Astronomy 1:4

Professor Zumwalt was ready before students began to show up at her door. They slowly filed in, and she smiled at each student, greeting those who names she finally had down and then figuring out the others by process of elimination. As the bell rang, she cleared her throat. "Hello, hello!" she said gaining the attention of the students. "Last week, I left you with a question. Has anyone looked up the answer, as to why the stars move across the sky at night?" Adorah looked around the class asking her students. She saw one hand raised in the class and pointed to the student. "The Earth is spinning so they move as the Sun does," the student replied. "Yes! Exactly right, 2 points to you," Professor Zumwalt said with a smile. "We are spinning in a small circle around what is called an axis, like this globe I have here in the front of the room." Professor Zumwalt gestured to a floating, spinning globe that sat to the side of her desk.

"We are also spinning in a large ellipse around the Sun. I'll define those words on the board in just a moment," Adorah said, noticing some of her students seemed confused by the words. "Standing on Earth, we are actually traveling very, very fast through space. Above us in the sky, the stars appear to be fixed on a giant sphere around us. This is called a celestial sphere," Professor Zumwalt said, pausing for a moment to let them catch up. "In truth, stars are various distances from us but for now we will look up and talk about them as though they are all on this sphere around us. This sphere would look very similar to the bubble I placed around us last week but with the other half. The Earth actually blocks our view at what is called the horizon, causing us to only see part of the celestial sphere."

"Last week, we saw the difference between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. on the same day. Tonight we are going to go up... right now actually! You'll be able to see the sky at about 10 pm today about mid-November," Adorah said, hurrying the students to go up the stairs to the observatory deck. Once there, she began to speak again. "We talked about Vega last week, and Vega was roughly to the northwest, fairly close to the horizon." Professor Zumwalt pointed out the spot on the horizon the students would expect to see the star. However, the star wasn't there. In fact, she waved her wand, and then a magical line connected the dots, and the constellation Pegasus was visible there again.

"Two months ago, we would have needed to stay up well past your bedtimes in order to see our friend Pegasus, but now. at 10:14 p.m., he is visible to us. This is because of that giant path the Earth is taking around the Sun. To sum up the star movements in the sky, the stars will rise and set daily. They will also shift slowly based on the time of year it is, or rather, where we are on our path around the Sun. Now, let's head back downstairs!" She ushered the first years into the classroom, quickly making her way to stand back by her desk.

"We ran out of time this week! Next week, I'll have a list of words with their definitions that are so, so important to us. You'll need them to study. Once you've packed up, you're free to go to your dorms or to come and ask me questions if needed," Professor Zumwalt said, dismissing the class with a smile. She hoped they would be excited next week, for less lecturing and more looking at the nighttime sky.

--
For full credit, RP the lesson.
First poster to answer the question will earn 2 house points.

 

[Elijah Edogawa]

Elijah listened attentively as Professor Zumwalt discussed the movement of stars and the concept of the celestial sphere. He noted the professor's explanation about the Earth’s rotation and orbit around the Sun, which causes the apparent movement of stars across the night sky. When the question about why stars move came up, Elijah quickly remembered the answer from his previous studies. He raised his hand and responded, "The Earth is spinning so they move as the Sun does," He felt a bit of pride when the professor awarded him two house points for his response.

As the class moved to the observatory deck, Elijah observed the sky with interest, noting the absence of Vega and the appearance of Pegasus in its place. Professor Zumwalt's demonstration highlighted how the position of stars changes over time due to Earth's orbit. Elijah was fascinated by the idea that stars rise and set daily and shift positions throughout the year. He packed up his notes, eager to learn more about the celestial movements next week, he would have to find several books to read more about what has been going on up in the stars. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to be up there. He'd thought about being an astronaut once when he was a kid, but he'd probably have to give up magic and he certainly didn't want to do that, he happened to like his magic. He exited the classroom and headed to the library.​

Lesson Overview

• Topic: Movement of Stars and Celestial Sphere
• Demonstration: Observation of the night sky from the observatory deck.

Key Points

• Star Movement
  • Stars appear to move across the sky due to Earth's rotation on its axis.
  • Earth is also orbiting the Sun in an elliptical path.
• Celestial Sphere
  • Stars are visualized as fixed on a giant sphere surrounding the Earth.
  • The celestial sphere is divided by the horizon, blocking part of it from view.
• Visibility Changes
  • Stars and constellations shift with the Earth's orbit, changing visibility over time.
  • Example: Vega was visible two months ago but is no longer visible at 10 PM now; replaced by Pegasus.

Homework

• Upcoming:
  • Definitions of key terms will be provided next week. These are essential for understanding star movements and celestial observations.

Observations

• Celestial Sphere Demonstration:
  • The professor’s demonstration helped visualize how stars are perceived as fixed points in the sky and how their visibility changes due to Earth's movement.

Additional Notes

• Future Lessons:
  • More in-depth study of celestial terms and their implications will be covered next week.
• Personal Reflection:
  • The lesson highlighted the dynamic nature of the night sky and deepened interest in the movement of celestial objects.

 

[Forrest Kaster]

Forrest filed into the classroom, greeted by Professor Zumwalt’s warm smile. He appreciated the professor's enthusiasm for the lesson as she asked the class about the stars. Forrest listened attentively as a classmate correctly explained that the stars moved because the Earth was spinning. He found himself fascinated by the concept, especially when Professor Zumwalt demonstrated with the floating globe. He imagined the Earth spinning in space, feeling the pull of the vast universe that surrounded them.

As Professor Zumwalt continued the lesson, explaining celestial spheres and the Earth’s movement around the Sun, Forrest absorbed the information with deep interest. The mention of the stars being fixed on a giant sphere intrigued him, even if it was a simplified model of the cosmos. The thought of the stars rising and setting, shifting with the seasons, sparked a sense of wonder in him. When they headed to the observatory deck, Forrest eagerly looked up to see the night sky. He was particularly fascinated when the professor used her wand to reveal the constellation Pegasus, connecting the stars with glowing lines. The idea that constellations shifted throughout the year gave him a new appreciation for the night sky, as it wasn't just a static backdrop but a dynamic, ever-changing scene.

As they returned to the classroom, Forrest packed up his things while thinking about the movement of the stars and the intricacies of astronomy. He found himself looking forward to next week’s lesson when they would dive deeper into definitions and more observations. Forrest gave a small smile to Professor Zumwalt as he left, excited for the next opportunity to gaze up at the stars and understand more about the universe above them.

 

[Winnie Calida]

Winnie walked into the astronomy classroom and took her usual spot in the room. She glanced towards the professor at the front of the classroom as the woman got started. She had looked up the answer, but it had been something she had known, she had just wanted to be sure, but Winnie was not quick enough to answer, as a ravenclaw answered. She pulled her notes towards her and began writing down what the professor was saying about the movement of the earth. She took notes from what felt important, but the elcture itself was not long. They were then brought up to the observatory deck and the professor continued the lecture that she was giving. Winnie had brought her notes with her and was writing down what the professor then told them up there on the deck. The professor then brought them back to the classroom and dismissed them. She packed up her things and then headed out of the room.

 

[Vikram Bakshi]

Vikram was enjoying himself with the school year. He had fallen into an easy routine, and was starting to think of how he wanted his next semester to go. He woke with the sun, stretching and wondering if he'd ever manage to sleep in. He yawned and forced himself out of bed. He took a bit of extra time for himself- reading a few chapters in his book, doing a bit of meditation in his bed, taking a slow shower to both clean up and just think. His day went well-

He was happy to head to class, feeling refreshed and ready to learn. He took his seat with Winnie, giving her a gentle smile. Vikram liked lectures, though lectures that required him to move in the middle of his note taking- twice- were a bit irritating. Still, he'd decided that he enjoyed Astronomy, so it softened the agitation. Once they were dismissed, he pakced up his things and hurried after Winnie, offering to walk her back to her house before he'd make the trek to his own.