Train Your Brain – a series of physical astronomy exercises by Daniel Cummings.
Practice the fundamental skills of observation. Learn to see the giant geometries of space.Click here to continue reading…
Stellarium – a Gift to Humanity
Hello! Find out more about Stellarium in this tutorial that introduces several of the cool and clever things this astronomy software can do.
Stellarium – a glorious gift to Humanity in software form – gives you super powers. And best of all … It’s FREE!
Superpowers!
Always wanted to know the names of the stars and constellations? You can search, play, pan and zoom, examine, compare and anchor your knowledge.
It’s a cloudy night? No problem. You can see through the clouds!
Wished that the sky had labels on everything? Stellarium has 10 different label types.
Stop time? Move time by day, by week? Do you want to see what will happen in 2 months? Or look at the sky during the Pharoah’s reign? You can time travel.
You can easily drag and zoom, stop time, go in reverse, make a timelapse, follow the moon through its phases. You have a tool to help you understand the ecliptic and sidereal time and retrograde motion. You can see the great orbital swing of Venus as it circles the Sun.
Ok! I’m convinced by your Stellarium review. What should I do now? What’s my call to action?
Get a copy of Stellarium.
Stellarium is a free, easy to use, and powerful tool – and best of all (did I mention this already?) it’s FREE and easy to use.
I will write some specific tutorials about my favorite parts of Stellarium in 2017, but for now… go get it and play!
You will be able to see things about sky objects and movements that are impossible to see live. But, once you have seen them with the help of Stellarium, the sky will open up for you – like a gift.
What Looks Like Sunset
Is what looks like sunset really the sun – “setting”?
What is that thing that happens every day that makes it look like sunset?
Can you change your mind easily? Are you flexible enough to understand that the same set of observations and facts can lead two different people to two different conclusions?
For a long time, everyone on the Earth thought the Sun was moving and the Earth was staying still. This is just what it looks like and anyone who dared to suggest a different view might easily be considered odd, or worse, dangerous. Having the benefit of hundreds of years of scientific evidence and wisdom to back up my observations, I now have the luxury of believing that it is the Earth that is moving and that the Sun is the one standing still.
It is fun to imagine being carried through space on the surface of a giant ball. Definitely better than staying still while the sun careens through the sky each day. With this image in my mind, I feel the Earth is carrying me away from the view of the Sun.
Sunset should be called “away sun” and not “sun set” because it is me moving, not the sun. It is me being carried away into the shadows forming behind the bulge of the Earth, not the Sun setting. I am riding the Earth with its great round bulk between me and the Sun.
It’s NOT a sunset but me… rushing backwards… at 1000 mph as the bulge of the earth grows in between.
I propose “awaysun” as the new name for sunset and “towardsun” as the name for sunrise. These new names help solidify the idea that we are the ones moving.
What do you think?
The Moon Moves Toward the Dawn – a Mnemonic
Memorize this mnemonic: The moon moves toward the dawn. This phrase describes the day-by-day movement of the moon. With this simple phrase, you can understand the phases of the moon. You will actually begin to see the moon’s beautiful orbit traced out in the sky.
Repeat. The moon moves toward the dawn. The moon moves toward the dawn.
The moon moves toward the dawn.
It rises higher in the dusky sky after each day. It sweeps over the hills.
It circles and rolls. It transits. It leaves the Sun, then chases the Sun.
The moon moves toward the dawn.
Look East! That’s where the moon wants to go.
Once arrived, it crosses the face of the Sun and once again moves toward the dawn.
The moon moves toward the dawn.
Hello world! Welcome to Physical Astronomy.
Welcome to Star in a Star!
There are many ways to learn about Astronomy and the sky. Some people learn best by reading books or websites. Some learn best by debate and discussion. Some learn by doing.
I like to learn about Astronomy by interacting with people, places, and things. I like to listen to children’s questions and wonder along with them. I like to create immersive real-world experiences – aka “Physical Astronomy” – that help to illuminate the answers – when there are answers – and create tools for thought and imagination.
In posts and pages and links and media I am going to show you how to learn (and teach) Physical Astronomy in this unique way. We will learn about how to foster deep scientific understanding through exercising a sense of place and presence in a space.
Most importantly, I hope to share my passion for Astronomy and share the joy I feel each time someone near me says those epic words of discovery: “Wow – I never knew that before.”
Daniel