My assignment is attached here:
Moon Project Moon Project Purpose: To gain insight into the moon’s changing appearance and location in the sky over a sufficient period of time to see most of a lunar cycle, by recording observations at regular times and locations. To experience directly the role of consistent observations as a starting point for scientific inquiry. Tasks in this Project: Part 1: Make a Prediction (‘Hunch Quiz’) Part 2: Plan the Experiment, and create a landscape to use for observations Part 3: Observe the Moon: note its position and phase (no pictures of it required) Part 4: Record the Observations Part 5: Answer the Questions Part 6: Submitting Important Dates: Hunch Quiz Due Date: Tuesday, Feb 20th (11:59pm) Due Date: Sunday, March 18th (11:59pm) How to Submit: Hunch Quiz: on Course Website, in “Projects” in ‘Moon Project’ Folder, as an individual ‘quiz’ Files to be uploaded: o Two photo landscapes, with a sequence of 4 Moon observations on each landscape, are to be scanned in and uploaded in the ‘Moon Project’ folder on Course Website (files should be named LandscapeTTN and LandscapeNTN, and they should be either jpg or pdf only) o The completed word document QuestionsAndLogs, uploaded in the ‘Moon Project’ folder on Course Website, containing: Observing logs are to be completed in the tables provided in the original Word document Responses to questions completed in the original Word document IMPORTANT NOTE: project files should be submitted ONLY via Course Website in the Moon Project folder, and NOT by email. Emailed projects will NOT be accepted for grading. Part 1: Make a Prediction: The Hunch Quiz Making predictions on the natural phenomena being studied – moon motion in this project – is an important first step of the scientific process. This prediction will therefore be made BEFORE starting your real observations of the moon, based on your own current knowledge of, or best-guesses of, the motion of the moon. (Note: this quiz will be evaluated on completion-basis only; no need to worry about ‘getting it right’.) During the Hunch Quiz, you will be shown the hypothetical landscape shown at the right, with the moon in a certain phase and position. You will then answer FIVE QUESTIONS about: The SHAPE of the moon 2 days before, and after the situation in the landscape The POSITION of the moon 2 days before, and after the situation in the landscape And EXPLANATION for those previous responses, in the form of a short answer RECORD YOUR ANSWERS - you will need them later, to judge if your hunch was right or wrong. Part 2: Plan the Experiment This project will depend not only on you doing your work, but also on two other variables outside of your control: weather and phases of the Moon. For these reasons, it will be CRITICAL for you to plan your observing sessions ahead, and to take advantage of every single clear night/morning/day available for observations, as soon as possible. You will make two sets of observations, called through-the-night (TTN) and night-to-night (NTN), recorded on two separate landscape drawings and described in two separate observing logs. What you will need: Location to observe the moon from, such that you can come back to it for all of your observations. (home, work, school – anywhere!) Observations must be done from the same observing site, with a view toward the south, without too many obstructions along the horizon. For best accuracy, stand in the exact same spot when making the observations. Schedule your time such that you can see the moon from the same location at the same time over several nights (or mornings or days, depending on the current phase of the Moon), to complete your night-to-night observing sequence. Photographic landscape, with you included in this photo-landscape (taken during the day). Instructions for this are found on the next page. Accurately labeled directions (east-south-west), on your landscape, to faithfully represent the local directions at your observing site, for each observing sequence. You can use a compass to map the local directions, or study maps of your local address to figure out which way is east- west, south-north. Measuring tool to estimate, as accurately as possible, the change in position of the Moon. A variety of tools – with different degrees of accuracy – can be used, such as the human finger and hand at extended arm’s length (see textbook), ruler at extended arm’s length, compass, etc. Knowledge of when the Moon will be ‘up’ (above horizon) during the different parts of the current lunar cycle, so that your observations can be made successfully (provided that the weather is clear enough to see the Moon.) I will provide suggested ‘best times’ for moon observations for each week. Tip: Remember that a single observation takes no more than a few minutes to complete, so do not delay making observations – take advantage of each clear night/morning/afternoon as early as possible! The rest of the project requires observations to be completed first, so this should be your first priority as soon as the project is released. (Clear nights/mornings/afternoons can be hard to come by!) LANDSCAPE CREATION APPROXIMATE DIRECTIONS: The diagram above shows a hypothetical horizon with cardinal directions labeled only approximately, to represent a curved, 3-dimensional space around us (the domed sky) as projected onto a flat 2- dimensional picture. Your observations will be set on a photographic landscape with similar compass directions as this guide, but matching your individual local observing site more precisely. Accurately-labelled directions are critical for an accurately-presented project! SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS (on sample landscapes): Your landscape (and you will use the same one for both TTN and NTN) must include: proper cardinal directions (east-south-west) accurately matched to your location, and landscape features (buildings, trees, power lines, hills, and any other landmarks that will help you locate the Moon on your diagram) yourself in the landscape photo, with your back to the landscape, facing the camera, as verification of your own, specific, individual landscape used in this project. This ‘self-photo’ can be taken by someone else, or be presented separately as a ‘selfie’ photo, with at least some of the clearly- identifiable landscape features visible in it. location and picture/drawing of the moon’s phase, along with its path (numbered, corresponding to the info in your logs), and it should be clear, and preferably given with degree measures Part 3: Observe the Moon You will complete two separate sequences (TTN and NTN) of moon observations, to discover – and subsequently explain – any possible differences in the moon’s motion over different time scales (few hours vs. few days). 3A: Through The Night (TTN) Observations of the Moon The TTN Journal is for recording observations of the moon through the night (or evening or morning), over a single 3-hour period. The complete TTN observing sequence needs to be done only once for full credit (but extras are always encouraged!). Complete and record four (4) observations of the moon, spanning at least 3 hours (from start to finish), separated by 1 hour each, over the course of one night (or morning or afternoon). For example: on a particular night (say Monday), you observe the moon at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm to complete the TTN journal, and record all these observations on the same single TTN landscape. 3B: Night to Night (NTN) Observations of the Moon The NTN Journal is for recording observations of the moon over several nights, at the same time of night (or morning or afternoon, depending on the current phase of the moon), within the same lunar (observing) cycle. There are two possible ways to complete the NTN Journal. Option 1: Complete and record one sequence of four (4) observations of the moon, on 4 separate nights (or mornings or afternoons), at the same time of day for all observations (within 5-10 minutes of each other). For example: you observe the moon at 8pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to complete the NTN journal, and record all these observations on the same single NTN landscape. OR Option 2: Complete and record two sequences (A and B) of 3 observations each, taken on 6 separate nights (or mornings or afternoons), such that the 3 observations in sequence A are all done at the same time, and the 3 observations in sequence B are all also done at the same time, but the time of observations between sequence A and B can be different. For example: you observe the moon at 9pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (sequence A), and then in a later part of its cycle at 7am on Wednesday, Friday, Sunday (sequence B); record all these observations on the same single NTN landscape. Important Note for NTN observations: They do NOT have be done on consecutive nights, but must be done at the SAME TIME OF DAY (even if there are ‘missing days’ between observations, due to bad weather, etc). Part 4: Record the Observations Recording of Observations on the Landscapes Your landscape must include the proper cardinal directions (east-south-west) accurately matched to your location, and landscape features (buildings, trees, power lines, hills, and any other landmarks that will help you locate the Moon on your diagram). The landscape should include: indication (by hand-drawn mark, and/or inserted photo if taken yourself) of the moon’s accurate position in the sky relative to the landmarks in your landscape, labeled with its observation number corresponding to its entry in the observing log estimated separation of the ‘moons’ (horizontally and vertically) observed at different times/dates, using your particular ‘measuring tool’ (hand/fingers, ruler, etc). Any measurements (estimates) of moon’s motion and position must be ultimately expressed in degrees. estimated direction of the moon, and estimated altitude (or height above horizon) of the moon, using your particular ‘measuring tool’ (hand/fingers, ruler, etc). a dashed line connecting your observations from ‘start to finish’, showing direction of motion Recording of Observations in the Observing Logs Each recording of a moon observation in the Observing Log table (in the