Download finding north at night

TEACHER
RESOURCE
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY & TIES ON...
H
T
R
O
N
FINDING
AT NIGHT
TIVI
FACTS, RESOURCES AND AC
e
the positions of stars hav
For thousands of years,
GPS
a
if
ht,
nig
igation. At
been used to help with nav
are unavailable, the stars,
s
pas
com
tic
gne
ma
a
or
used to find north.
Moon and planets can be
South Celestial Pole
ctical methods involve
The easiest and most pra
Pole (SCP). This is the
ial
est
finding the South Cel
.
rs appear to rotate around
point in the sky all the sta
the
in
tica
arc
th Pole in Ant
Imagine being at the Sou
le
g up, all the stars will circ
kin
Loo
ter.
win
of
dle
mid
°)
(90
d
above your hea
around a point directly
ng at the bottom of
ndi
sta
are
you
e
aus
bec
–
l.
bal
g
nin
spin
a very large
from the Pole, this point
If you travel north away
n until at the Equator
will gradually drop dow
horizon (0°). The SCP
rn
the
it will be on the sou
and its altitude above
is always directly south,
al to your latitude.
equ
ays
the horizon is alw
r Latitude
Finding South and You
ere the Pole Star
In the Northern Hemisph
North Celestial
the
(Polaris) is very close to
In the southern
r.
sta
ht
brig
y
ver
Pole, and is a
is devoid
SCP
the
r
hemisphere the area nea
y have
awa
her
furt
rs
sta
so
of bright stars,
to be used to find south.
(see Activity) suitable
The three main methods
ool camp) utilise the
sch
.
(e.g
for school usage
the Pointers, and the
Southern Cross (Crux),
locate the SCP. South
to
ar
bright star Achern
lly below the SCP.
is on the horizon vertica
the SCP will tell you
Measuring the altitude of
th of the equator).
sou
your latitude (degrees
ut 37° above the
abo
is
SCP
the
d,
In Aucklan
rs circling within
sta
southern horizon. All the
cumpolar’,
‘cir
ed
term
are
SCP
37° of the
the horizon.
ow
bel
because they never set
rs and
nte
Poi
the
ss,
Cro
rn
The Southe
they can
so
ar,
pol
Achernar are all circum
tion.
iga
nav
for
nd
rou
r
yea
be used all
Star trails taken from Conical Peak in the Dome Valley region of New Zealand.
Four hours and four minutes of rotation. Image Credit: Jonathan Green.
Spacecraft use star
positions to find their way
around the Solar System.
Some
migrating birds
use the stars to
navigate across
the equator.
SCIENCE /
T
CONTEN LINK
M
U
L
U
CURRIC
ME
Check out these
other resources...
Wikipedia: https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Celestial_pole#Finding_
the_south_celestial_pole
Encyclopedia of New
Zealand (Te Ara) – three
methods: http://www.teara.
govt.nz/en/diagram/7486/
navigating-by-thesouthern-cross
D TI
ERNS AN
STAR PATT
IDEAS
. SHARING
HT
IG
N
AT
S
ERVATION
AND OBS
ME AND
ABOUT TI
.
THE STARS
DISCUSSION POINTS
Why should you use
only dim red lights when
observing at night?
ka rises
a
t
in
M
r
a
t
s
e
Th
sets due
due east icanhdstar is this
west. Wrihon’s Belt?
in O
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ACTIVITY
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY &
D
N
I
F
O
T
S
R
A
T
S
G
N
I
US
N
O
I
T
C
E
R
I
YOUR D
three methods are bright,
The stars used in these
clear night within half an
a
and become visible on
before the surrounding
hour or so after sunset,
constellations appear.
le
ss (Crux) makes a full circ
Because the Southern Cro
in
n
see
is
it
ial Pole (SCP),
around the South Celest
r sunset during the year.
afte
s
tion
nta
orie
nt
differe
nting upwards during the
Crux is upside down, poi
arc,
ter it is at the top of its
win
in
summer months, but
In
n.
izo
hor
the
s
ard
tow
g down
standing proud, pointin
to the right,
g
ntin
poi
SCP
the
of
autumn it is to the left
ds.
other side pointing leftwar
and in spring it is on the
nd
fou
y’ve
the
ure
need to ens
Inexperienced observers
Cross’
nd
mo
‘Dia
the
or
ss’
Cro
Crux, and not the ‘False
s in
not actual constellation
(which are asterisms and
the
of
rs
sta
st
hte
brig
their own right). The two
Beta
taur (Alpha Centauri and
constellation of the cen
they
e
aus
bec
rs’
inte
‘Po
the
d
Centauri) are nickname
ori
the Southern Cross. In Ma
point to the top star of
(Crux)
hor
anc
the
ed
call
es
star lore these are sometim
to Crux).
and anchor rope (the line
the top
d is to make a line from
Step 1: The easiest metho
cross
the
of
side
g
lon
the
through
star to the bottom star
bring
will
s
Thi
es.
r and a half tim
and extend this length fou
tically
ver
line
a
p
Dro
.
SCP
the
s of
you within a few degree
directly
find due south. North is
down to the horizon to
behind you!
cloudy skies,
ctical in New Zealand’s
This is also the most pra
s in the sky)
ion
st of all 88 constellat
as only Crux (the smalle
needs to be in view.
end the
accurate method is to ext
Step 2: A slightly more
another
end
ext
n
the
but
,
ore
bef
line through the cross as
right
at
rs
nte
Poi
ween the two
line starting half way bet
. Due
SCP
the
to
se
clo
is
et
me
angles. Where these two
that point.
south is directly below
visible for
two pointers need to be
Both the cross and the
this to work.
point to
ble, another method is to
Step 3: If Crux is not visi
star Achernar
ht
brig
the
and
arm
Beta Centauri with one
and you
m together in the middle
with the other. Bring the
ow at the
bel
lly
tica
Ver
.
SCP
the
should be pointing near
horizon is due south.
Achernar
ALPHA CRUCIS
Southern Cross
(Crux)
BETA CRUCIS
le (SCP)
South Celestial Po
BETA CENTAURI
The Pointers
RI
ALPHA CENTAU
South
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