Solved: Lunar Observation Laboratory

Laboratory #2
1) Working with your lab partner(s), go to blackboard and complete the pre lab assessment for Lab #2.
1) First complete the test using your account.
2) Once you are finished, log out, let your lab partner log in, and repeat the test so that each person has completed it.
2) You will perform observations for this lab experiment on your own over the next 14 days.
3) You will need to select two times per day separated by 12 hours when you will have time to make your observations. For instance you could observe at noon and midnight, at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, or at 10:15 am and 10:15 pm. It is important that you make these observations at the same time each day.
4) You will need to find an observation spot to make these observations. It should have a clear view of the sky and should be convenient and safe to get to every 12 hours for the next two weeks.
5) At your observation spot, determine the direction of north, south, east, and west.
6) You will need to determine the elevation and azimuth of the Sun and the Moon. The elevation of the Moon is the angle of the Moon above the Horizon. The Azimuth of the Moon is the direction toward the point on the horizon closest to the Moon. Take North to be 0 degrees, East to be 90 degrees, South to be 180 degrees, and West to be 270 degrees. For reference, if you hold your fist out at arm's length it will cover about 10 degrees.
7) For each of the next 14 days go to your observation spot at each of your two observing times and record the following information in a table.
1) The date and time
2) How cloudy the sky is
3) Whether the Sun is visible and if so its azimuth and elevation
4) Whether the Moon is visible and if so its azimuth and elevation
5) The phase of the Moon (new, full, crescent, or gibbous) and its orientation (i.e. which side is the crescent on).
8) After you have 14 days of observing data:
1) Using just the morning (or noon) data make a plot with the elevation on the y axis (0 to 90 degrees) versus the azimuth on the x-axis (0 to 360 degrees). At each point show the phase of the moon and it's orientation.
2) Repeat this plot for the evening (or midnight) data.
9) Now make a plot of how the Earth and Moon would look from outside the solar system. It will be easiest to do this with a pencil and paper.
1) For each observation we will show the Earth at the center of the page.

The top of the page is the position of the Sun during the morning observations. This means that 12 hours later, for the evening observations, the Sun will be at the bottom of the page.
2) Mark the position of the Earth, the morning Sun, and the evening Sun on a diagram.
Draw a large circle around the Earth.
3) As you look at the paper, assume that 0 degrees azimuth is directly away from you. 90 degrees will be toward your right, 180 degrees will be toward you, and 270 degrees will be to your left.
4) For each observation, turn the paper so that the Sun (the top or bottom of the page) is pointed in the direction of the solar azimuth that you recorded in your data. Now draw the Moon on the circle at the lunar azimuth from your observation. Show the phase of the Moon from that observation. Remember that if the Sun wasn't visible, the azimut h of the Sun is 180 degrees from where it was 12 hours ago when you could see it.
5) Repeat step d for each observation.
10) Write your lab report showing your data and each of the three plots and upload it to blackboard. Your lab report will be due 21 days after your lab period.
1) You may hand write and scan it or you may use a word processor (e.g. Office or Powerpoint).
2) Your report must be in a single PDF format document.
3) You should do this lab with a partner and talk with them about the write up but this write up must be your own work in your own words.
4) You must each submit your own report.
5) Your report should include the observations you made, the graphs you drew, and the answers to the questions below.
6) The lab report should use complete sentences to describe what you did, and what you saw. You should describe what you actually saw, not what you think you should have seen.
7) Your instructor will give you additional instructions for the correct format and form of your report.
8) When you have completed your lab report upload it to Blackboard using the link in the Lab 2 folder.
11) Take the post lab quiz. You may, but don't have to, work with your lab partner for this quiz.
Questions
1) How often could you see the Moon? Did you see it twice in the same day?
2) How far did the Moon move across the sky in 14 days?
3) How much does the phase of the Moon change in 14 days?
4) Seen at the same time and place each day, does the Moon move toward the east or west from day to day?
5) Seen at the same time and place each day, does the Sun move in the sky? How much?