Due at class time, November 4, 2003
Each question should be answered in careful, consise wording ... no "core dumps please".
Q1-
a)What is "Local Sidereal Time" (sometimes called Local Mean Sidereal
Time)?
b) How would you find the LST for a specific location and date? Describe the
steps, not just a formula (i.e. I need to know why the various parts of the
equations in the Observer's Handbook are there and why the have the values that
they do).
c) What might "Standard Sidereal Time" mean (or maybe Daylight Sidereal
Time) and would SST or DST be of any use to astronomers?
Q2-
Most if not all recently planned large telescopes are altazimuth mounts but
most small telescopes are equatorial mounts.
a) Describe the characteristics of each of these types of telescope mounting
b) Why are large mounts no longer being built as equatorial? Why not build small
telescopes as altazimuth?
Q3-
a) What is spherical aberration?
b) describe two ways to correct or avoid spherical aberration in a reflecting
optical system. Mention any problems introduced in this process.
c) Could a lens have spherical aberration?
Q4-
a) Describe how stars and the sun would appear to rise and set as seen at the
equator. Be sure to mention both daily (diurnal) and yearly (annual) effects.
b) Describe how stars and the sun would appear to rise and set as seen at the
South Pole. Be sure to mention both daily (diurnal) and yearly (annual) effects.
Q5-
Professor Frank Bradshaw Wood used to say that astronomical observations at
an airmass greater than 2.0 was astrology, not astronomy.
a) What is airmass and what do we need to know to calculate it for an observation?
b) Why do you think Professor Wood spoke as quoted above?