THE USM SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N 70.2667° W
Altitude: 10 feet below sea level
Founded January 1970
Julian date: 2458627.5
"Denial: you can ignore the growing shadow, but not the
impacting asteroid."
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Friday, May 24, 2019
Quiz XXVIII: Night Sky Astronomy
______________________________________
IN MEMORY OF ROGER GENDRON
One shouldn't wonder at astronomy's attraction to quiet souls. The
occupation requires solitude and quiet as much as it demands meticulousness
and patience. One cannot behold the boundless sky while disturbing its
depthless silence. Astronomy is a meditative practice: the mind
earnestly and silently engaging with the infinite simply by studying the
remote worlds embedded within it. Roger Gendron knew these aspects all too
well as he seemed to live them naturally. Comporting himself with a
quiet dignity resistant to all perturbation, Roger was the quintessential
astronomer: as devoted to his craft as the assiduous weaver who daily
spins out ornate tapestries merely for the sublime pleasure of the
creation. Not only did he serve as one of the University's astronomy lab
instructors for many years, he was also involved with and often presided
over local astronomical societies. Even after retirement, Roger would
occasionally bring his impressive telescope assembly to the planetarium so
as to allow others to observe spectacular celestial events, notably the
2016 transit of Mercury and the 2017 partial solar eclipse, the last
celestial event he attended here.
Roger was a veritable repository of astronomical knowledge: a bona fide
sage. However, being naturally laconic, he didn't constantly spout off
facts like geyser spray. Instead, if presented with a question, he
provided a concise, thoughtful and insightful response; spoken with a
soothing voice and a warm smile. Questions never wearied Roger because
astronomy always delighted him: his abiding love for the stars was as a
gentle mountain stream, silent but inexhaustible.
Roger died on May 12th. We here at the planetarium just learned of his
death yesterday. Even when moving on, Roger did so unassumingly. It was
often his wont to retreat into concealing shadows, for he knew that one can
never convey the beauty of the cosmos by occulting it. Fare thee well,
Roger, as you ascend to whatever verdant Valhallas await in the hollows of
the starlit night.
___________________________________________
# 1: Which one of the following is not a zodiac constellation?
a. Aries the Ram
b. Leo the Lion
c. Aquila the Eagle
d. Sagittarius the Archer
# 2: What is a "zodiac" constellation?
a. a constellation based on a wild animal
b. a constellation through which the Sun appears to travel each year
c. one of Ptolemy's 48 constellations
d. one of the thirteen largest constellations
3. _________________ is always the brightest planet in our night sky.
a. Mercury
b. Venus
c. Mars
d. Jupiter
4. Deneb and Capella are examples of "Vegan" stars. What is a "Vegan"
star?
a. [insert expected joke line about protein-deprived stars averse to meat]
b. one of the twenty brightest stars in the sky
c. a star that is not circumpolar, but is visible for at least part of the
night every night of the year
d. one of the twenty closest stars to the solar system
5. How much brighter is the full moon than the quarter moon?
a. twice as bright
b. four times as bright
c. nine times as bright.
d. Surprise! They are equally bright!
6. Sirius is the night sky's brightest star. What star is the second
brightest?
a. Alpha Centauri
b. Canopus
c. Betelgeuse
d. Vega
7. Which of the following statements about the north star is/are true?
a. it's part of the constellation Ursa Minor
b. it is exactly aligned with Earth's north celestial pole
c. its angle relative to the northern horizon is about equal to the
observer's latitude
d. it's not visible from the equator
8. Deneb and Albireo are two stars within _________________
a. the Northern Cross
b. Taurus's face
c. the Pleiades Star Cluster
d. Delphinus the Dolphin
9. Which of the following statements about Sagittarius the Archer is/are
true?
a. the Sun occupies Sagittarius on the first day of winter
b. Sagittarius marks the position of the galactic nucleus
c. Sagittarius is the longest of the zodiac constellations
d. Sagittarius is only visible in the summer
10. True or False: Every star in the sky is overhead somewhere at any
moment?
ANSWERS
1. c. Aquila the Eagle
The zodiac consists of thirteen constellations
Pisces the Fish, Aries the Ram, Taurus the Bull, Gemini the Twins, Cancer
the Crab, Leo the Lion, Virgo the Maiden, Libra the Scales, Scorpius the
Scorpion, Ophiuchus the Serpent Charmer, Sagittarius the Archer,
Capricornus the Seagoat, Aquarius the Water Bearer.
2. b. a constellation through which the Sun appears to travel each year
3. b. Venus
Even when at maximum brightness, Jupiter and Mars will still be about 2.5
times dimmer than Venus is at its minimum brightness. Venus outshines
every object in the sky apart from the Sun and Moon.
4. c. a star that is not circumpolar, but is visible for at least part of
the night every night of the year
Stars such as Vega -hence the name- are visible for at least part of the
night every night of the year, even though they rise and set at our
latitude.
5. c. nine times as bright.
The moon reflects most of the sunlight back along the path from which it
receives it. When the moon is full, Earth is directly in that path. The
full moon therefore appear much brighter than the quarter moon.
6. b. Canopus
A star in Carina, it is visible from all locations south of 38 degrees
North latitude.
7. a. it's part of the constellation Ursa Minor
c. its angle relative to the northern horizon is about equal to the
observer's latitude
Note: it is almost, but not exactly, aligned with the north celestial
pole.
Polaris is visible on the equator, but just barely. Atmospheric refraction
"pushes" Polaris above the horizon by half a degree at 0 degrees north
latitude.
8. a. the Northern Cross
An asterism within Cygnus the Swan
9. a. the Sun occupies Sagittarius on the first day of winter
b. Sagittarius marks the position of the galactic nucleus
Note: Virgo is the longest zodiac constellation.
Sagittarius is prominent in the summer, but is visible at other times, as
well.
10. True!
Every star occupies the zenith everywhere on Earth at any given time.