Analemma

on Mars

The tilt of the rotation axis of Mars is nearly the same as that of Earth (by coincidence). The orbit of Mars is quite elliptical, which causes larger variation in the orbital speed of Mars. The Analemma on Mars has a different shape.

Clicker Ques2on
If the Sun rises precisely due East: A: You must be located at Earth s Equator B: It must be the day of either the Spring or fall equinox C: It must be the day of the Summer Sols2ce

Seasons on Mars Shrinking of the north polar ice cap

Uranus has the most extreme seasons because its axis 2lt is nearly 90o

Seasons on Uranus

Precession
Precession is a gradual change of direction of the axis of a spinning object. The tilt angle of the axis does not change The rate at which the axis changes direction is much slower than the rate at which the object spins around its axis. Precession is not the cause of seasons

Precession shiGs the seasons steadily through the year (26,000 year cycle)

As a result of precession, our winter will once begin in May The Summer will then begin in November (still 6 months later)

The Moon (Read Sec2on 2.3)

This is the moon around First Quarter

Face of the Moon directed to Earth with loca2on of moon landings (rst moon landing 40 years ago 20 July 1969)
The Moon always faces the Earth with the same side. The other side of the Moon is invisible for us.

The Moon (Read Sec2on 2.3)

Demo: Phases of the moon in SkyGazer 4

Phases of the Moon and Planets

Problem Solving Strategy
To work out the phase of a moon or planet for an observer somewhere, there are three key points in space to consider: Where is the light source? Where is the moon (or planet) being observed? Where is the observer?

Phases of the Moon and Planets

Problem Solving Strategy
Make a sketch of the situation! First we draw the light source (Sun)

Phases of the Moon and Planets

Problem Solving Strategy
Make a sketch of the situation! First we draw the light source (Sun) Then we draw the planet or moon that is being observed as a circle (not to scale)

Sun Moon or Planet being observed

Phases of the Moon and Planets

Problem Solving Strategy
Make a sketch of the situation! Half of the surface of the moon or planet being observed is illuminated by the Sun. Indicate this by drawing the terminator (boundary between day and night) The terminator is always perpendicular to the line connecting Sun and planet. Sun Moon or Planet being observed
Day Side Night Side

Terminator This sketch is always true! There is always a day side and a night side. Always start setting up this sketch first. The only question is: Where is the observer?

Phases of the Moon and Planets

Problem Solving Strategy
Make a sketch of the situation! Depending on the problem, you ma be presented with the information where the observer is, and have to find out the phase, or you are being told the phase and have to work out where the observer is.
Observer 4

Sun Moon or Planet being observed

Observer 3

Day Side Night Side

Observer 1 sees only the night side (New Moon) Observer 2 sees half of the night side and half of the day side (First Quarter or Third Quarter) Observer 3 sees most of the day side and a tiny edge of the night side (Gibbous phase) Observer 4 sees the same as Observer 3 because they look along the same line of sight!

Observer 1 Observer 2

Dierence Between First Quarter and Third Quarter

If you see half of the day side, and the visible part of the day side is increasing, you see the First Quarter phase (waxing moon) If you see half of the day side, and the visible part of the day side is decreasing, you see the Third Quarter Phase (waning moon)

Animation of phases of the Moon over one month (Wikipedia)

Clicker Ques2on
How many 2mes brighter is the full moon than the moon in rst quarter? A: They are the same brightness B: Twice as bright C: Ten 2mes brighter

Clicker Ques2on
How many 2mes brighter is the full moon than the moon in rst quarter? The full moon is actually ten 2mes brighter than the moon in rst quarter (half moon) This Opposi2on eect is the result of the shadows in the roughness of the moon s surface that disappear if the light comes from straight above

Clicker Ques2on
True or False: The far side of the moon is always dark

Clicker Ques2on

You are here on the moon

From your perspec2ve, you see the Sun A: At sun rise, in the East B: On the meridian C: In the Zenith D: At sunset, in the West

Clicker Ques2on

You are here on the moon

From your perspec2ve, you see the Earth A: Rising in the East B: At eleva2on 50o C: In the Zenith D: Sebng in the West

Read Sec2on 2.3

Eclipses

Total Eclipse of the Sun

Solar eclipse of August 1999, partial phase In the run-up to totality, the moon covers an increasingly bigger part of the Sun The observer is now in the Penumbra. One does not notice the daylight gets dimmer until the last minute before totality.

Solar eclipse of August 1999, partial phase Here the Moon covers most of the Sun. We see only a narrow crescent of the Sun We are looking at the night side of the Moon here, so the surface of the Moon appears dark

Totality (Eclipse of August 1999) In the last few second before totality it suddenly gets dark. During totality we see the atmosphere of the Sun (Corona) that is not covered by the Moon. Stars and planets are visible (sometimes a comet!). Totality typically lasts only a few minutes

Diamond Ring visible when the first sunlight reappears through valleys on the limb of the Moon

If you ever want to plan to travel to see a total eclipse of the Sun, you can find detailed information on websites that NASA makes for every eclipse at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

Shadow of the Earth: Umbra and Penumbra

Only the Umbra is really dark! In the Penumbra (half-shadow) the Sun is partly covered. It is still quite bright. Compare the word Penumbra with Peninsula (Latin for almost an island)

If you see this, you are in the Umbra of the Moon The entire Sun is covered.

If you see this, you are in the Penumbra of the Moon

If you see this, the alignment is perfect but the Moon is too distant to cover the entire Sun. You are in the Penumbra

Solar Eclipse: visible only from the right loca9on, being in the shadow of the moon

Similarity between eclipses 18 years apart The Saros Cycle

Solar Eclipse from space

Umbra

Penumbra

Eclipses on Other Planets

Mars moon Phobos partially eclipsing the Sun Picture taken by Mars rover from the surface of Mars

Mars moon Deimos partially eclipsing the Sun. Picture taken by Mars rover from the surface of Mars.

Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos. Both are much smaller than Earths Moon. Phobos orbits much closer to Mars than Deimos, so it can cover a larger fraction of the Sun. There are no total eclipses of the Sun on Mars.

Eclipses on Other Planets

The shadow of Jupiters moon Io seen on the cloud tops of Jupiter. Each of Jupiters 4 largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) can cause such eclipses of the Sun on Jupiter, and all are total eclipses. Io is so close to Jupiter that it causes an eclipse every orbit. Io revolves around Jupiter in just 1 day, 18 hours and 27 minutes. Each of these large moons can also be eclipsed by Jupiters shadow (lunar eclipse on Jupiter). This is common for Io and Europa, quite rare for Callisto.

Eclipses in Jupiters system of moons (both solar and lunar) can be observed from Earth with a modest backyard telescope.

Venus Transit
The inner planets Mercury and Venus occasionally appear in front of the Sun. This phenomenon is not called an eclipse but a transit. Next year, there will be a Venus transit on June 5, 2012. After that you will have to wait until the year 2117!

Composite image of the Venus transit in 2004. Venus transits come in pairs, separated by 8 years. The time between two pairs of Venus transits is approximately a century.

Total Eclipse of the moon

Lunar eclipse: visible from any loca9on where the moon is visible during the eclipse

Why is the moon red during a total lunar eclipse?

During an eclipse of the moon, the view from the moon is like sunset on Earth. The red sky we see at sunset is visible as a ring of red light passing through the atmosphere into the earth s shadow. The red light illuminates the moon and gives it a red colour

Eclipse Seasons

Mo2on of the Planets Read: Sec2on 2.4

Mo2on of the Planets View from Earth

Demo: Mo2on of the Planets in SkyGazer

Stellar parallax

Clicker Ques2on
True or False: Because of Precession, in 26,000 years the seasons will temporarily disappear and return 26,000 years later A: True B: False

Clicker Ques2on
A week aGer full moon, the moons phase is A: First Quarter B: Third Quarter (Last Quarter) C: New D: Full again

Clicker Ques2on
When we see Saturn going through a period of apparent retrograde mo2on, it means A: Saturn is temporarily moving backward in its orbit around the Sun B: Earth is passing Saturn in its orbit, with both planets on the same side of the Sun C: Saturn and Earth must be on opposite sides of the Sun D: Something is wrong with the observa2ons because Saturn never displays retrograde mo2on