It is expected that through the semester you will keep a journal in which you record your observations of the sky. Since the primary purpose of this is to develop some feeling for how things change with time, your journal will only be good if you look at the sky frequently. The weather in the fall in Maine is not always clear! Hence you should plan to observe the sky at least briefly at every opportunity! Develop the habit of looking up at the sky every evening as you exit Commons, and if it is clear, plan to spend a few minutes observing. Some projects require observing at the same time on several different days- so you should grab every opportunity to do this. Last winter semester, it was continuously cloudy for the last two weeks of the semester.... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. On most mid-week evenings (and other times by appointment) you can expect to find me with a telescope on the Carnegie porch around dusk, so stop by.

The worst thing you can do is to do no observing until the last week of the semester. You will never have enough observations to understand how things behave. And it will be just your luck that the whole week will be cloudy. It is fairly traditional in astronomy to play pool when it is cloudy, and most major observatories have a pool table. Hanging on the door of the pool room of the Mount Wilson Observatory is a cartoon figure of a skeleton playing pool. The caption reads "Waiting for the Weather to Clear". You get the message? "It was cloudy" will not be considered an acceptable reason for having no observations! You can assume that I will know what nights are clear.

Furthermore, all observations recorded in your journal should be YOUR OWN! I expect that you will observe in groups, and I strongly encourage that, but before you write something or draw a sketch in your journal and date it, you make sure that YOU HAVE SEEN IT YOURSELF! Then and there! I will supply you with an affidavit form certifying that all observations in your journal are your own. Copying observations from another person's journal or making up data are serious lapses of scientific integrity equivalent to cheating on an exam. An honest journal with a small number of observations is always better. Enough said!

Right now you are probably asking yourself, But what should I observe? Here is a basic list. Other things might be added from time to time during class discussions.

THE CONSTELLATIONS AND STARS As you learn the map of the sky, you will be able to draw sketches showing what constellations can be seen in what directions and at what times and how these things change with time and through the semester. Pick several bright stars in different parts of the sky and measure their elevation angles with the instrument made in the lab- do this at several different times during a night and interpret the changes (or non-changes) that you observe. Similarly, measure the elevation angles of the same stars at the same time (within 30 seconds) on several consecutive evenings, and interpret the changes (or non-changes) that you observe.

CLUSTERS, NEBULAE, GALAXIES You should observe at least half a dozen open or globular clusters, gaseous or planetary nebulae, and the galaxy in Andromeda. A telescope is needed for most of these.

THE MOON You should observe the Moon whenever you can see it, and ask yourself the following questions, and record your answers:

1. What direction do I look in to see the Moon NOW? (East, South, West, North?...) How high above the horizon is it? What is the relation between the direction I look and the elevation of the Moon above the horizon? Can I draw a path through the sky which is followed by the Moon? (It will take a number of observations of the Moon before you can answer the last questions.)

2. How is the Moon oriented in the sky? Where is the "north pole"? What is the relationship between the orientation of the Moon and its position as observed in question 1? What does this say to you about how the moon moves?

3. What is the PHASE (crescent, full, etc) at any given time? What is the relationship of this phase to the relative positions of the Moon and Sun, as seen from the Earth? How can you interpret this in terms of the motion of the Moon, Earth, and Sun? Where does the Moon get its light? Do not fail to include observations made in the morning and through the day.

4. How fast does the Moon move compared with other objects? Some evenings you will observe the Moon close enough to another object (star or planet) that you will be able to see relative motion. Watch the sky long enough to do this. How long does it take the Moon to move its own diameter with respect to other objects?

JUPITER The giant planet rises about sunset this fall. You should observe Jupiter whenever you can and ask yourself the following questions, recording your answers:

1. Where is Jupiter in the sky with respect to the Sun? How does that change through the fall? Describe the cause of this change.

2. If Jupiter is close to other visible objects, draw a map of the relative locations early in the semester. So this again later in the semester. Has Jupiter moved with respect to the stars?

3. With a telescope, note the position of the "north pole" of Jupiter and relate it to the path Jupiter follows through the sky, as for the Moon.

4. With a telescope, observe the four bright moons of Jupiter. Note their positions with respect to each other, Jupiter, and Jupiter's stripes. Draw a sketch map of these positions. When possible, check after a couple of hours and see how the moons have changed positions. If you observe the moons regularly, you might get to where you can see slight differences in color, and you will know which moon is which. Very occasionally, it is possible to see a black spot on Jupiter which is the shadow of a moon!

SATURN You will find Saturn very near Jupiter in the sky this fall. You should observe it whenever you can see it, and ask the same questions as for Jupiter, except that you are not likely to see many of the moons, but you CAN note and sketch the RINGS.

MARS The red planet rises a few hours before sunrise. Sketch the position of Mars with respect to nearby stars and see how it moves with time.

VENUS You will be able to see Venus low in the west after sunset, and slowly CLIMBING through the semester. Observe Venus enough to record and interpret this motion.

MERCURY You might catch a glimpse of Mercury for a couple of weeks at the beginning of October, low in the west at sunset. Be sure to search for this elusive planet which many people never see in their whole lives!

URANUS and NEPTUNE This fall these far-away planets are nearly south at sunset. If you can get outside of the city, you might have a chance to see Uranus if you take a chart for finding it. With binoculars or a small telescope, Neptune is nearby.