Question

sky guide exploration
name_____________________________
directions:

• you will use the stellarium web app (a virtual planetarium) at https://stellarium-web.org/

step 1 - you should have a setting that allows you to turn on the ecliptic. to do this, go to settings and click on the ecliptic to have that show up.
step 2 - look at the menus and adjust some of the items in the menus to experiment with the settings.

• in the lower left is a menu for the location. you can use hopkins high school. or change it to your house if you want. just click on that and put in your address.
• in the bottom middle of the screen, there is a menu where you can turn on and off many features. some of these include seeing the constellations, seeing the artist renderings of constellations, removing the atmosphere (this makes it seem darker), adding/removing deep sky objects (like planets) and more. try turning these on and off to see what happens.
• in the lower right corner, there is a time window. it allows you to see a current setup of what the sky would look like in the last 24 hours. or you can accelerate or turn back dates and times.

now, it is time to explore the app and how the sky looks and changes. here we go!
initial observations

1. make sure you have the menu of \deep sky objects\ on. hold the cursor and drag down and around. this will help you see the full sky above your location. list all the planets that you could see:

are these planets near the ecliptic, far from it, or randomly assorted through the sky?

is the moon visible? if so, where is it in relation to the ecliptic?

turn on the constellations to view. now list all the constellations that are part of the zodiac that are viewable tonight. remember that these are the constellations that run through the ecliptic. here is a list if you forgot them all.
aries libra
taurus scorpio
gemini sagittarius
cancer capricorn
leo aquarius
virgo pisces

Explanation:

To solve this, you'll use the Stellarium Web App:

Step 1: Access the App

Go to https://stellarium - web.org/ to open the virtual planetarium.

Step 2: Enable Ecliptic

Navigate to Settings and turn on the “Ecliptic” option.

Step 3: Adjust Location

In the lower - left menu, set the location (e.g., Hopkins High School or your home).

Step 4: Explore Features

• Bottom - middle menu: Toggle “Deep Sky Objects”, constellations, atmosphere, etc.
• Lower - right time window: Adjust time to explore sky changes.

Step 5: Initial Observations

1. With “Deep Sky Objects” on, drag the cursor to view the sky. List visible planets.
2. Observe if planets are near, far from, or random relative to the ecliptic.
3. Check if the moon is visible and its relation to the ecliptic.
4. Turn on constellations. List zodiac constellations (from the given list: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) visible tonight (they lie on the ecliptic).

For the specific questions (e.g., planet positions, moon - ecliptic relation, visible zodiac constellations), your answers will depend on the real - time/real - location sky view in Stellarium. For example, planets in our solar system generally lie near the ecliptic, the moon is also near the ecliptic, and visible zodiac constellations will be those along the ecliptic at your location and time.

Answer:

To solve this, you'll use the Stellarium Web App:

Step 1: Access the App

Go to https://stellarium - web.org/ to open the virtual planetarium.

Step 2: Enable Ecliptic

Navigate to Settings and turn on the “Ecliptic” option.

Step 3: Adjust Location

In the lower - left menu, set the location (e.g., Hopkins High School or your home).

Step 4: Explore Features

• Bottom - middle menu: Toggle “Deep Sky Objects”, constellations, atmosphere, etc.
• Lower - right time window: Adjust time to explore sky changes.

Step 5: Initial Observations

1. With “Deep Sky Objects” on, drag the cursor to view the sky. List visible planets.
2. Observe if planets are near, far from, or random relative to the ecliptic.
3. Check if the moon is visible and its relation to the ecliptic.
4. Turn on constellations. List zodiac constellations (from the given list: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) visible tonight (they lie on the ecliptic).

For the specific questions (e.g., planet positions, moon - ecliptic relation, visible zodiac constellations), your answers will depend on the real - time/real - location sky view in Stellarium. For example, planets in our solar system generally lie near the ecliptic, the moon is also near the ecliptic, and visible zodiac constellations will be those along the ecliptic at your location and time.