Topics begin with a study of the motions of Earth, the sun, and the moon, and move on to the solar system, bright stars, and constellations, with topics added according to class interest. Fall and spring. Mount Hermon campus only. Open to juniors and seniors. Ability and willingness to attend class in the evening.
Observational astronomy is a course for students with a very strong interest in astronomy.
Students will become familiarized with the night sky through the use of star maps and computer planetarium programs. Using a telescope they will then apply this knowledge to locate many objects including planets, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. An understanding of the stellar coordinate system and celestial mechanics will then serve as a basis for understanding how a telescope mount works. Once students have become proficient in the use of the telescope and the CCD camera, they will spend the remaining course time taking digital images and processing them. The class will meet on the Mount Hermon campus during the day when it is cloudy and in the evenings during clear weather.