Astronomy Merit Badge

Hazards • Moving around in the Dark

– Use a flashlight with a red filter – Check out the area in the daylight

• Protect your Eyes – Never look directly at or near the sun

• Weather – Wear warm clothes if it is cold – Use sunscreen if observing during the day (e.g. sun spots or a

solar eclipse) – Drink plenty of liquids if it is hot (avoid dehydration) – Use insect repellant if there are biting or stinging insects in the

area

Fill in Part 1a

Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in astronomy activities, and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards. Hazards: Tripping over something in the dark, looking at the sun, _________________ weather and insects ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

What you should do: Use a flashlight with a red filter, look around the area in the daylight to see__ what you might trip over, never look directly at the sun, wear warm clothes if it is cold, use sunscreen if the sun is bright, use insect repellant if there are__ biting or stinging insects.___________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Review First Aid

• Heat Reactions (heatstroke) – Cool the victim immediately – Face up with head and shoulders raised – Remove outer clothing – Wet skin/underclothing with cool water – Apply cold packs, use a fan, or place victim in a tub of

cool water – Obtain medical help as quickly as possible

• Cold Reactions (hypothermia) – Actively warm the victim’s body – If needed, use your (and others) body heat – Obtain medical help as quickly as possible

Review Fist Aid (continued) • Dehydration

– Drink 2 quarts of rehydration drinks, water, juice, or sports drinks in 2 to 4 hours

– If victim if conscious but cannot drink, try ice chips – Obtain medical help as quickly as possible

• Bites and Stings – Do not scratch (avoid infection) – Apply ointment if needed – Tick bite - cover them with a thick substance that will

cut off their air supply, be careful to remove the whole tick

• Damage to Your Eyes – Cover eyes – Obtain medical help as quickly as possible

Fill in Part 1b

Explain first aid for injuries or illnesses such as heat and cold reactions, dehydration, bites and stings, and damage to your eyes that could occur during observation.

Heat reactions:

Cool victim, make sure they are lying face up, remove unneeded clothing, wet skin, apply cool packs, get help (911)___________________________________________________ ________

Cold reactions:

Actively warm the victim’s body, get help (911)______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Dehydration:

Drink 2 quarts or try ice chips is unconscious, get help (911)____________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Bites and stings:

Do not scratch, apply ointment, for tick bite – cover them with a thick substance that will_____ suffocate them_________ _______________________________________________________

Damage to your eyes:

Cover victim’s eyes, get help (911)__________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Observing Objects Near the Sun

• Some planets always appear to be near the sun when viewed from the earth

– Only look for these planets (Mercury, Venus) after the sun has completely set

• The “new moon” is also seen near the sun

– Do not look for it until the sun has disappeared from view

Fill in Part 1c

Describe the proper clothing and other precautions for safely making observations at night and in cold weather. Night: Wear closed-toe shoes so you don’t bump your toes in the dark, bug spray for mosquitos______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Cold Weather: Wear layers with gloves and a warm cap_____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Then explain how to safely observe the Sun, objects near the Sun, and the Moon. The planet Mercury and the new moon are close to the sun at sunset or sun rise, don’t look for them unless the___ sun is completely below the horizon_________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Light and Air Pollution (2)

• Light pollution is caused by too much artificial light illuminating the night sky

– It prevents you from seeing dim stars and planets

– It ruins your night vision

• Air pollution can also obscure dim objects

– Haze (high humidity)

– Dust

– Chemical air pollution

Fill in Part 2 Explain what light pollution is and how it and air pollution affect astronomy.

Light pollution is caused by bright light from nearby sources____ scattered by the air and makes the night sky seem to glow. Air_ pollution is dust or chemicals in the high atmosphere. Both of_ these make it hard to see dim objects. _____________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Telescopes

Telescopes

Fill in Part 3a

Explain why binoculars and telescopes are important astronomical tools.

They make objects in the sky appear larger (magnification) and brighter (they collect more light) _

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Demonstrate or explain how these tools are used.

Demonstrated using telescopes and binoculars ________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

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Radio Telescope

Radio vs Optical Astronomy

Fill in Part 3b Describe the similarities and differences of several types of astronomical telescopes, including at least one that observes light beyond the visible part of the spectrum (i.e., radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, or infrared). Some have a low resolution wide field of view, others have a high resolution but a narrow field of view. Some use lenses, while other use mirrors. Optical telescopes extend our sense of sight while radio telescopes look a things our senses can’t_ detect____________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

Fill in Part 3c

Explain the purposes of at least three instruments used with astronomical telescopes. 1) Lenses: collect and focus the light ____________________ 2) Mirror: collect and focus light _______________________ 3) Camera : record what you see through the telescope_____

Care of Binoculars and Telescopes

• Handel carefully, do not drop or bump.

• Keep them clean, dirt, fingerprints, and dust will make the images blurry.

• Keep them dry to avoid fogging due to condensation

• Store in a cool dry place.

Fill in Part 3d

Describe the proper care and storage of telescopes and binoculars both at home and in the field. Handle carefully, keep clean, keep dry, store in a cool dry____ location.___________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Identify 10 Constellations

• Four in the Zodiac – Aries (the ram, warrior) – Taurus (the bull) – Gemini (the twins) – Cancer (the crab)

• Six Other Major Constellations – Ursa Major (the big dipper, big bear) – Ursa Minor (the little dipper, small bear) – Orion (the hunter, the archer) – Perseus (Greek hero, killed the medusa) – Canis Major (big dog, one of Orion’s hunting dogs) – Canis Minor (little dog, Orion’s other hunting dog)

Identify 8 Bright Stars

Star Magnitude Constellation

Aldebaran 0.84 Taurus

Rigel 0.15 Orion

Betelgeuse 0.43 Orion

Sirius (dog star) -1.47 Canis Major

Mirfak 1.78 Perseus

Hamal 2.00 Aries

Pollux 1,15 Gemini

Polaris 1.96 Ursa Minor

Aldebaran

Polaris

Pollux Hamal

Mirfak

Sirius

Betelgeuse

Rigel

9AM

3AM

9PM

3PM

The Big Dipper / North Star

Circumpolar Stars

Do Part 4c on Your Own

The Milky Way

Fill in Part 4d Explain what we see when we look at the Milky Way. From the Earth the Milky Way looks like a long faintly glowing ribbon across__ the night sky. What we are actually looking at is the disk of our own galaxy.__ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five Most Visible Planets

Interior Planets: Mercury Venus Exterior Planets: Mars Jupiter Saturn Distant Planets: Uranus Neptune

Phases of Venus

Interior Planet Phases

Fill In Part 5a List the names of the five most visible planets. Explain which ones can appear in phases similar to lunar phases and which ones cannot, and explain why.

Planet Has Phases? Why?

Mercury Yes Interior Planet

Venus Yes Interior Planet

Mars No (mostly) Exterior Planet

Jupiter No (mostly) Exterior Planet

Saturn No (mostly) Exterior Planet

Fill in Part 5b Using the Internet (with your parent's permission), books, and other resources, find out when each of the five most visible planets that you identified in requirement 5a will be observable in the evening sky during the next 12 months, then compile this information in the form of a chart or table.

Month Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

March 2013 Dawn Not Visible Not Visible Evening Morning

April 2013 Dawn Not Visible Not Visible Evening All Night

May 2013 Dusk Not Visible Not Visible Dusk Evening

June 2013 Dusk Dusk Not Visible Not Visible Evening

July 2013 Dawn Dusk Dawn Dawn Evening

August 2013 Dawn Evening Morning Morning Evening

September 2013 Dusk Evening Morning Morning Evening

October 2013 Dusk Evening Morning Morning Dusk

November 2013 Dawn Evening Morning Morning Not Visible

December 2013 Not Visible Evening Morning Morning Morning

January 2014 Dusk Not Visible Morning All Night Morning

February 2014 Dawn Dawn Morning Evening Morning

Sun

Motion of the Planets Across the Sky

Interior Planet

Earth

Exterior Planet

Stars

Motion of the Planets Across the Sky Our work “planet” comes from the Greek word for “wonderer”. The Greeks called them wanders because they appeared to wonder through the constellations.

Fill Part 5c

Describe the motion of the planets across the sky. The planets rise in the east and set in the west every night due to the rotation of the earth -- just like the sun and moon. They also appear to wonder______ through the constellations because they orbit the sun at a different speed than the earth. Sometimes the exterior planets look like they reverse their________ direction_“retrograde motion” when the earth passes them in its orbit. ______ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Observe a Planet

Jupiter Io

Ganymede

Europa

Callisto

1,321 times the size of the earth

>400 active volcanos

80 mi thick ocean, twice the water of the earth

like our moon but bigger than Mercury

like our moon same size as Mercury

Fill in Part 5d After We Observe Jupiter

Observe a planet and describe what you saw. _____________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Moon

6a. Sketch the face of the Moon and indicate at least five seas and five craters. Label these landmarks.

Tyco

Furnerius Copernicus

Plato

Grimaldi

Sea of Serenity Sea of

Tranquility

Sea of Crisis

Sea of Fecundity

Sea of Nectur

Sea of Vapors

Sea of Rain

Sea of Clouds

Sea of Humidity

Ocean of Storms

Sea of Cold

15

11

16

17

14 12

Phases of the Moon

SUN

The Moon’s Orbit • The orbit of the moon around the Earth is almost a circle.

• It orbits at 2300 miler per hour.

• The average distance from the Earth is 238,857 miles.

• It takes the moon 27.6 days to orbit the Earth.

Fill in Part 5c List the factors that keep the Moon in orbit around Earth.

The gravitational attraction between the moon and the Earth keeps the moon in orbit.

_______________________________________________________________________

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Solar and Lunar Eclipses

Solar Eclipse Lunar Eclipse

Fill in Part 6d

New Moon Solar Eclipse

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

The Sun • The sun is a star. • The sun is 91.2% H, 8.7% He, 0.1% other light

elements. • The sun is powered by nuclear fusion H+H→He • The sun is an average size star but is brighter that

85% of the stars in our galaxy. • The outer most part of the sun is constantly

boiling off and being blow out into space. We call this the solar wind. It can ionize our atmosphere and interfere with radio and microwave communications.

• The light from the sun heats the Earth and is the primary case for the Earth’s weather.

Fill in Part 7a Describe the composition of the Sun, its relationship to other stars, and some effects of its radiation on Earth’s weather and communications. Composition: _The sun is 93% H and 7% He with a tiny amount of other light elements___ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Relationship to other stars: _The sun is an average size start but is brighter than most.__ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Effects on Earth’s weather: _The sun drives the earth’s weather by heating the equator___ more than the poles and by the change from day to night.___________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Effects on communications: _The solar wind (charged particles) generated radio interference when hits the Earth’s atmosphere. ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

Sunspots • Sunspots are caused by magnetic eruptions at the surface of the sun.

• The intense magnetic fields inhibit the normal convection causing the surface to cool in the vicinity of a sunspot.

• Sunspots also cause addition solar material to be ejected temporarily increasing the solar wind. Heavy sunspot activity can interrupt communications and cause power outages on the Earth.

Fill in Part 7b

Define sunspots and describe some of the effects they may have on solar radiation. Definition: _A sunspot is a dark (cooler) area on the surface of the sun caused by a____ magnetic eruption.________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Effects: _Sunspots can disrupt radio communications and cause power outages._______ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Stars have Different Colors? • Stars have different colors because their surface

temperatures are different.

• Young stars are typically hotter than old stars and large stars are usually hotter than small ones.

Red Star: Aldebaran (6,000°F) Yellow Star: Polaris (North Star) (9,300°F) Blue Star: Sirius (Dog Star) (19,000°F)

Fill in Part 7c

Identify at least one red star, one blue star, and one yellow star (other than the Sun). Red star:_Aldebaran (6,000°F)______________________________________________ Blue star:_Polaris (North Star) (9,300°F)______________________________________ Yellow star: _ Sirius (Dog Star) (19,000°F)_____________________________________ Explain the meaning of these colors. _A star’s color indicates its surface temperature. Red stars are cooler than Yellow stars and yellow stars are cooler than blue stars.____________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Careers in Astronomy

• Astronomer: Mostly academic jobs at research institutes and universities. You will need a PhD.

• Engineer: NASA and many aerospace companies hire engineers with a background in astronomy. You will need at least a 4 year college degree for a these jobs.

• Computer Programmer: Very sophisticated software is needed for processing the images taken by astronomers so most astronomy research groups employ one or more computer experts. You will need at least a 4 year college degree for a these jobs.

Fill in Part 9

Find out about three career opportunities in astronomy. 1. _Astronomer____________________________________________________________ 2. _Aerospace Engineer______________________________________________________ 3. _Computer Programmer________________________________________________ Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession _The be an astronomer requires a lot of education with a emphasis on math, physics, and chemistry. Nearly all astronomers have a PhD in physics or astronomy.________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you. _Fill in this part on your own._________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________