We know that a light-year is the distance that light travels in one year, and the distance to the stars is measured in light-yea
rs. For this activity, you will be exploring and learning all about some very special stars in our sky – constellations! You will perform online research to investigate and learn about several constellations as well as some more specific information about one specific constellation of your choosing, such as how to track its location, calculating the energy of stars in that constellation, and answering some questions relating to what you’ve learned.
Step 1: Research Constellations and Choose One Constellation to Focus On Head online and start exploring constellations, including the historical origins of the perceived patterns of constellations and the role of constellations in ancient and modern navigation Continue your research by exploring several constellations before deciding on one to investigate further. You may choose between: Cassiopeia Cepheus Draco Ursa Major Ursa Minor Organize and summarize your research into a coherent document and identify the particular constellation that you will focus on.
Step 2: Movement in the Nighttime Sky For this part of the activity, you will be exploring and recording the apparent movement of the Moon, planets, and constellations/stars in the nighttime sky and recording various information in the document you created in Step 1. Research and record information regarding the apparent movement of the Moon and planets in the nighttime sky. Find a website that will allow you to explore the apparent movement of these objects in the night sky. There are several options. Include a link in your document for whatever website you use. Identify the location of your chosen constellation right now and record it. Make sure to also record your location and the date and time as well. If your constellation is not currently visible, find a time that it is available. Explore the location of your constellation on a different date and record this information as well as how the constellation moved between today’s date and this alternate date.
Find and include an image of your chosen constellation in your document.
Step 3: Calculate Energy of Two Stars in the Constellation
Do some online research to find two stars that are a part of your constellation.
Then, research to find the mass of those stars.
Calculate the energy of each star using e=mc2. Remember, in this equation:
e = energy (this is the number that is unknown now that you will find out)
m = the mass (in kg) of the star
c = the speed of light (3.00x108 m/s)
Round your answers to the nearest hundredth. Be sure to show your work. This may mean that you hand write the equations and submit a photo of your calculations. Graph your results with either a bar or line graph. You may choose to hand draw your graph or generate one on the computer.
Step 4: Reflection Questions
Use the research you performed above to answer the questions below.
Based on your research and the website that you used, how would you describe the way your constellation moved over time? Use cardinal directions of North, South, East or West in your answer.
Do some quick online research and find the name of a spiral galaxy in your constellation. We will study galaxies in more detail later in the course, but for right now, what can you say about their angular momentum based on the information in this unit?
How do you think the concept of the speed of light helps astronomers study the universe? Is the speed of light in a vacuum the same regardless of where an observer stands? Explain your answer.
To complete this activity, submit the following in one word processing document:
The name of your constellation
Links to websites used in your research
Any notes taken during research
The names and masses (in kg) of both of the stars in the constellation
The calculations, answers to the equation, and graph from Step 3
Your answers to the reflection questions in Step 4
