The Rhythmic Sky Course
In this course we discuss how we see celestial objects move in the sky and why this happens that way.
Version 5.
| Title | Description | Run |
|---|---|---|
| Click on icon in column Run | The Slide presentation will open in a separate tab | |
| The Rotating Earth | 24 hours defined as one revolution, causing night and day. Direction of rotation. East and West. Clockwise and counter clockwise. Sun as seen from N and S hemisphere. Midday sun (noon). Modern Time system and Time zones. Motion of the stars. Celestial poles and Latitude. Circumpolar and rising and setting stars. Earth as a natural clock. Variations in LOD. Measurements and explanation. Atomic clocks and UTC, Leap seconds. Secular slowing of Earth rotation. Time zones and Daylight saving time. |  |
| The Orbiting Earth | Heliocentric model. Annual orbit around Sun. Direction and speed as compared with other planets. Sidereal and Solar day. Seasons, ecliptic and axial tilt. Declination of the Sun. Arctic circles and Tropics, Equinoxes and Solstices. Sun angles. Elliptic orbit of the Earth. Equation of time. Calendar and leap years. Celestial navigation. | |
| The Moon | Orbit and movement. Moon phases. Lunar cycle and Daily movement. Angular size and distance. Orbital plane of the Moon. Tidal locking. Near side and far side. Lunar topography. Synodic cycle. Lunar calendar and life on Earth. Lunar and Solar Eclipse. Elliptic orbit and libration. | |
| The Planets | Wandering stars. Dance of the planets and retrograde motion. Phases and distances. Visibility, naked eye and telescope. Transits of inner planets. Use of Orrery software. Mythology of planets and other bodies. Visible Moons of other planets. Minor planets and asteroids. Kepler Orbital motion, History and significance. Periods of the planets. Seasonal Ecliptic. | |
| What else moves in the sky & aspects of Stargazing | The Milky Way in the sky. Magellanic Clouds and other objects. Constellations. Star names. Stars in constellations. N and S hemisphere views. Magnitude and brightness. Atmospheric effects. Planetarium software and Apps. | |