Need Extra Credit Help? - Helpless Student Again

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on a student seeking assistance with extra credit projects for a physics class. The proposed projects include monitoring a star's brightness using binoculars, recording the moon's phases and positions, and photographing the moon to measure its size changes. An alternative extra credit project involves measuring the altitude of the Sun or Polaris from two latitudes to calculate the Earth's circumference. The discussion emphasizes the importance of conducting these activities personally and encourages sharing results.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of astronomy concepts, including star brightness and lunar phases.
  • Familiarity with observational tools such as binoculars and photography equipment.
  • Knowledge of measurement techniques and accuracy standards in scientific experiments.
  • Understanding of Earth's geometry and how to calculate circumference using altitude measurements.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research how to effectively use binoculars for astronomical observations.
  • Learn about the differences between sidereal and synodic months in lunar cycles.
  • Explore techniques for measuring celestial altitudes accurately.
  • Investigate methods for calculating the Earth's circumference using observational data.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students in physics or astronomy courses, educators looking for practical project ideas, and anyone interested in hands-on observational astronomy activities.

SolarSystHelp
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once again i am here for help :) last time proved to save me emmensly.

I have to do some extra credit for my physics class in order to receive the grade. Sadly, i have procrastinated a bit too much again ha

If anyone could help, please post

First Extra Credit
Use binoculars to monitor how an assigned star varies in brightness. Record how much the brightness changes and how long one cycle of the change takes.

Second
Record the moons phase and position in the star field nightly for five weeks to measure the length of two kinds of month, sidereal and synodic

Third
photograph the moon nightly for a month. Measure the changes in its size and discover how wits distance from the Earth varies during the month.

Luckily, i have an extra credit problem i can sub in for those.
Extra credit i can switch in:
Measure the altitude of the Sun or Polaris from two latitudes at least 200 miles apart. You must build the measuring device, measure the altitudes to an accuracy clearly better then 1%, and use their difference to calculate the Earth's circumference.

ANY help would be greatly appreciated

-Helpless student again :)
 
Last edited:
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These are activities that YOU must do. There is no way anyone here can do anything. Please share with us your results.

A good star to observe for variations in intensity would be Algol. Do you know how to use google?
 

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