Stellarium Tutorial: Sun and Moon Movement

Introduction

• Running on Mac version of Stellarium.
• Demonstration set for New Haven on February 6th at 12:00 PM EST.

Basic Observations

• Sun: Positioned in the south, not quite on the Meridian.
• Moon: Located to the east, close to first quarter phase.

Zooming In and Enlarging Objects

• Zooming In: Use mouse wheel or arrow keys to zoom in on the Moon.
• Scaling the Moon: Under 'Sky and Viewing Options' -> 'Sky' -> 'Scale Moon' (enlarges the Moon 4x for better visibility).

Phases of the Moon

• First Quarter Moon: Illuminated side toward the Sun (90 degrees east of the Sun).

Sky Markings

• Local Meridian: Shows Sun's position relative to due south and north.
• Celestial Equator and Ecliptic: Helps visualize Sun's position;
  • Sun always on the ecliptic.
  • Sun quite south of the celestial equator in winter (declination: ~-15° 32').

Movement of Celestial Objects

• Advancing Time: Timeline move forward shows Sun, Moon, and stars moving east to west; Earth rotates to the east.
• Constellations: Turning on constellation lines and labels to identify celestial sphere.
• Sun's Daily Movement: Moves about one degree east along the ecliptic daily.

Equinoxes and Sun’s Position

• Spring Equinox: Sun crosses the celestial equator (~March 20th, declination: 0°, right ascension: 0h).
• Sidereal Day: 4 minutes shorter than solar day, used for stepping forward in time without altering star positions.

Lunar Eclipses and Moon's Orbital Path

• Moon and Ecliptic: Moon close but not exactly on the ecliptic; full moon needed for lunar eclipse.
• February Observations: No lunar eclipse observed as Moon isn't on the ecliptic during full moon.
• March and April Observations: Similar checks; lunar eclipse observed on April 15th (moon close to ecliptic).

Practical Tips

• Toolbar Shortcuts:
  • Toggle atmosphere ('A' key)
  • Hide/show ground ('G' key)
• Equatorial Mount Mode: Keeps celestial equator horizontal for better tracking.
• Zoom Controls: Use spacebar to center on objects.

Key Observations of Lunar Eclipse

• April 15th Eclipse: Partial and total eclipse observed around 1:30 AM to 2:07 AM EST.