Virtual Observations

The Virtual Observations can be done instead of attending a Dark Sky Night. The Virtual Observations cannot be used as a substitute for attending a 1^st Quarter Night! If all objects are found and all the required information for each object is found you will receive the full 3 points for attending a Dark Sky Night. If you only find some of the objects and/or some (but not all) of the information you will receive some (but not all) of the 3 points for attending a Dark Sky Night.

Below is a list of 35 objects and five planets to locate. For all except the planets you must find each object and record what constellation it is in. Once you find which constellation it is in you must determine which month it is (or was) best viewed in (the star charts in the back of the textbook will help you in determining the month). For the planets, find which month it was or will be most visible in the evening skies during 2024 (when was it or will it be at opposition), which constellation it was in or will be in at that time and how bright it will be. Next, describe what type of object it is from the following possibilities: planet, planetary nebula, supernova remnant, emission nebula, absorption nebula, reflection nebula, spiral galaxy, elliptical galaxy, irregular galaxy, open cluster, globular cluster, black hole, quasar or double star. Next, find the distance to the object and its apparent visual magnitude. Finally, include images of your favorite five objects. For the planets you can do a web search for what month they are highest in the evening sky. For the M, NGC and IC objects and named stars you will also have to use a web search. On the web you might try the Interactive NGC/IC Catalog Online (link to it can be found in the Astronomy Links on the APSU Astronomy website). Put all the information you find into a neat table that can be easily read. Include this table and the images of your five favorite objects with the Observations Report you turn in on Monday April 22.

NOTE: the objects in this list are changed every semester. If you turn in a Virtual Obsevations that contains objects that are not on this list it is because you copied someone else's VO from a previous semester. That is plagerism and you will receive zero credit for both the Virtual Observations and your Observations Report.

Strong Advice

There are 35 objects plus five planets in the Virtual observations part of this assignment. If you put it all off until the week before it is due you will find the task onerous and time consuming.

IT IS STRONGLY ADVISED THAT YOU DO A FEW OBJECTS EACH WEEK!!!

If you do four objects each week starting the second week of class, it will only take about 20 minutes each week and you will have all the Virtual Observation completed well ahead of the deadline. Plus, if you run into problems finding information on the objects, you will have time to ask your instructor for help. Make your life easy, do a few objects each week rather than putting it off to the week before it is due.