Uncheck every box for the "Displayed fields" except the following: Name, Catalog number(s), Altitude/Azimuth, Distance, Type, and Additional Information. Close the Configuration window.
Turn on the constellation boundaries and labels. Set your location to Champaign (latitude 40° North, longitude 88° West). Stop the flow of time by clicking the Play button or typing "K".
Set the time for your constellation as 21:00:00 (9 PM). Set the date as specified for your constellation below. The month and date are given, but set it for the current year.
| Andromeda | 08-10 | Aquarius | 08-29 | Aquila | 07-08 | Aries | 09-28 | Auriga | 05-23 | ||||
| Boötes | 09-25 | Cancer | 01-25 | Canis Major | 04-01 | Capricornus | 08-01 | Cassiopeia | 07-08 | ||||
| Cepheus | 02-22 | Cetus | 01-26 | Cygnus | 07-19 | Delphinus | 07-19 | Draco | 01-25 | ||||
| Gemini | 05-23 | Hercules | 10-15 | Leo | 01-25 | Libra | 05-14 | Ophiuchus | 06-06 | ||||
| Orion | 12-09 | Pegasus | 08-10 | Perseus | 10-15 | Pisces | 09-17 | Sagittarius | 09-17 | ||||
| Scorpius | 08-01 | Taurus | 04-01 | Ursa Major | 10-10 | Ursa Minor | 03-15 | Virgo | 08-01 |
Find your constellation in the sky. If you are really having trouble, open the search window from the left-side menu or type "F3". Once you find your constellation, you should now see a box outlining your constellation.
You are only recording data for the stars on the list you used in the first part of the project. If you can't find the list, you can access it again by clicking here.
Click on one of your stars and begin to gather the information to complete the table on the answer sheet. Record the azimuth and altitude, rounded to the nearest degree. The altitudes should all be positive. To type the degree symbol (°) on the answer sheet, we recommend you copy (Ctrl-C) the symbol from elsewhere, then paste (Ctrl-V) it into your answer. Record the distance, rounded to the nearest light-year. The HIPPARCOS number is listed next to the name after "HIP". The spectral type is listed in the form of "XYZ", where X is one of the spectral type letters, "OBAFGKM", Y is a number denoting the subtype, e.g. "2" for the Sun, and Z is a Roman numeral for the luminosity class. Luminosity classes may be Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, or V. Please list the spectral type and subtype separately from the luminosity class. Remove any extra information from the listing beyond XYZ.
SOME INFORMATION MAY BE MISSING! Here's what you should check.
Is there no spectral type at all? Check if your HIP number is followed by a "B", e.g. "HIP 29655 B.". If so, you have the second star in a binary system. Click on the star to find the "A" star with a recorded spectral type.
Is the listing missing the luminosity class? Check the following website. (Note: to get the information from the website, you will need to use the Bayer designation for the star.)
You must now plot the stars on a piece of graph paper using your altitude and azimuth values. If you need a new sheet of graph paper, you can print a copy here.
1. Find your largest and smallest azimuth values and the largest and smallest altitude values. All altitudes should be positive.
| Circumpolar constellations have azimuth values that are both over 300° and less than 100°, so this is a little different. Take your largest value that is less than 100° and add 360°. That is your largest azimuth. Your lowest azimuth is the smallest value above 300°. |
2. Calculate the average between the altitudes, rounded to the nearest degree. Do the same with your largest and smallest azimuth values (round this average as well). If the average azimuth is greater than 360°, subtract by 360 since azimuths reset from 360° to 0° at that point. Record those values in the answer sheet.
3. Calculate the difference between your largest and smallest azimuth values and the difference between your largest and smallest altitude values and record those values as the range in the answer sheet.
4. Label the longer axis of your graph paper with the coordinate that has the higher range.
5. Find the intersection of the lines on the graph paper that are closest to the center of the graph paper. Label this point with your average azimuth and altitude.
6. Orient your graph paper so you have the azimuth as the horizontal coordinate and the altitude as the vertical coordinate.
7. Your ranges should be small enough so each square can represent 1°. Starting from the average values, label each axis in increments of 5° to help you plot the points.
8. Use the azimuth and altitude values you've recorded above to plot the positions of all of the stars in your constellation.
9. Label each star.
Before submitting your work, compare your graph to the positions of the stars on Stellarium. If they don't look the same, you may need to replot the points.
You need to turn in your constellation sketches. Here are two ways you may submit that work.
A. You could plot the data using a spreadsheet program like Excel. Then you would use the program to make a graph, paying attention to the labels on the axes and the scale. Only choose this option if you are already familiar with the spreadsheet program and know how to make the plot; I am NOT going to provide technical assistance on software useage.
B. You can simply print out the graphs, and plot the points by hand. Use a pencil in case you make a mistake! You turn in the graphs to me in person, or you can take a picture of the graphs (good quality, well framed, reasonably high resolution), and attach the picture files when you submit your lab.
You can see a full example by clicking here.