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Planet Passport Learn about each of the major bodies of the solar system, to find them in the evening or morning sky, and to observe them for yourselves. Be aware of which objects can be seen, and when and where to look for them. Your passport has notes on when each planet can be seen; look below for links to sky maps showing the sky this week and any planets which are visible, and on the resources page as well for apps that can help. Most passport ‘locations’ but it is not necessary to come to the observatory to complete the passport. In fact, we encourage you (and your family, and friends) to go outside in the evening or the early morning to find the Moon and planets yourselves using regular binoculars, a small telescope (if you have one), or just your eyes. Where to Look The five planets closest to us - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - can all be seen with the naked eye, if you know where to look. They have been known since ancient times to “wander” through the stars on a broad path called the ecliptic. This is the same path followed by the sun and moon, from east to west in the southern sky. Because the planets are all different distances from the Sun, they take different amounts of time to make this journey across the sky through the stars. The positions given in the viewing tables are for sunrise and sunset. If you are trying to look for a planet before sunrise, it will be easier to see the earlier you look, before the sun brightens the sky. When finding a planet after sunset you need to let the sky darken enough for the planet to be visible. As the night progresses, planets and stars will appear to slowly move westward in the sky as the Earth rotates. So if you are trying to find a planet several hours after sunset, you need to look to the west of its sunset position. Since Mercury and Venus are both interior planets (i.e. they orbit the sun within the Earth’s orbit) we will always see them close to the Sun, either in the morning just ahead of where the sun will rise, or in the early evening to the east of the setting Sun’s position. During the next 18 months, however, Venus will only be visible in the morning sky, before sunrise. To observe Uranus and Neptune you will need a telescope; these are objects that are ideal to see when you visit the observatory on one of the scheduled public nights in September and October. Pluto is even too faint to be visible at the eyepiece of our 0.6 m telescope! We have to collect and store its light with a camera, and you’ll see these images during our presentations Have patience. You will probably need at least a whole year to see all of the planets, maybe even 18 months. Keep in mind that each day any planet’s position will gradually change from day to day as the planet and the Earth move in their respective orbits around the Sun. When to Look The sun can, of course, be seen on any clear day, but to safely view its sunspots and prominences, you must use a solar filter with a small telescope – you can seriously damage your eyes by using a homemade or inadequate filter. The Grenfell Observatory has a solar telescope which is used for daytime school tours when it is clear. The phases of the moon and its 29-day cycle are familiar to most people .You can observe the Moon with the naked eye, with common binoculars, or with a telescope. However you view the moon, be sure to document this by making a sketch of any features you see, showing its phase, and giving the date and time of the observation. Star charts are useful for learning the stars and constellations, but since planet positions change daily, planets don’t appear on them. The viewing tables here will help you plan when to look for each planet. You can get additional help identifying planets in the sky by looking at a free planetarium program which simulates the sky, showing the planets and the stars for any location at a requested date and time. An excellent, easy to use, freeware planetarium program for your home computer is Stellarium. It is also available as an app for your Android tablet or iPad. How to Complete the Passport When you visit the observatory with your class or come to a public session, be sure to bring your passport and we’ll stamp it for any places you “visit”. If you have any questions, you can email us at: [email protected] When you have “visited” all the locations in the passport, bring it to an observatory event. We’ll verify your entries and enter your name in a yearly draw for an astronomical prize: one for Grades 4 - 6 and another for Grades 7 and higher. Passports are available at observatory events and from the Grenfell Office of Engagement.