Sun Gazing

PREFLIGHT

Please type your first name:

Please type your LAST NAME and LAST FOUR SS# digits:

IN:

The following three questions refer to the material you were to read in preparation for the lesson.

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Sidereal Time

This business about sidereal years having a different number of days from "normal" years is a bit confusing. To try and make sense of this, get out 2 quarters. Glue one to the table George side up. (Okay, just hold it there with your left hand finger.) Now take the other quarter (George side up) and place it next to the first quarter. Pushing the two quarters together with your right hand finger, and roll it without slipping (since quarters have those grooved edges) around the first quarter. Once you can do this easily, then align the two Georges upright, and count how many times rolling George goes around, by counting how many head flips he does.

Okay, now imagine that you are actually looking out through fixed George's eyes. You (fixed George) are counting rolling George's head flips by counting how many times his nose is pointed toward you. How many do you see?

Which count of head flips is "sidereal" and which count is "normal"?

honors extra

Midnight, Nunavut, Devon Island

We talked about stars that never set because they are close to Polaris. What is the minimum latitude you would have to be at so that the sun never set?

Below is a space for your thoughts, including general comments about today's assignment (what seemed impossible, what reading didn't make sense, what we should spend class time on, what was "cool", etc.):

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I received no help from anyone on this assignment.