Chapter 1 SkyGazer CD-ROM Activities

Introduction to SkyGazer
INTRODUCTION
SkyGazer is an interactive desktop planetarium program. It is specifically designed to
teach students about astronomy in an interactive environment.
You can use SkyGazer to see a picture of the sky as it would look from any location at
any time. You can also use SkyGazer to simulate many other astronomical events. This
first activity is an introduction and guide to the program. The subsequent activities are
designed to help you understand various astronomical concepts through the simulation of
events.

PART 1: OPENING: SKYGAZER

Open the SkyGazer folder by double-clicking on it. See Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1 The open SkyGazer folder

Note: The screen shots in SkyGazer Activities were taken using the Apple Macintosh
version of the software. If you are running a Windows operating system, the appearance
of the interface will differ slightly.
To open SkyGazer, double-click on the program icon, labeled SkyGazer. When the
program opens, you should see a Sky Chart similar to the one shown in Figure 1-2.

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Figure 1-2 The Sky Chart

Part 2: SkyGazer Settings

The Sky Chart is SkyGazers main display. You can adjust the settings by using the
panels found under the Window menu. To open the Time Panel, click on the Window
menu and select Time Panel. You can do the same for the Location Panel, Display
Panel, and Planet Panel. These panels can also be brought up or turned off by typing the
first letter of their names: T, L, D, and P, respectively. A selected panel will have a check
mark in front of its name. These panels are shown in Figures 16.

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Figure 1-3 The Time Panel

Figure 1-4 The Location Panel

Figure 1-5 The Display Panel

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Figure 1-6 The Planet Panel

SETTING YOUR LOCATION

One of SkyGazers most important features is that it displays which objects are visible in
the sky at any given time from any given location. To set your location, select Set
Location under the Chart menu. When the Set Location dialog box (shown in Figure 17) appears, you can specify the Latitude and Longitude of your location, or you can
select a city. Simply choose a major city near your location from the list of cities. You
may also click a location on the map.

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Figure 1-7 The Set Location dialog box.

Important! You cannot change location by typing the name of a city in the Name field
of the Set Location dialog box. You must select the city you want from the list.
You can also use the Location Panel, found under the Window menu (shown in Fig. 14). To change your location, click on the location marker , hold down the mouse
button, and drag the to a new location.
SETTING YOUR TIME AND DATE
Now set the time and date of your observation by selecting Set Date & Time under the
Chart menu. When the dialog box in Figure 1-8 appears, you can enter any time or date
that you want.

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Figure 1-8 -The Set Time Dialog Box

The Time Panel, also found under the Chart menu (Fig. 1-3), can be used to move the
time forward or backward. The button marked Step: in Figure 1-3 is used to select the
time step. With a larger time step, time on the Sky Chart will pass more quickly than
with a smaller time step. When you click on this button and hold down your mouse
button, a palette will open with a wide variety of time steps from which to choose. The
adjacent arrows on either side of the Start button are used to advance time. The Start
button or the arrows beyond the ones adjacent to the Start button will move time
automatically. A second click on these arrows or a click on the button, which will now
say Stop, will stop the automatic changing of the time. You can also change the time by
dragging the hands of the clock.
Clicking on the arrow to the right of the clock will bring up a menu of specific times of
day from which to choose.

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SKY CHART SETTINGS

Figure 1-9 shows the Sky Chart for May 12, 2010, looking due south at sunset from
Dearborn, Michigan.

Figure 1-9 Sky Chart for May 12, 2010, looking due south at sunset from Dearborn,
Michigan.
Labels under the Display menu can be used to display label any type of object. Planets
and stars are labeled in Figure 1-9.
Magnitude Limits, under the Display menu, will simulate the amount of light pollution
in your sky. Dearborn is a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, so Suburbs under Magnitude
Limits was selected for the Sky Chart in Figure 1-9.
A single click on any object in the Sky Chart will bring up its Info Panel, which
provides information about the object, and is shown in Figure 1-10.

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Figure 1-10 A single click on an object will bring up its Info Panel.
Set SkyGazer to your location and the current date. See what is in the sky tonight at
midnight. Record the requested information on the RESULTS sheet at the end of this
activity. Use the scroll bars or the arrow keys to look at any part of the sky you wish.

PART 3: USING SKYGAZER FEATURES

You will be using the Settings File folder, found in the SkyGazer folder, to begin most
activities. The simplest way to access these settings is through the Open Settings
command under the File menu. Click on File and select Open Settings. The dialog box
in Figure 1-11 should then appear.

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Figure 1-11 Dialog Box brought up by the Open Settings command

You can then select any one of the folders by clicking
on it and then click on the open button to open it. Once the folder is open, you may then
select the setting you wish to use. See Figure 1-12.

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Figure 1-12 Settings found in the Basics folder

Many of the settings in the Basics folder are designed to help you learn to use SkyGazer.
To conclude this introductory activity, in turn, select each of the settings from the Basics
folder listed on the RESULTS sheet at the end of this activity and follow their
instructions. Record what you saw or what you learned about each feature of SkyGazer.
Note for Windows users: If after selecting Open Settings under the File menu the
contents of the desktop are displayed, find the SkyGazer folder by selecting Computer
in the display window and then selecting the Hard Drive. One of the folders displayed
then should be SkyGazer. Open the SkyGazer folder to find and select the folder you
need.

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RESULTS SHEET 1 Introduction to SkyGazer

NAME __________________________DATE ___________ SECTION __________________________

PART 2: SKYGAZER SETTINGS

Your Location: ________________________________
Current Date: ________________________________
Which Magnitude Limits setting did you use under the Display menu?
List all planets, if any, that are visible in your sky tonight. Remember to use the scroll
bars or arrow keys to look through the whole sky.
Click on one of the planets to bring up its Info Panel.

Select the General tab; find and record the following information:
Constellation the planet is in:
Rise Time:
Set Time:
Select the Physical tab; find and record the following information:
Mass:
Diameter:
Known Moons:
Select the Orbit tab; find and record the following information:
Orbital Period:
Semimajor Axis:
Eccentricity:

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List four bright stars that are visible. Click on each of them to bring up its Info Panel,
and record their information in the table below.

Star Name

In Constellation

Magnitude

Distance

PART 3: USING SKYGAZER FEATURES

File | Open Settings | Basics (this means to select the Open Settings command under the
File menu and then open the Basics folderyou then will be able to access any of the
settings in the folder by highlighting the setting and then clicking on the open button.
Windows Users: Refer to the note in the directions for PART 3.

Select each setting in the Basics folder and follow the directions given. Describe what
you saw or what you learned about each function of: SkyGazer.
Auto Identify
Changing the Location
Changing the Time
Chart Clock
Chart Zoom Button
Day and Night
Defining the Horizon
Dragging the Sky
Grid Lines
Planet Panel
Sky Labels
Sky Zoom

CONCLUSION
In the space below, write a conclusion for this activity. Briefly explain what you did and
what you learned from it.

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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1: INTRODUCING SKYGAZER

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Your time and location are set from under the ____________________ menu.
a. Center
b. Chart
c. Explore
d. Display
2. A single-click on an object will
a. make it disappear.
b. center on it.
c. bring up its Info Panel.
d. [both b and c]
3. A double-click on an object will
a. make it disappear.
b. center on it.
c. bring up its Info Panel.
d. [both b and c]
4. Which panel can be used to turn the constellation figures on and off?
a. Display
b. Time
c. Planet
d. Location
5. Which panel can be used to center and lock on an individual planet?
a. Display
b. Time
c. Planet
d. Location

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6. You can set your location with

a. the Location Panel.
b. with the Set Location . . . command under the Chart menu.
c. by clicking on the Earth in the Set Location dialog box.
d. [all of the above]
7. Which can be done with the Time Panel, but not with the Set Time . . . command
under the Chart menu?
a. set the time of day
b. set the date
c. set the time step interval
d. [all of the above]
8. Which is NOT a choice for Horizon Visibility?
a. transparent
b. translucent
c. opaque
d. invisible
9. Which is NOT a method for zooming in or out?
a. the + and buttons along the bottom scroll bar
b. selecting an angle to the left of the + and buttons
c. dragging the cursor over a section of the Sky Chart
d. [All of the above CAN be used for zooming.]
10. In which folder will you find settings ready for you to use?
a. Basics
b. Demos
c. Explore
d. [all of the above]

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OPEN-ENDED ACTIVITY
Using the skills you learned in this activity, find and report the name and type of three
different objects (one each at sunset, midnight, and sunrise) that can currently be seen
high overhead from your location.

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