High Plain Elementary

Star Party Fall 2008Star Party Fall 2008

This evening made possible by volunteers This evening made possible by volunteers from:from:North Shore Amateur Astronomy ClubNorth Shore Amateur Astronomy Club

http://nsaac.orghttp://nsaac.orgAmateur Telescope Makers of BostonAmateur Telescope Makers of Boston

http://atmob.orghttp://atmob.orgParents and staff of the schoolParents and staff of the school

Presentation by Presentation by Brewster LaMacchia Brewster LaMacchia

Member of NSAAC & ATMoBMember of NSAAC & ATMoB

Big numbers and all that…

5,869,713,600,000 miles5,869,713,600,000 miles

A Light Year is the amount of distance a beam of light can travel in one year.

Distance (travel time on a beam of light) from Andover to:Boston: 0.00013 light seconds (one ten thousandth of a second)

Moon: 1.25 light secondsSun: 8 light minutesPluto: 5 light hoursHeliopause: 21 light hours (maybe)Nearest star: a little over 4 light yearsCenter of Galaxy: 28,000 light years (approx)Andromeda Galaxy: 2.5 Million light years

2009 will mark 400 years since Galileo picked up his telescope

and looked up

Reproduction of his telescope

http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/starry/galileo.html

Things have advanced a lot in those 400 years…

What you’ll be looking with tonight

Telescopes both magnify (make larger) Telescopes both magnify (make larger) and gather more light (see dim things) and gather more light (see dim things) than your eye alone canthan your eye alone can

Two basic typesTwo basic typesRefractors – uses lenses made of glassRefractors – uses lenses made of glassReflectors – uses mirrors with a very precise Reflectors – uses mirrors with a very precise

shapeshapeAll scopes need eyepieces, and those are All scopes need eyepieces, and those are

made with (glass) lensesmade with (glass) lenses

Refractor

eyepiece

Reflector

Reflector

2

Reflector

3

Things you may see

GalaxiesGalaxiesGlobular clustersGlobular clustersOpen clustersOpen clustersPlanetary nebulaPlanetary nebulaDouble starsDouble starsDouble stars with color contrastDouble stars with color contrast

Galaxies

Andromeda Galaxy (M31)Andromeda Galaxy (M31)Slightly bigger than the Milky Way: 250+ Slightly bigger than the Milky Way: 250+

billion starsbillion stars2.5 Million light years away2.5 Million light years away

It will not look like It will not look like this in the telescope!this in the telescope!

What you might see…