[These blogs are created for my online astronomy class in California State University Northridge. Since they may interest wider audience, I publish them on Blogger. All comments are welcome.]
Majestic march in the sky and seasons on earth
Debi Prasad Choudhary
Los Angeles, 02/01/2014
Hot in summer, cold in winter and rain - at times furious.
If that were random, I would have believed the stories from my granny and from
all other civilizations. Associated with the change in season, which are
periodic, there are many other clearly observable features. The summer days are
long in northern continents, the shadows are shorter, and the sun rises towards
north of the east direction. The pattern of stars in the summer night sky is different
compared to the cold winter days, when the sun rises towards south and stay in
the sky for less times producing longer shadows. Still, I thought in childhood
that the Gods that govern the summer (Sun God) or God of rain or cold come to
see the supreme God near our small town so we get the seasons. Some times, if
they get angry, we get sever weather. So, better worship them to keep them in
good humor.
Every day, we notice the majestic march of the sun in the
sky that rise in the east and set in the west. Moon and few other bright
objects move in the same band of the sky, as if following the sun. These bright
objects look like stars but do not twinkle like them. Every month they appear
in a different part of the sky progressively towards the west. Some of them
suddenly make u-turn as if going backwards. From ancient time they were
recognized as planets, very conspicuous objects.
Most other stars rise in the east and set in the west. Some
of them rise but do not set. And, even some of them never rise or set, they are
there in the sky in the evening and only change position in the night circling
a bright star in the northern sky, which do not noticeably change the position
ever. This star made such an impact of the civilizations that Shakespeare wrote
dialogue for Caesar as:
Caesar:
"I
am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
There
is no fellow in the firmament."
In my childhood, I learned about this star
“constant star”, which was a great child devotee of one of the Gods in spite of
the fact that his father worshiped another God. Consequently, his father
tortured him with several cruel techniques. In the end, his father was killed
by the powerful God and honored him with the constant star.
Now of course, we know that this northern
star does change it position, which can be measured with telescopes. The stars
that do not rise or set are called circumpolar stars as they circle around this
North Star or pole star. If you take a long exposure photograph of the sky, you
will get the star trails that are either circles or part of circle around the
North Star. In the southern hemisphere, the different sets of stars circle in
the sky, but unlike in north there is no such constant star. You can observe these
phenomena from Australia, Brazil or Argentina. You can imagine a sphere around
the earth called celestial sphere on which the objects of the sky move. The
extended circle aligned with the equator on the celestial sphere is known as
celestial equator. The earth’s longitude and latitude are projected onto this
sphere to uniquely define the position of stars on the sky. The coordinates of
the objects in the sky are called right ascension and declination.
Rising and setting of sun and stars happen,
not because they actually circle around the earth, but the earth spins (rotation)
around its axis, which is aligned along the North Star, also called pole star.
If you observe carefully, you will notice that the rise time of the stars are
delayed by 4 minutes every day because of the earth circles (revolution) around
the sun. The axis of the earth was not always aligned along the North
Star. As the earth’ s north-south axis
processes with a period of 26,000 years other bright stars in the north get
aligned that affects the climate on earth on similar time scale.
This circle is inclined to the plane in which
the earth circles the sun, called ecliptic plane. The planets that seem to
follow the path of the sun also circle the sun on this ecliptic plane. In other
words, if you imagine a plane in which the earth and sun are situated, the
north-south axis around which it rotates, is inclined by 23.5 degrees. This has
profound affect on the earth. This is the reason for the seasons on earth.
Because of this tilting, sun is seen to be rising in different directions in
summer and in winter.
In fact, the sun is slightly away from the
earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an
ellipse. So, it is not the sun-earth distance that cause the summer and winter
but the tilt of its north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane. You
may be surprised to know that this fact is unknown to almost 65% of educated
people!!
So, let us explain everything we observe in
summer and winter with the model in which the earth rotates around the sun with
its tilted north-south axis. Due to the 23.5-degree tilt the sun appears overhead
once at latitudes 23.5 north and south and twice in latitude within this range.
When this happens, there are no shadow in the noon, some people observe
no-shadow day. Beyond these latitudes, for example in Seattle or Chicago, this
situation will never occur. When
northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, the bundle of rays from the
sun is spread over a larger area so heat the landmass less. You can imagine a
situation, when the light bean from a flashlight is incident in a plane that is
inclined to the beam. In such situation, the light get spread over a larger
area. As the inclination decreases, the area over which the light spread
decreases resulting increased heating. This produces summer situation. The
inclined beam of light from the sun also explains the larger shadows in winter.
By carefully observing the motion of the sun
and stars in the sky, we could figure out the cause for seasons. That is a big
achievement. Now, I do not invoke Gods for governing these phenomena on earth.
May be they have bigger job to do!!
I like the idea of the sky above us being majestic. I grew up in California and I know our summers and winters to be just that, majestic. The sun being away from us in summer in the Valley is almost unbelievable by the way!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, what I learned from the this blog post in addition to that fun fact was that the rising and setting of sun and stars around the Earth was aligned along the North Star, also called pole star. I never took notice to the rise time of the stars and how they are delayed by 4 minutes every day because of the earth revolution around the sun.
When it comes to the sun and stars in the sky, observation is a necessary key in understanding and loving it. I am still uncertain how the rotation and tilt of the Earth works but, I am sure as the semester goes on we delve into depth on that. Just curious is it a mathematical calculation needed to figure it out?
Due to the tilt of the earth's north-south axis, the same amount of sunlight spread over a larger land mass the northern hemisphere in winter months as the sun is over-head in southern hemisphere where the opposite situation is encountered. Spreading sunlight over a large land mass reduces the temperature. (This is a short answer).
DeleteThank you for writing your blog posts as if you were telling a story. It makes it much more relatable and captivating. It’s absolutely fascinating to hear glimpses of how other cultures have thought and do think about the bodies of matter on the nightly sky and what controls their path above our heads here on earth.
DeleteI have seen how the stars move and are shows on the sky differently depending on where geographically you are on earth. When I was on the southern hemisphere the first time when I was 10 years old I spotted the Big Dipper but to me it looked like it was upside down.
That the fact that the tilt cause the summer and winter is unknown to 65% of EDUCATED people that is crazy to me. That makes me question the educational system. That fact is such a basic concept and I was so choked by this.
I enjoy reading your blog posts because they seem more like a story to me rather than a class lecture post.
DeleteAstronomy, the stars, and the universe have always been fascinating to me as well as very confusing so thank you for putting some things in place for me. For example, I've always wondered about the northern star as I've heard the name so often but never actually the deeper explanation as to what it is. It is crazy how much we can understand about what happens on Earth by exploring the sky and its endless wonders!
Hi professor!
DeleteBy reading this article I was able to understand the chapter more. At first I wasn't fully understanding the tilt but by reading your blog posts it actually helped me. I find it really interesting that the rising and setting of the sun and stars are aligned with the pole star( North star)
Hello professor,
DeleteReading the blog entry this week has helped clear up a lot of things for me from what I have read in Chapter 2. Understanding there are many phenomenons, I was astounded to learn about the seasons and how they work by the sun being apparent, not actually the sun getting closer. It was also good to learn about the North Star and its alignment with stars and the sun.
I love how your lectures are more like stories- I appreciate them. They are very engaging-and teach me a lot about what I didn't comprehend fully in the lesson. I never understood how the seasons happened, but now I know that it is the north-south axis. I was one of the 65%!
DeleteHello Professor Debi Prasad Choudhary,
DeleteI have always wanted to see the star trails circling around the North Star in Australia. The "Motion of the Stars of the Sky" video you linked on Moodle was such an awesome way to see the star trails going in a circular motion. It almost feels as if you are traveling into another dimension. Also, I found the fact that only 65% of educated people only knew about the tilt of its north-south axis, which causes summer and winter. I also like how you incorporated your granny just like you did in the first article. It makes the article fun to read because I can put myself in your shoes and picture it.
I really enjoy reading your blog because i have more interesting information every week. By this blog, i can explain many various questions which i usually ask myself for a long time. At this week, i found that the pattern of stars in the summer night sky will be different compared to the cold winter days, and i also figured out the cause for seasons.
Delete- Phuong Truong Ast 152 Fall 2016
Hello Professor Debi Prasad Choudhary,
DeleteYour blog really intrigues me because it helps me understand the material in the book in more relatable terms. Your examples really break down what it is that you are trying to teach and I find it to be more beneficial to my learning and understanding. For example, I really liked your example about the flashlight and how light spreads due to inclination. It is really fascinating to me that inclination spreads lights, while declination will cause that smaller area to get hot. This would always happen to me when I would use my flash light and sometimes I would even point it deliberately in my hands for them to warm up; I’m glad I know scientifically why it happens now.
One thing that confuses me a little is the North Star. Basically does it mean that if a person were to be at any point on the globe, the North Star would still indicate north and be the brightest star in the sky?
-Nazaneen Iravani Astr 152 Fall 2016
Each time I read your blogs i feel more engaged because you include personal story that include your grandma and the village you lived in. I found this very helpful for some of the question in the quizzes. One being that during the summer the sun is a bit further away due to the earths tilt. I also found it interesting that this explained the reason why there are season.
DeleteCelinne Hernandez ASTR 152 FALL 2016
Before reading this I thought that all stars stay in one place like the northern star or the “Constant star”. However, what I got learned from this article is that circumpolar stars circle around the northern star. Another thing that was interesting was finding out that the 25.5-degree angle between the earths equator ad the ecliptic plane is the affect that gives seasons to the Earth due to the sun rising in different directions in the winter and summer.
DeleteI liked reading stories about the stars. People could figure out directions by looking at the stars. Back in the day, their were no gps or Siri to tell you how and where to go. Voyagers had to map things out and even discover paths for everyone else. Tribes looked at the sun and sky for answers or predictions of the future. Now we have technology to prove otherwise but its still interesting to see how earth and the sky was considered more then just fact. It had life and made history.
DeleteI find it EXTREMELY interesting that the stars actually circle the north star! I never actually knew that the stars did that. Throughout this course, im sure im going to find out new things that are going to blow my mind!
DeleteYour blog posts make the content fun and even more interesting as you get us to see it from a different perspective we may not have thought of before. I understand the material better now and love that I learn things I never knew before and come to appreciate the advancements in our technology.
DeleteI really love that you add back stories of you and the stories you were told when you younger it makes me reflect back and think of my own childhood. I like knowing about all the science in the universe but there something about folklore or stories told from old to young about the world that really interest me. I also found it interesting about the other stars rotating around the northern i didn't know that before.
DeleteI appreciated reading your post, Professor, and how you provided us with useful information in respect to the change in seasons - the amount of light spread over larger areas in winter disperses heat due to the sun's inclined position, whereas in summer its decreased inclination increases heating for encompassing a smaller area. I remotely had a recollection of this explanation from elementary classes, and I doubt many of us make sense of why seasons happen. Instead, we just accept that its cold or not, sunny or not, without really knowing why. Now that I was reminded of south-north axis of earth is what makes temperature and climate shifts, I won't be thinking it may be cold because the sun is orbiting more distantly from earth!
ReplyDeleteWow, I wish I knew that much about the universe. I never really had any stories told to me about the starts, and its mind-blowing to really think about how the weather changes and how it almost stays the same in some areas. I really only remember learning about the Aurora Borealis in elementary school and that is something I would love to see one day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Professor for sharing your blog. I never really knew there was much to our majestic universe or the cause for the different seasons around the world. Growing up I never knew anything about our and as a kid I use to even say that it when it heavily rained it was because our Mother Earth was really upset or really sad.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I forgot whatever I learned Astronomy related in elementary school. Your blog really provided much insight. In reading your blog, it further clarified what was in the reading and how the 23.5° tilt is the reason for the different seasons. When Earth is revolving around the sun, the tilt is the determining factor of which hemisphere is going to get direct sunlight or rays that has spread out during the hemisphere (of course it depends on where the earth is located at the time it is compared to the sun). I can only imagine how life would be without the different seasons!
When I was younger I asked my mom why the sun would shine and stop shining. This was before I knew clouds can move. She said that God's son was playing with the light switch.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to know the truth but it also makes me wonder. I didn't know how complicated the earth and it's sky really is.
These stories are incredibly interesting. I always thought that the not much twinkling stars are a lot more further. I could never imagine that those were planets and we could actually see planets.I never knew some stars set and some never rise or set! Professor what do you mean by saying that the inclined beam of light from the sun also explains the larger shadows of winter. What shadows ?
ReplyDeleteThank you professor for the interesting posts.
When the star is not over head, in winter, the beam of light from the sun falls on earth in a slanted manner. It is similar to the surface when you shine it with a flash light not directly, but in an inclined fashion.
DeleteI welcome the comments from all individuals, not limited to the students only, who would like to post them.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Choudhary,
DeleteThank you for your blog post. I appreciate the fact that I was able to finally read and get a clear understanding of the rotation of the earth. I am always getting into discussions with my parents about understanding the stars and the sun, so I think that this article really helped me. Thank you!
Best Regards,
Marina Melkumyan
FALL 2016 - ASTR 152 ONLINE
Thank you for this blog professor. As a child I easily understood the concepts of why the sun went down and night and that the sun rose in the morning due to the rotation of the earth. It would be either/or. But when it came to the season, I never understood how there could be four seasons, the earth is so round and seemingly symmetrical, that it was hard to me to understand that the earth had a special tilt to it, and was at the perfect tilt, as where the weather I had here in California would be possible. If only my small mind at the time could fully understand this concept!
ReplyDeleteIt's so great that you incorporate childhood stories into your blogs professor! As a child I also assumed the seasons and chaotic weather was the work of some upset God. It is puzzling that we have seasons due to a slight tilt of the Earth. I could not imagine life without that tilt and without our seasons. We sometimes take the little things for granted!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the valuable information. This is kind of knowledge that we don’t get every day. Although I enjoyed reading the article however; the most interesting fact that caught my attention was how rising and setting of sun and stars around the Earth was aligned along the North Stare. It is also interesting how you connect your childhood stories with facts. That makes it easy for the reader to understand the subject.
ReplyDeleteThis blog was really interesting to me because of the information about the northern star. It appears to be constant, but actually isn't due to the Earth's axis. When I was little Polaris used to be my favorite star because I would imagine life in the past, with sailors on ships using it to guide them on their journeys.
ReplyDeleteI amazed yet again by your childhood stories and how greatly you are able to incorporate them with knowledge of the stars. I find it very interesting how you were brought up with so many stories about the sky. It has been very informative and interesting all at the same time. I appreciate the time you make to make these wonderful and creative blogs for not only your students, but for the public interested. I had never imagined learning about how and why stars move the way they do and why we get seasons. But through your class and reading your blog, I am able to understand more and more!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this blog post. I enjoy how you incorporate your childhood memories into the lesson you are teaching. It makes learning new concepts fun. I never really understood how there were four different seasons. As a child I could never grasp the concept. I could not understand what was happening in the sky to cause such different weathers. Even now, I never really pay much attention to where the sun is rising and where it is setting. This blog post is making me more aware of what is occurring in the sky.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this blog, I never knew the sun is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse. However, I always learn some new knowledge when I am reading the blog. This blog remind me of my childhood, because I used to believe that there is a god of sun and god of rain. They can control the weather.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy reading myths about the gods controlling the weather and your viewpoints of the universe as a child. I thought the fact that 65% of educated people did not know that the tilt of its north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane causes summer and winter. In fact, I did not know that fact. Our universe is always moving though we may not always be thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteThis is Taylor Hobson from your ASTR 152OL class,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blogs because you go into detail while still keeping it brief and getting your point across to your audience. I learned so much about the stars and their movement that didn't make complete sense to me before reading your blog. I found the tilting party very fascinating because I didn't know that was the reason that caused the seasons to change.
Great article professor! I was just curious... I went to Alaska last summer and noticed that the sun is in the sky nearly 70% of the day. Perhaps this is a result of the tilt in which the earth has of 23.5 degrees, in relation to Alaska's location on earth? Just a question that has always puzzled me when I visit there. Very good information in these articles!
ReplyDeleteOh, and this is Onik Alajajyan from your online Astronomy 152 class.
DeleteEdic Rangel Online Atsro 152
ReplyDeleteIt is always interesting reading your blogs. I always learn new things about you and the stars, planet, etc. It’s pretty crazy how much there is to our world. One thing I learned from reading this blog was that the sun is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse. I actually thought that it was the distance causing it to be summer or winter, guess I was wrong. I also, learned more information about the northern star and the different types of places you make see such phenomena’s.
Alan Arellano Online Astro 152
ReplyDeleteI love your blog entries. Mainly because reading over these makes me feel like I have the curiosity and open mind of a child (and I mean that in the best of ways). I love reading about gods controlling weather, and reading about your experiences. Reading these posts are never disappointing.
Skylar Keck ASTR 152 Online
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was very informative. I learned quite a bit from this and should have read this before doing assignment two. I found it interesting and a bit shocking that 65% of educated people, including myself, did not know that the sun is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse.
Hello professor. I guess I am part of the 65% of people that don't know that the seasons are due to the tilt of the earth axis ! This is so strange to imagine because I feel so small and incapable to comprehend this! Our earth is so magnificent in the way that it rotates and its relationship with all other matter in the sky. I also enjoy your blog posts because we are able to see the folk takes that other ethnicities have grown up with. In Latino tradition, star interpreting is limited to horoscopes and tarot reading! I really enjoy learning about other out of the world stories .
ReplyDeleteElin Madadian ASTR 152 Online
ReplyDeleteHi Professor, once again this was an amazing an educational blog post. I love the way you incorporate your childhood beliefs and stories into these blogs. I remember when I was a kid, I red a story about the reason why there is night and day, and the story basically said that it was always daylight and then one day God got really mad at the people on the earth because they weren't doing what they were supposed to do so he cast a black shadow over the earth and then eventually he decided to make it half and half. I am sure the story was more elaborate than that but this is what I remember of it at this point. Either way, as a child you usually just accept the reasons that people tell you that explain what is going on around us but as we get older we learn to ask questions and look for answers and that is what this class is helping me find out, and I greatly appreciate it.
Professor, I really enjoy the personal childhood stories. This makes it really interesting while giving us a lot of useful information. I liked the example about if you take a long exposure photograph of the sky you would see the star trails. You also gave us a lot of useful facts for the assignment like information about the solstices and the ecliptic plane. You also explained the celestial sphere, ascension, and declination. These were all very helpful. I am also glad to say that I am now not apart of that 65% of people that do not know that the distance of the earth and sun have nothing to do with our seasons and learned that it is all about the tilt of the earths axis. Thank you for the blog!
ReplyDelete-Brianna McDonald
ASTR152
Hello class,
ReplyDeleteI am really appreciating these blogs, as they are a more animated summary of the chapters we are to read. I am truly fascinated by the 23.5-degree tilt and its effect on seasons. This is embarrassing but I did not know that the Earth tilts. I have always believed that summer occurs because we are closer to the sun, but in fact during summer the sun is slightly away from the earth and that it is in fact tilt of its north-south axis. This concept was slightly difficult to comprehend, but here is a YouTube video which helped me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLRA87TKXLM
Hope this can help,
Luiza Gevshanyan
Hi professor, it is very nice to read your blog once again. Thank you for providing us with any useful and interesting information. while reading this blog i learned many new things. it was very interesting to know about the constant star. Although it appears to be constant, it does change it position and it can be measured with telescopes. I also like how you incorporate you stories, it makes it much more interesting. I learned that the seasons are due to the tilt of the earth axis.
ReplyDeleteJade Arner [jade.arner.565@my.csun.edu]
ReplyDeleteSent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 10:50 AM
To:
Choudhary, Debi Prasad
I just found it amazing that different people think there are multiple gods. A
god of the sun, a god of the cold and rain and then there was an ultimate god
who ruled over the others. Also i found the story of the boy being beaten and
the star being him watch the earth as the constant star interesting. And I was
also part of that 65%
Torounian, Larisa [larisa.torounian.20@my.csun.edu]
ReplyDeleteSent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 4:09 PM
To:
Choudhary, Debi Prasad
Hi,
Here is my answer to blog #2( sorry I have to do it like this until i can start posting my blogs) Majestic March......
How interesting, I had no idea that the patterns of the stars in the night are different if compared with winter days. Wow and they change positions? How crazy is that, very wise to know they are called circumpolar stars. I want to check the 4 minute delay every day that stars rise. Since my family and I have an app on our ipad we watch the stars and get their names all the time. I love reading these blogs and sharing the information with them.
What a wonderful information that the sun's tilt of it's NS axis that cause winter and summer.
I knew never all of this information! how patterns of stars change and how the tilt and degrees affect everything and how they are portrayed. I never knew that everyday the stars are delayed 4 minutes. I really liked this post because you always start of on your perspective on how you saw/see things as a child and how your mind was developing as you were trying to comprehend the different aspects of this university, in this case, which was the Weather Gods and how you perceived them as a young child. I really like how you transition from childhood experience/thoughts to actual hardcore fact teaching data. The next blog should be just as interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting another forum, professor. This blog really helps make the information we are learning through the online course seem relevant and more understandable. I enjoy reading your personal stories and accounts because I too have similar memories from childhood.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that there are stars that do not move and are in the sky even during the day but we do not see them. Also it states that in summer the sun is further from the earth but yet in summer the weather is much hotter because the sun is spread out to a much bigger area causing it to be hotter.
ReplyDeleteLian Liu from your Astronomy 152 Online class.
ReplyDeleteI never thought I will be interested in Astronomy. When I knew constellation, I thought it is so attractive and let me fascinated. It said that each person has their own constellation that according to their birth date and can control their personality. After I take this class, I not only know the constellation, also know the summer days are long in northern continents, the sun is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse and some more specific information. I am very appreciated for your sharing!
Your blogs are really interesting. I enjoy reading your blogs and I learn more about astronomy with the information in it. The fact that the northern star does change its position is pretty amazing.
ReplyDeleteAaron Thongchua Online ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteI find it really interesting how 65% of educated people do not know that the summer and winter are caused by a tilt in the north-south axis. This is just an example of how complex and interesting our universe can be. These blogs are full of good information that you make easy to understand.
Joseph Wright ASTR152
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about how majestic the skies looked. I like to think of the sky as one big canvas because the sky is always different looking. It's funny that you talk about listening to your grandma tell you stories. When my grandfather was still alive, he used to tell me all these wonderful stories that he would make up about certain constellations. I spent the summer with him in big bear before he passed so reading this blog for me was sort of touching. Also, I liked the story about "The Constant Star". This blog was very interesting and informative.
Professor I absolutely enjoy reading your blogs. Gaining an perspective through another's eye is truly amazing. Not only are your blogs informative, but also interesting to read. One learns much about planets and stars from a very young age, yet the reasons truly behind the wonders remain unknown. In grade school we are told to memorize constellations, certain stars, and planets by name or size, however the secrets of the universe remain untold in such detail. Till this day I was unaware that the tilt of north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane causes summer and winter. It is shocking to learn that I am not the only one unaware of the cause, but 65% of educated people join this category. This blog truly opened my eyes to some of the unknown reasons behind the weather. I am looking forward to reading your blogs throughout the semester. Thank You
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading these blogs because I always learn something new. For instance, I had no idea that the sun, "is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse". I always assumed that no matter the season, the sun and earth were always the same distance apart. Also I loved reading about how as a child, you believed that the weather was affected by the Gods, because growing up I would always hear that when it rains it is because the heavens are upset. It is interesting to hear the actual reasons why things happen in the sky the way they do, and not the stories we are told as children.
ReplyDeleteEarth moves around the sun in an elliptical orbit at one of the foci of which the sun is located. So, the sun-earth distance over the year changes.
DeleteMandy Leung ASTR 152 ONLINE
ReplyDeleteThe blogs are very interesting Professor. I love how you include the four seasons into your stories. At a young age, I already knew the justify of the sun going down and up. Of course I don't know why, at that age but now I do. Over the years, season changes and now I understand it.
Felicita Penas
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
The information on this blog was very insightful! Fall and winter are my favorite seasons of the year and the best part of it all is that I know how it takes place!
It all takes place because the "earth is tilted 23.5 degrees of its north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane". Fascinating!
I consider myself a somewhat educated person, and I believed that the sun was closer to the earth during summer months obviously because it's warmer. I had no clue that the opposite was true. I enjoy reading your blogs Professor because I enjoy learning all of the little facts that no one really thinks about.
ReplyDeleteWow your blog is really helpful and educational, I never knew that the less time the sun is up the long shadows we get or that the sun is further from us during the summer. It's amazing how each season takes place and none off them occur the way I thought!
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not know much when it comes to Astronomy so learning that we have different seasons because of the 23.5 ° tilt was interesting. I never really thought about what may be the cause of having seasons, I just accepted it. But, after this blog it was nice to finally know the proper reason as to why it happens. I would have never thought that a tilt on the Earth’s north-south axis would be the cause of it and it also showed me that I was part of that 65% of people who were not aware of this fact.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI love these blogs. You should consider getting some of these published. These stories that you were taught as a child are very interesting. I wish that I had the luxury of growing up with stories of the sky. Any information that I received about the sky involved religious things like god being in heaven and heaven being in the sky. As for the seasons, it is amazing how something as small as a tilt could result in major climate changes and different seasons. That small rotating tilt had major outcomes. It makes me wonder what else in the sky has a small function yet big impact on how we live and our solar system.
Duong Sam
ReplyDeleteAstronomy 152
I also once believed that there were different type of Gods who controlled the world such as Zeus the God of the Sky. I have read stories and heard that when it rains it means that the Gods are crying whether from tears of joy or sadness, and that when there are thunder storms or some sort of natural disaster it means that the human's have done something wrong and was a disapproval from the Gods. But now actually knowing what causes these things to happen made me realize that these are false; not trying to disrespect anyone's belief of course. I have also thought that stars were meteors that were far away, but I never knew that those were planets. And I also thought that the sun would be a lot closer to the earth rather than further during the summer, because I thought since it's closer that's the reason why it was hotter but it wasn't! It's amazing that now we can tell where the sun is for the season, such as in the winter the sun is closer and the summer it's further.
There are so many details about the world to learn from this post. I was instantly taken with the revelation that northern continents have longer summer days and shorter shadows. This is a somewhat small but ultimately incredibly interesting tidbit about how our world works. I figured there was always a “constant star” to follow, no matter where in the world you were. But I now find through your article that the southern hemisphere has no “constant star.” I wonder how this affected travel up until this previous century? The scientific notion of an ecliptic plane is simple and yet provides an explanation for the complex cycle that creates seasons. Due to the earth’s tilting, the sun hits different parts of the earth in different directions.
ReplyDeleteThis is Robert Braden Villa from ASTR 152. I enjoy reading this blog because you make the stars, sun, moon and planets seem so personal. Teaching the content through story telling is very interesting and holds my attention. I had never considered that the stars rise and set like the sun and moon. It makes sense, I had just never considered it because they seem to just appear. Very interesting blog. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDear Professor,
ReplyDeleteThis blog confused me from the start. I believe I am confused because I never believed in gods changing the seasons nor have I heard stories about gods changing the seasons.
However your blog gave me an insight on how our climates actually change. It never occurred to me that the alignment of the stars could impact our climate. Personally, I find it difficult to follow the stars because I have no previous experience doing so.
I hope to gain a great deal of knowledge and experience events related to the stars and our climate. This blog has opened my mind to different scientific ideas. Thank you for the great blog.
Sincerely,
Richard Burson
Stars have no influence on our climate. It the tilt of earth's axis of rotation relative to the ecliptic plane that cause the seasons. This is the main point of the lecture blog.
DeleteAshley Castellanos
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
This was an amazing educational post. I really enjoy how you incorporate your childhood memories and your knowledge of the stars in your blogs. It was exciting learning about the different seasons do to the 23.5 degree tilt. It was fascinating learning about why we get seasons. Thank you Professor for your informative blogs.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that seasons, specifically Summer and Winter, were influence by the distance of the sun to Earth. When I read that these seasons are a result of Earth's tilt of the north-south axis, I was surprised. This lesson provided lots of answers to questions I never thought to ask. For example, the reason why shadows are longer in winter and shorter in summer. Now, as the seasons change, I will know that they are a result of stars, the sun, and earth's axis.
Professor,
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed this blog post again and enjoyed learning about these so called constant stars, which aren't so constant. I did, however, know that the seasons were because of the Earth's axis. I did not know the exact degree, but now I do! I hope to keep learning more!
-Erick Fernandez
I found it fascinating that the degree of the north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane of earth is what actually caused our seasons to happen. I always thought it was because of the distance between the sun and earth. Im guessing that is why in Alaska there are times when it is dark for months at a time and light during others, depending where in Alaska? I also find it interesting that all the planets follow the sun on the same ecliptic plane. Outer space is such a vast place and the way it functions is really incredible!
ReplyDeleteI learned some new information from this post.
ReplyDeleteThese couple of sentences were very informative for me,
"In fact, the sun is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse. So, it is not the sun-earth distance that cause the summer and winter but the tilt of its north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane."
I never knew this before!
Thank you for the info.
ASTR 152 OL
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I was apart of that 65% until I read this blog. My friends are very scientfic, I'm glad I know a bit of Astronomy in the change of seasons to discuss with them about! Me and my family have an inside joke, because of the drought in California, we would dance so that the rain Gods can give us rain. But it actually did rain a couple days ago. Maybe it worked! Thank you for this blog.
I found it very interesting that the pattern of stars are different in the summer and in the winter. I always knew that some stars may never rise or set but after reading this blog. I have learned that stars are delayed 4 minutes everyday due to the earth circles around the sun. I also have to agree with what one of my classmate have said, Liz Narayan. I was also that 65% of the people who didn't know about the sun is slightly away from earth in the summer comparing to winter. Thank you for this great article and I can't wait to learn more about astronomy as the semester goes on!
ReplyDeleteHello Professor! My name is Maria Figueroa
ReplyDeleteI found this article really interesting and helpful because I learned things that I did not know. For example the fact the northern start change its position and that it can be measure with telescopes its new to me, and I found it really interesting. Also, I didn't know that some stars didn't set or rise and that they were recognized by their own name " Circumpolar stars". Also, I also like how you incorporate information from your childhood, this brings me memories because when I was little and it was raining really hard I used to think that the God of water was mad at us because we didn't listen or do what our parents used to ask us to do and when it was really hot I thought the same thing. In addition, I didn't have any idea about the 65% and its meaning, but thanks to this useful article now I know. I am looking forward to keep learning more in this course and succeed.
Regards!
Maria Figueroa
I really enjoyed this, I never knew that some stars never set and that they circled the North Star. I love the idea that so many before have seen this and have written so much about he North Star. It amazes me that so many of us didn't know that the sun to Earth distance is not the cause of summer.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this blog entry, it was very eye opening
savannah Voorhies
I always thought that the Northern Star was fixed, I am curious how much of a variance in its placement that there is? I was also unaware that stars rise and set. I am not the slightest bit surprised that 65% of the educated population doesn't know that the variance in winter summer has to do with the tilt of the north-south axis.
ReplyDelete-Katlin Moody
Yajaira Tiscareno (ASTR 152)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this blog, I found it very informative for many reasons. For example, I like how you incorporated your childhood experiences in the blog post. What you explained on the pattern of stars in the summer days compared to winter days was something I knew nothing about. One thing I found interesting was that some stars do not set, or in some cases they do not rise or set. The fact that the tilt of the earth’s axis of rotation is what influences our seasons amazed me. These are things I never took into consideration or even thought about. By reading these helpful blogs I am becoming informed, and bettering my knowledge.
Yanin Peaches Ortega
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
I think this blog is very informative. I always thought that all stars were fixed and they never moved not even as the seasons changed or that they were capable of rising and setting like the sun. I admit I was one of the 65% of people who didn't know that it is the tilt of the earth that causes season and not just the distance of the earth from the sun. It actually makes sense because the heat has to be distributed evenly. I think this is helping me to visualize the changes in the sky and better appreciate how interesting our night sky really is.
Reading this blog helped me to understand the reading in the chapter. I better understand the aspects of the celestial sphere and it's landmarks. That being said it is also easier for me to picture certain constellation movements and why some are always visible (circumpolar constellations). Much of this information now seems like common sense once I can picture all of the information due to the fact that I am more of a visual learner. The blog overall helped to paint a more clear picture in my head.
ReplyDeleteAllan Chan
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
I really enjoy how each lecture so far has transformed from a personal perspective of life to a fully informative lecture. Before beginning to fully read the blog, I questioned myself, "Why do our seasons occur?" I simply concluded that it was depending on our distance towards the sun. However, it really satisfies me to know that there was a greater explanation for it. I would never imagined that the poles determined season. My rudimentary understanding only knows that they possessed magnetic fields, which makes me glad to know I am more informed of their purpose. Also, I always assumed that stars were all constant. It surpassed me that stars set and rise just as the sun, considering that it is also a star. This blog really gave me an in depth understanding of the movement of our stars and reasons that our seasons occur.
Jessica Ovsepian
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
I really enjoyed reading this article because it was interesting to learn about the observations of the motion of the sun and stars and how it relates and explains the cause for seasons. I was not aware of the fact that some stars do not set or rise but are in the sky in the evening and only at night change position. I also fall into the 65% of educated people who did not know that the sun is slightly away from the earth in the summer time but glad to learn about it now. Overall, learning about the North Star, the tilts of earth, and its shadows was very informative and I am eager to learn more. Thank you.
Caitlen Diab ASTR 152
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us professor! I love hearing more about your child hood stories. I believe we can all gain a greater sense of where your passion for astronomy originated.
I admire astronomy very much and I'm always excited ot learn something new.
I always love hearing about why and how our seasons change. I love that in this blog post you simplify the topic and don't complicate it. Most of the articles I've read online are very complex when writing about the topic so I always got confused, but this is very straightforward so I really liked it!
I especially liked the part about mistaking other planet's moons for stars and how we can distinguish between them because the moons don't twinkle.
My neighbor invites us over every now and then to look through his telescope (it's so cool & high-tech), especially when there is something interesting to observe in the night sky.
A few years ago he invited us over to see Saturn. When I looked through the telescope, I saw Saturn & what I thought were really big stars.
"Woah, those stars must be pretty big huh!" I said.
He laughed and said, "No Caitlen, those are Saturn's moons!"
It was so cool to see a few of Saturn's moons! Up until that night, I always just assumed that Earth was the only planet with a moon and that there was only ever one moon.
I learned a lot that night and was so fascinated with everything that I learned.
We start with simple concepts and facts and learn complex stuff.
DeleteCan't wait!
DeleteI really enjoy reading this article professor. The interesting fact that I learned from your article is that there are some stars that are not moving and stars that we could not see. I hope I learn more interesting facts about universe from this course.
ReplyDelete-yeseul kim- astr152 online
I really enjoy reading this article professor. The interesting fact that I learned from your article is that there are some stars that are not moving and stars that we could not see. I hope I learn more interesting facts about universe from this course.
ReplyDelete-yeseul kim- astr152 online
Only north-star appears not to move. But, actually it also circles that can be observed through a telescope. The stars in the southern sky can not be seen in northern hemisphere.
DeleteI enjoy your connection to your cultural stories and the reality of astronomy. I personally enjoy myths and culture. It is important to remember the stories from the past and find a connection to the present. The universe is full of mysteries and we have yet to find explanations to raised questions.
ReplyDeleteSome times, stories trigger the line of inquire leading to unrevealing the mystery of the universe. That is science.
DeleteAram Teroganesyan
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
This was a very interesting article. I did not know that the pattern of the stars change from summer to winter. My grandma also says that God is mad when we have lighting and thunder. I fall into that 65% I did not know the sun is slightly away from earth in the summer compared to winter. I really enjoyed this article, I learned stuff that I did not know before.
I can relate to you and your granny professor because my grandma is Native American. She believes in having a god for different things. She would tell me to do a rain dance because we needed it for the drought. I always thought it was funny because i didn't really believe in a rain god or gods for different things. But i did find it very interesting when i hear her talking about it. Until now i did not know how or why the seasons came about. So i was apart of the 65% of educated people that did not know. I also found it interesting that the north star doesn't appear to move but in reality we know it does. I enjoy reading these blogs they're very interesting and informative.
ReplyDelete-Melanie Leyva
ASTR 152
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to know how the change of seasons depends on the 23.5-degree tilt. Whenever the summer season comes along, and the weather is about 100 degrees, it feels like the sun is so close to us, causing a burning sensation on the skin. I've heard people blaming the sun for this sensation. I wonder if they know about the tilt of the earth's north-south axis, but then I think the sun sounds more reasonable for people to blame. I personally like to think of the sun as a male god, and the moon as a female god, this may not be true, I only say this because they are superior in power than us. The universe is full of mysteries, but in my opinion, that's what makes it more interesting and appealing to the human mind.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post. I'm looking forward to come back and read more. These posts make the class much more interesting and enjoyable. Thank you professor.
Katherine Garay
AST 152
Hello professor,
ReplyDeleteReading the first part of this blog post reminded me of an old story I read in elementary school (I don't remember the title) where the seasons were dictated by the moods of the people in the sky. I believed this for a while, and used to think that when it was raining it meant the people in the sky were sad. Or that when it was bright and sunny the people in the sky were happy. I found this week's lesson very interesting because I learned that it is warmer when the sun is further away from the sun. I honestly thought the opposite, but reading the blog post and chapter two was a good explanation as to why that is.
-Luciana Moreno
AST 152
I've always found it interesting that summer days last longer than winter days and also I've always enjoyed the myths and stories that the ancient people used to explain this phenomenon. It just goes to show that people are always creating innovative ways to explain things that they dont understand.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Maraun
ASTR 152
I enjoy reading your blogs and the beautiful way that you incorporate your granny and the stories you both shared. As a child, I too was often told stories about the "weather gods" and to keep them happy so that we don't get punished with bad weather. It is interesting to learn about the seasons based on the earths tilt, I am clearly one of the 65% that had no idea! I look forward to learning many more interesting facts as the semester continues.
ReplyDelete-Cindy Aguirre
ASTR 152
Jocelyn Medrano:ASTR152
ReplyDeleteI really find reading your blogs interesting, like how the season change by the patterns of the stars and how summer last longer then the winter. Or how during the summer the sun is slightly away from the earth.
I found it really interesting to read about the stars and how the Earth's tilt makes them appear through our night sky. I feel like I've never been able to fully appreciate the night sky since all the lights from the city don't allow for a clear dark sky. Reading this blog post really made me more aware of what is up there. It is also really great great to get a better perspective on winter and summer and how the tilt of the Earth factors into most everything that occurs in our sky as well as the weather conditions.
ReplyDelete-Kerrie Almore
ASTR 152
Reading the beginning of this post, I was reminded of Greek mythology and how Gods dictated the kind of weather that would appear on Earth. Often times, that required pleasing the Gods and sometimes offering goods to them. Though these stories were entertaining and pleasant to hear, it is also refreshing to hear that there is an actual reason as to why the seasons are changing. Considering that I live in California where the seasons seem to be hot and hotter, I was always fascinated by places that actually had weather consistent with spring, summer, fall, and winter. However, the part I like best is knowing the why behind it all.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI was actually surprised at the fact that there was a difference between a solar day and how long it actually took for the Earth to rotate on its axis. Could this be a possible explanation for why we have leap years? Also I never knew that the reason for the changing seasons was due to the tilt of our planet rather than our distance from the sun. I find it amazing that a small tilt can greatly impact our climate. I really like also how you keep relating the topics back to your childhood. I never thought much about seasons being majestic or so however I did grow up in Southern California. I always thought most of the world was just as sunny and comfortable as it was in California.
ASTR 152
Deletewow, but what is the main source of energy that makes this all happen? can it be the sun rays
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that every time I read one of your blogs, I figure out how false my thoughts were before. I always thought that seasons change because of our distance from the sun. Also, I always thought that summer is hot because we are so close to the sun. However, I learned that during the summer sun is slightly away from the earth compared to Winter. By reading this blog, I understand that Earth's tilt is the reason for the seasons. The other interesting thing that I learned is about the delay of the stars. Due to the earth circling around the sun, the rise time of the stars is delayed 4 minutes everyday. My favorite season is Summer and I can't imagine our life without the seasons.
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
I was really interested in your blog as you talked about the seasons. Just like the majority of the population, I thought that in the summer we were closer to the Sun. However, that is not the case at all. It has to do with the tilt of the Earth. I also had no idea what circumpolar stars were before reading this blog. I find it interesting that they never rise or set.
ReplyDeleteHello professor,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed resign this blog. I've always found the seasons to be interesting. It was fascinating to learn that the seasons are formed by the tilt of the axis. I never knew that. Also it was interesting to learn that the seasons change differently by the pattern ofth e starts or that in the summer, the sun is slightly away from our planet.
-Prithvi Govindan
Astr 152
It was interesting to learn from your writing that there are stars that rise and set and that some circle and some remain constant. My dad had told me about the north star as a way to always find direction. I never thought of it as a fixed object in the sky because I would only really see it shining at night. It was always in the same place and it was taken for granted to be there. and now I realize that it remains constant. It was always fun the find the other stars positions, as a child we would make a game out of finding the big and little dipper and Orion’s belt. However I didn’t realize that is varied because of the seasons. Having watched the night sky all my life iI am enjoying learning about what I have been seeing. There is so much out there to learn about. I can only imagine that we could learn something new every day forever and not know very much about the Universe.
ReplyDelete-Alexander Weiss
Astr 152
Hello Professor Debi,
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that the reason we have seasons is due to the tilting of the sun and that it’s the reason the sun is slightly away from the earth in summer compared to the winter because the orbit of earth is an ellipse. Not only that but that 65% of educated people don’t know that either. It’s crazy that so many of us don’t understand or know why we have summer and winter. Also it’s weird to me how the sun is farther away from us in the summer, yet it feels hot so one would think it would be closer. Same with winter, I would have thought it’d be farther away due to the cold. Now I want to inform others that this is not the case. These blog posts are informative on things I probably would have never really thought about until now and the examples make it easy to understand. It makes sense now why it would be hot and sunny somewhere and the complete opposite somewhere else in the world. When I was younger I thought if it was hot here, then it would be hot everywhere else too.
-Yadira Morales-Chinchilla (ASTR 152)
Your blog post really opened my eyes and reassured me. I also thought that the seasons came as a result of some superior force and storms and such were a result of anger or punishment. Reading this, I discovered that the seasons are a result of the tilting and axis of the Earth. It surprised me to know that many people are unaware of the true reasoning behind our weather. I really enjoy these blogposts because they are very informative and answer things that I'm sure many of us wonder about but are unsure of the true reasoning behind it.
ReplyDelete-Astronomy 152
Before reading this blog I thought the reason for seasons was earth to sun distance. For example, I thought that the farther away the earth rotated from the sun would result in winter because the sun's heat would be further from our earth. Summer, I thought occurred when the Earth rotated closer to the sun resulting in more heat. Fortunately now I know that seasons have nothing to so with seasons and more to do with the Earth's tilted axis. Now, I'm curious to see what other factors astronomy plays in the Earth and it's everyday characteristics.
ReplyDelete-Maria Camacho ASTR 152
I look forward to reading your blogs because I always learn something new. I always thought that the north star was fixed in our sky. I'm surprised to learn that summer and winter are caused by the tilt of its north and south axis. I always assumed that the seasons were a result of the distance between the earth the sun.
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
Raymond Banting
This was an interesting blog. It was the first time I learned that stars also rise and set. Also that some of the stars we see at night are not even stars but planets. Learned some interesting things from the post and looking forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteastr 152
DeleteThis is an interesting blog because I always thought that it was summer, when the sun is closer to Earth. I have learn that is because of the Earth tilts axis that is responsible for the different seasons.
ReplyDelete- Melissa Ramirez
ASTR 152
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog because in the past I have heard of the stories of the Gods controlling the weather and that we shouldn't anger them or else it would result in having bad weather. However, what fascinated me the most was how there are seasons due to tilting and how the sun faces different directions for winter and summer.
I used to think the seasons where due to sun-earth distance as well until I learned that the Earth is actually further away from the sun during Winter. The Earth's axial tilt is also the reason why seasons are flipped in the northern/southern hemispheres; the summer months occur during the winter months of the northern hemisphere.
ReplyDeleteIt's very impressive to notice how much our views on astronomy has changed due to technological advancements. I have a questions about the pole star. In the article you state "the earth’ s north-south axis processes with a period of 26,000 years other bright stars in the north get aligned that affects the climate on earth on similar time scale." My question is how does the pole star affect the climate on earth.
ReplyDeleteI always thought the earth changing climates was more basic then it actually it is. I find it very interesting that the stars and other resources of the universe have a lot to do with earth's climate change. As a child I also thought the that summer was a hot season because the earth moved closer to the sun but now i know that is not the case. It's actually because the orbit of the Earth is an ellipse.
ReplyDeleteBRENDA MONTIEL ASTR 152
After reading your description of seasons and shadows, the first thing that came to my mind was groundhog day. I know just about next to nothing regarding groundhog day, other than people observe this little rodent coming out of their den as a way of predicting the end of winter based on whether it sees its shadow or not. Is the concept of groundhog day scientifically sound and based on the astronomical concepts you described in this blog?
ReplyDelete-Cameron Wolcott Ast 152
The answer to your question is No.
DeleteI found it very interesting that stars do not move and that they are even in the sky during the day. I also found it interesting that the North Star changes positions. I did know that the seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth. I really enjoy reading your blogs and I find them very interesting.
ReplyDelete- Justin Toerner
I look up every day or during the early evening and only see different hues of blue. I am fascinated to understand the starts are in the sky all day. I also was unaware the North Star changes position. I always assumed growing up the seasons occurred due to distance to the sun and was intrigued when I found out it had to do with the tilt of the earth. I look forward to reading more posts and learning more daily.
ReplyDelete-Alex Weiss
Previously, my knowledge of stars was very minimal. But I enjoyed reading how the sky can be "majestic." In addition, I did not know the North Star changed locations. Also, how the tilt/ position of the sun causes the change in seasons.
ReplyDeleteFrancisco Facio
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeletereading this blog post has made me think. I always thought it would get hot because we were so close to the sun. When in reality we are pushed away from the sun during the summer. Knowing the earth has a special tilt to it is why it makes the four seasons. Reading these blog post are interesting to me because I always learn something new. Who knew the universe and galaxy had so much to offer.
-Jazzlin Hernandez
I like how you started this very interesting topic off, because for one I can actually admit in loving each and every season due to the feelings that it brings to me. Such that, I love the winter season in particular because I am able to dress up in very cute sweaters, boots, cool jeans, cardigans, rain boots and etc. I also love the winter because that indicates to me the season of love. I believe in this because winter season is where many are bound to cuddle, watch movies underneath the blankets, drink hot coffee, enjoy the feeling of the warmth from the fire place and many more! On the other hand, summer brings a lot of great things such as the sun light! I mean its rare for people to dislike the sun and besides girls enjoy wearing shorts, dresses, hats, crop tops and etc. Notably, fall season is my most favorite because of how beautiful the world starts evolving into the most amazing views! Plus I’m a libra so of course fall season is my absolute favorite. Spring is very beautiful as well and many are able to explore what nature has to offer… for some odd reason I believe that spring represents positivity.
ReplyDeleteReturning back to the subject, I was able to learn a lot about the different directions of stars and depending on their locations how it makes a difference. As I continued to read throughly about stars, I found this information very intriguing in which you state, “Most other stars rise in the east and set in the west. Some of them rise but do not set. And, even some of them never rise or set, they are there in the sky in the evening and only change position in the night circling a bright star in the northern sky, which do not noticeably change the position ever.” I have never paid too much attention in wanting to learn about stars and how they exactly operate but the previous information was something that struck my mind completely. All and all, I really enjoyed reading your blog post because you provide numerous information about a particular part of the world that most people do not even know about, and your blog posts are very intriguing and understanding in assisting me as well as others in learning about things that I wasn't really interesting in learning about. Thank you.
Glad, you liked.
DeleteI thought this blog was very interesting. I do not have enough knowledge about the stars. I did not how that the weather effects the way stars look at certain times of the year. I found it amazing that the Northern star does not change position.
ReplyDeleteThank you for share this blog to us, it is very interesting. I always can get more information about the stars. I am really like your store. I never understood how there were four different seasons. it is amazing!
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 Heng Shen
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about your story about the “constant star”. It sounds so fascinating to hear how now we know northern star actually does change position and is not constant. As a child, I always thought the stars circled around Earth where in fact it is the Earth that rotates. I was very intrigued to have gain the knowledge on why we have different seasons because of the tilt of the axis. I am proud to say I am now part of the 35% of people who are aware of this fact.
Nancy Moreno Astr 152
Kaylee Fagan- Astr 152
ReplyDeleteIts crazy how for so long humans have believed things in the sky revolve around earth when in reality this is quite opposite. For so long the earth has rotated in such a specific way that I wonder what would happen to our planet and the seasons if the rotation was messed up by man shift in the time or the position of the planet. Also, i wonder what other things in the sky would become newly visible.
This blog gave me the motivation to pay more attention to the starts during summer. It was so interesting to read about the northern star and how you are able to measure the position of it with a telescope. I actually thought that during summer the earth was close to the sun but now I am informed that it is because of its positioning. I was absolutely dumbfounded and amazed as to when I read that part of your blog. Who would have known that due to a certain positioning that is the reason as to why it gets so hot during summer. I actually had a telescope here at home when I was younger but I never really payed attention to the night sky until now. The Sky is so beautiful at night especially now that I look up and I have an idea as to what I am looking at compared to when I would look at the sky and all I would see were bright dots.
ReplyDeleteHello professor, I found this blog post to be very fascinating due to the fact that this was all new information for me. I love looking up to the sky and seeing the stars shine even though I know little to nothing about them. All I knew before taking this course was the way it all worked was magical but I never took to the time to understand why it all works the way it does. This is why this course has become very fascinating to me because everything is all relatively new and I love broadening my knowledge. It was very interesting to read about the changes in seasons. I love the seasons of summer and spring and throughout fall and winter I am just waiting for the changes to the sun filled days but never knew how the seasons actually changed. Now I know it is because of the the earth's tilt.
ReplyDeleteKelly McGiffney- AST 152
ReplyDeleteI never knew that in northern continents shadows are shorter. Also
I think you did a good job at giving a "to the point" definition of right ascension and declination. I was so fascinated to read that it's the earth's tilt that is the causation of seasons and I also didn't know that the distance of the sun was slightly further in the summer.
Grace Doyle
ReplyDeleteAstro 152
I liked your blog post. I'm pretty sure every comment from your students will start out this way. but really i did. your posts me realize things I've taken for granted. For example, the northern star. I forgot about it completely, now i know more about it. Also that the sun is away from the earth in summer because of the tilt of its north-south axis. I honestly had no idea. I joy learning these facts.
Greetings professor,
ReplyDeleteI don't quite understand the references to gods and stars. However, I was intrigued by the fact that the Earth is tilted. Which causes the sun to directly hit us (Los Angeles) during the summer days of June. What was really surprising is that the sun is actually farther away from the Earth during the summer times. I've always have thought that Earth was actually closer to the sun during summer, but in fact farther. It is just our tilt during that time in our orbit.
Astro 152
ReplyDeleteAdrian Ruvalcaba
Hello professor, this reading was interesting about the season changes throughout the year. Especially about the northern star in the summer which i will try to pay attention to. This has taught me more about stars because I didn't have much knowledge about stars. What was also fascinating is how some believe in the Gods controlling the season or weather i enjoy learning about that as well.
Professor, thank you for your educational post! I did not know about the fun fact you included. I did, however, know about the earth spinning, therefore causing the notion of "sunset" & "sunrise" to be invalid. It's exciting to be in the know, especially in astronomy, due to the fact that the Universe is endless with deep crevices, active and ready to send waves of light (information) in our direction!
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
ReplyDeleteProfessor,
I find it interesting the stories we are told as children about how the world works. The way the seasons change from fall to winter to spring to summer is quite fascinating. Although here in LA some may say we don't experience seasons due to the fact we have sun for the most part, it is interesting for when we do get to feel all these climate changes for each season.
Professor,
ReplyDeleteThe way the seasons change has always amazed me. It's nice to see how the climate changes and the night sky. It's nice to know the proximity of the Earth to the Sun during the different seasons.
I find it very interesting how seasons change, even though it always feels like summer in the valley. Also, I would have never known that the earth is closer to the sun when it's winter.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like an obvious thing to have known that the earth orbits causing our season to change. But for 65% of educated people who could include me or my peers its very mind blowing. I suppose it could be how schools presented this topic in elementary or simply lack of us exposing ourselves to it.
ReplyDeleteIn elementary I can only remember having covered this through memory of creating the solar system. I never went back to explore more about how earth is exposed to sun and how latitude take part of it, until this summer. I am very intrigued to learn about it as I visited the Griffith Observatory and learned how in ancient Greeks used the sun to determine time through observing shadows. I hope I can learn more about this and find creative ways to present this when I begin teaching.
Alejandra Hernandez
Astronomy 152
I have a very poor sense of direction, so I find myself getting a little lost in the equinoxes and celestial equators. I can rarely point out which direction north is without a map or compass. What I find to be very interesting is the way in which the moon is spinning around that mirrors the Earth resulting in us seeing only one side of the moon, ever. I was aware that it was the tilt that caused seasons before reading your blog, so I guess I fall into the 35% group of knowledgeable people.
ReplyDeleteAshley Stepteau - Fall 2016
Although it is the tilt of the earth's axis that causes seasons, I do not think we can discount other factors that influence climate in certain areas. For example, England would be intolerably frigid without the warm currents of the gulf stream offsetting the coldness that comes at that latitude.
ReplyDeleteKierra Stepteau - Fall 2016
I was quite surprised to know that 65% of educated people were not aware that seasons are caused because of the tilt of the earth's axis. Maybe it is because they weren't interested in science in regards to the universe we belong. Often times people do not take the time to wonder how and why the universe was created. They do not even take to the time to even wonder what is the purpose of our existence. I am glad I enrolled in this course because I am learning information about our universe that I might have heard in high school but never really took the time to fully pay attention or care for. I think I was just to immature. Now that I am in college, I am more focused and I see the purpose of learning new ideas. I seriously never realized that the stars also rise and set every day and that there were a few that never set. I can't wait to see what I will learn next from your blogs. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIxtla Montanez (Astronomy 152 - Fall 2016)
I really liked this lecture, Professor! I appreciated the fact that you included terms that are important to know. I learned about how the seasons come to be with the earth rotating in an eclipse! That is something that I probably will never forget partially because the earth's rotation around the sun having an affect on how earth gets its seasons make sense to me, finally.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing your blog posts as if you were telling a story. It makes it much more relatable and captivating. It’s absolutely fascinating to hear glimpses of how other cultures have thought and do think about the bodies of matter on the nightly sky and what controls their path above our heads here on earth.
ReplyDeleteI have seen how the stars move and are shows on the sky differently depending on where geographically you are on earth. When I was on the southern hemisphere the first time when I was 10 years old I spotted the Big Dipper but to me it looked like it was upside down.
That the fact that the tilt cause the summer and winter is unknown to 65% of EDUCATED people that is crazy to me. That makes me question the educational system. That fact is such a basic concept and I was so choked by this.
I never truly knew there was much to our superb universe or the reason for the distinctive seasons far and wide. Growing up I never knew anything about our and as a child I use to try and say that it when it vigorously rained it was on the grounds that our Mother Earth was truly vexed or truly pitiful. Truly, I overlooked whatever I learned Astronomy related in grade school.
ReplyDeleteGreat read.
ReplyDeleteI too went to Alaska this summer and as I was reading some of the other comments and reading the lecture it begins to make sense. Definitely interesting how different locations will experience different changes in sunlight year round.
I also found it interesting the fact that you mentioned the seasons and how there is a true justification for them.
This was an amazing piece. I really found it interesting how the seasons alter and the reason for it. What i found interesting is how the sun is closer during winter than it is during the summer. The reason for that is that the orbit of earth is an ellipse. This blog was so informative and learned so much information, rather than reading 100 pages from a text book and not understanding anything. This blog gave me an in depth understanding on how the axis tilt causing change in our environment. As I was reading I did not lose focus because it was so captivating, for instance including the information and background about the Gods. I gained insight about the seasons changing and it actually being scientifically proven, instead of just being a myth. A lot of useful information in this blog.
ReplyDelete-David Casillas ASTR 152
This was a really interesting post. I like that it was written more in the form of a story because it made it easy to follow and interesting to read. Reading it and learning just how the seasons are caused was really amazing. I have been to other countries and I find it cool that the same stars appear different in other places.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post! Being born and raised in the valley, it is almost impossible to even believe that the sun is actually further away than in the winter time! This fact that says only 65% of educated people know of, was astonishing to read. I had no idea the complexity of the Earth and stars, and how critical the movement of Earth is and the impact that movement has on the climate. It makes my mind wonder how different it is on the other side of the world experiencing the Earth, Sun, and Stars compared to being in California.
ReplyDelete-Riley Conlan
ASTR152 (Spring 2016)
It's funny to think that when I was a kid I believed that the weather was controlled by the gods. If the gods were in a good mood then it would be warm and sunny, but if they were angry it would rain cats and dogs. Of course as I got older I started to learn that there were seasons because of how the earth reacted towards the sun. Now being in this class I come to find out once again that days are longer and warm because of the axis of how the earth tilts. The way the earth tilts determines how long the sun will be out and how the weather will be. It amazes me how things of this magnitude are done without humans really having to do anything. The only thing we can do in response is enjoy sunny days and use umbrellas in the rain. The universe is a big place, really big place and the fact that there are places where humans have not gone fuels my curiosity. Something I find interesting is when I was a child I thought the north pole was where Santa Claus when in reality it is a place in the sky where the sun sets. What I thought back then has definitely evolved because of the knowledge I know about the universe.
ReplyDeleteHaving taken Weather two semesters ago this information was not so much new but i'm seeing it through a different bias. In weather we looked at everything through why does the weather do such a thing and focused on that, whereas in Astr 152 we see what is going on with our solar system and then see the reaction like why we have seasons is because the Earth has that 23.5 inclination. In weather we looked at the flashlight example too. It is intresting to see that many people although educated do not quite understand the world around them, but deal with it day to day.
ReplyDeleteRaymundo Ruvalcaba Astr 152
As I am fairly new to the Astronomy world, I find it fascinating that the simplest aspects of planet earth can have such major impacts on our everyday lives. For example, with just a 23.5 degrees tilt of the earth’s axis there comes different seasons in which we humans endure and have to adjust to these conditions. As a child growing up, it never crossed my mind why or even how different seasons come about. Coming across blogs like this make it hopeful to those like myself who are less familiar with the world of Astronomy.
ReplyDeleteTERREL GULIFORD
ASTR 152
This lecture was really informative and detailed. I like hearing about what your grandmother has to say about the sky and the planets in which it contains, it really is quite something that gets my mind wondering of the stories that that your ancestors believed in.
ReplyDeleteI am really sad that we don't get real seasons like the east side of our country does. But now I know why we don't and.
Also, I've always wondered if those pictures with the star trails were fake, or was just unsure that they were real.
Elias Orona astr 152 online
Although I thought the context of this course would be difficult to grasp, this lecture is so easy to follow and understand. I've never been interested in the seasons, nor the technicality of them, but this post was a real eye-opener to topics that i never took into the slightest consideration. it amazing how much our solar system, along with the stars, has an impact on our climate and our environment.
ReplyDeleteAustin Moreno (ASTR 152)
This blog post was very interesting as well as a review for me. In the 5th grade, I attended astro camp. I learned from the camp and from this blog post that the seasons change because the Earth's tilt. However, where I live, Los Angeles, the season changes are not as apparent, it is still amazing how the seasons work. It is still happening all over the world and it is intriguing to know what the Earth's tilt can do. This blog post also taught me that stars change positions. I am excited to learn more abut this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMaggie Chong ASTR 152 online fall 2016
Im very new and have no prior knowledge of astronomy so this blog always has something to teach me. You provide good information with numbers for support. I was aware of how seasons worked but looking at it from a more astronomical view, it makes complete sense now when you put everything into perspective.
ReplyDeleteRyan Schlup ASTR 152
These lectures are fascinating and so relatable. You feed us this information through narrative which makes it so much easier to comprehend. Watching the videos and reading this lecture introduced me to the ideas of movement in the stars and star trails. I'm really fascinated by the unknown realities above us. I feel compelled to pay attention to the night-sky now more than ever and I'd love to compare my findings in different locations.
ReplyDeleteAshley Jackson
Fall 2016
ASTR 152 ONLINE
Katie Rosa ASTR 152 (online)
ReplyDeleteI find so much interest in reading your blog posts because the way you make it sound like a story instead of just a lecture. I always find myself learning new things in reading your blogs such as the fun fact that it is not the sun-earth distance that cause the summer and winter but the tilt of its north-south axis.It is very shocking that the sun is actually slightly away from the earth during summer times rather than winter times.I also never new that there was a 4 minute delay everyday to when the stars rise due to the earths revolution around the sun. Thank you for all the new knowledge.
I had very little to no knowledge of astronomy before this so it really interesting to read that so many things move in the sky that we barley notice at all. We all constantly live our lives focused on tomorrow and think to just take a moment and just become aware of the beautiful things around you. I find this lecture very eye opening and look forward to reading future post.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Posada
Fall 2016
ASTR 152 Online
Growing up I thought the same way as you did, I thought there were 'season Gods' that controlled the weather. As i got older i started to understand that it was not like that. Learning how the seasons change is a bit confusing but reading this blog made me understand it better and was very clear for me to understand. I enjoy reading your blogs because you explain everything with details.
ReplyDeleteLizbeth Sanchez
ASTR 152 ONLINE
Christina Tran, AST 152 (Online)
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered why the sun shines once in awhile and then gets cloudy all of a sudden. I always thought it was the earth that keeps revolving so the sun would just hide away. It was really interesting to learn that because of the tilting, the sun is rising from a different direction during summer and in winter. Who would've knew the difference? In addition, it was quite interesting to read that during the summer, the sun is a little further than winter because there is an ellipse.
Thank you for this blog post! It really clarified and drove home many of the ideas expressed in the e-reading this week. This helped me understand the concept of the seasons much more clearly. Thank you, also, for including the anecdotes from your childhood; those always increase the quality of understanding.
ReplyDeleteChrista Griffiths (ASTR 152 ONLINE)
Such a great read!
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece as it highlighted the effects of tilts on seasons such as winter and summer. Being someone that gravitates towards numbers, I found the piece especially compelling as it pointed out the 4 minute delay due to the Earth revolving around the sun. However, I was astonished at the fact that nearly 70% of the educated population does not know the reasoning behind climate change. It made me ponder over the lack of emphasis placed on subjects like astronomy and astrology and how the lack of knowledge in such leads to disasters like climate change. Only once we know how the universe around us works can we work towards fixing it.
Thanks!
Hello Professor
ReplyDeleteYour post are very insightful and interesting. It makes the subject easier to grasp and the way you discuss the topic creates a deeper interest as a student. I remember learning about the tilting of the earth's axis and how it affects the seasons back in middle school, but I never knew that our seasons were vastly different in certain areas of the world. One of the most interesting sections of the blog to me were the stars and how stars have a delay due to the earth circling the sun. This information is very fascinating and forms a higher level of interest in our solar system.
Reginald Hawkins ASTR 152 Online Fall 2016
Hello professor,
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting blog about the rotation of the earth and sun and how these rotations have an affect on light the light that we observe.
What I find most interesting is that when the sun rises towards south that its produces longer shadows and that because of this the pattern of stars in the summer night sky is different compared to the cold winter days.
I never knew that it isn’t the sun-earth distance that creates summer and winter, but the tilt of its north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane.
Another thing that really fascinated me was the fact that shakespeare wrote a dialogue for caesar about the constant star. Ever since the existence of mankind there has been a fascination for stars and planets and the way the move.
Hi Professor,
ReplyDeleteWhat I found really interesting was that the sun is further away from the earth in the summer than in the winter. I seriously never knew that. I always thought that we experienced summer because the earth was closer to the sun during that time of the year. It's crazy that 65% of educated people don't know this. It's crazy what a slight tilt could do to the Earth's weather.
I swore the summer time was due to the fact that as the earth rotated, the side nearest to the sun was much warmer than the rest. Hence, the idea of "summer". It's crazy to find out that the sun-earth distance has nothing to do with anything but actually has to do with the tilt of its north and south axis.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that as a child you believed the gods controlled the weather and then later learned that the change of seasons are actually caused by the sun and earths rotations. When I was younger I too believed that gods governed the sky. I believed that when it rained it meant that the gods were sad and when there was thunder that it meant the gods were crying due to anger. I also found it interesting that due to technology and observation we were able to discover the exact degree of rotations that cause the different weather and seasons.
Crystal Lozano ASTRO 152 online Fall 2016
Being honest, I never thought about how the seasons of the Earth is changing.
ReplyDeleteThrough this chapter, I've got to carefully and more directly learned about the real relationship between our earth and the astronomy. And it is also fun facts that all those tilting and rotations make the changes of our weather and especially the seasons of the all different continent of the earth.
Best,
Sungjoo Jeon
ASTR152 Fall2016
I can relate to your story about thinking that gods controlled the weather. I used to think that God was bowling in heaven, and it would rain when he would get a strike. I miss having simple, ignorant thoughts, that made the world seem so magical. I suppose it is better to be realistic because knowledge is key in this world. I was one of the 65% of the people that did not know that the tilt of its north-south axis with respect to the ecliptic plane that causes the summer and winter. I appreciate how far along we have come in the field of astronomy, considering that through careful observation of the motion of the sun and stars in the sky, we can reason the cause for season.
ReplyDeleteYour story of God bowling inhaven is interesting. I like that.
DeleteI really enjoyed this lecture. I think it is so amazing how people used to use the stars to guide them and keep track of what season it was. I wish everyone nowadays still had that same knowledge. I had no idea that during summer the sun is actually furthest from the Earth!
ReplyDeleteJacqueline Anderson
ASTR 152 Fall 2016
Growing up in a small town in Norther California it was alway easy to look up and see all the starts on a clear day. Now i know i couldn't see all the stars even if i wanted to because some stars brightness won't allow me to see them with the naked eye. Never really thought the stars would change in different parts of the year. I also believe that the winter was cold because we moved away from the sun never thought that we would be closer to the sun in the winter and further in the summer.
ReplyDeleteJuvenal Lopez
ASTR 152 Fall 2016
I like your words and the way the stars brighten our day. It is very important that stars are available for anyone too see, but since there is so much light pollution it blocks the stars at times. I enjoy history's tale of following the stars at night for some people that wanted to find their way home. This is a great teaching tool for the future, and will educate many more students. Through observation of the stars and the planets we will learn many new discoveries.
ReplyDeleteEdward Rodriguez
ASTR 152 Fall 2016
first of all thank you for posting this blog and letting us into your memories and education. I learned that winter and summer are due to the distance of the sun from the earth. I have always thought about gods controlling the seasons but I had never read about it. It was nice to see someone else point of view
ReplyDeleteArno Avasapian
Astr152 Fall 2016
Yekaterina Melnik, Astronomy 152 Online, Spring Semester 2017
ReplyDeleteI myself was not aware of the tilt of the earth being responsible for the changing seasons and this has been really fascinating to learn about. It also makes so much sense why in some locations like New York we have snow in the winter and in others like Los Angeles we do not or why it is in some locations summer is really hot and in others it is relatively neutral. It was also fascinating to learn that the rising time of the stars is delayed by four minutes every day, which is something I was also unaware of and will definitely attempt to witness just out of curiosity. I always understood that the earth is constantly rotating creating the day and night, that it is unstable in the sense that it wobbles, even knowing all of this, it is still unbelievable, how we ourselves are unaware of this happening physically and its truly remarkable how far humanity has come in terms of knowledge about the world we inhabit. I look forward to the rest of the semester as I can already see that this course will expand my knowledge of the world.
I found this blog very interesting and insightful. I did not know that there are stars that rise and set i have always though that they all always stay in the same place. I also learned that the suns distance from earth is not what causes summer and winter. I am glad to not be in the 65% anymore. These blog posts are fun to read and I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.
ReplyDeleteAriel Ford, ASTR 152 Online, Spring Semester 2017
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this blog because there was information I had never knew before. I have never been the person to go outside and analyze stars or research planets. So learning that stars rise and set like the sun was interesting and also learning that some stars are constant and stay in the sky even if it is daytime and can not be seen because of the bright blue sky.
Dominic Teran - ASTRONOMY 152 ONLINE
ReplyDeleteIt is really interesting to hear these stories of what people thought the sky was telling them or how they perceived the world because of what they were told when they were young. It is also very interesting that 65% of people that were asked did not know that fact, I feel as if it might have just been something they have not put a lot of time into thinking about. I've also heard about the Northern Star and was told stories about it. I'm interested to see what else I can learn from all of this.
Kevin Whitmarsh - ASTR 152 Online
ReplyDeleteI never knew that there were stars that never change their relative position. I felt that due to the rotation of Earth, there must be a movement in every star that exists. Also, figuring out that the movement of the stars in the sky could help us better understand the changing of the seasons is cause enough for the importance of learning about our solar system. I hope to better understand in the later lectures how exactly the stars are used as tools in this way.
I really like this blog post. I find it amazing how you interpret your grandmother with the stories she would tell you. I never really payed attention to the stars or even tried to examine them until I read this. What I most found interesting was that with looking at the motion of the stars and the sun we could figure out the cause for the change in seasons. Also how some stars rise but never set and there are stars whom don't do either. I really enjoyed reading this blog post and learning amazing things about stars.
ReplyDeleteMegan Perez
Astronomy 152 online
Spring 2017
Hello Professor Choudhary,
ReplyDeleteAs have the others, I did not know about the sun actually being future away during our summer season! Learning about how the tilt on our earth's axis impacts our seasons is very interesting. More so, how you used your Granny's storytelling to make a better understanding of this topic. Thank you for this insightful and captivating topic!
Oyishee Siddiqui
Astronomy 152OL
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteThis blog post truly shed light on the Earth's seasons. I had no idea that the summer months occurred due to the Earth's axis. I, like many other people, believed it was due to the earth rotating closer to the sun. However, now that I think about it, it makes much more sense that the northern hemisphere recieves direct sunlight rotating on the axis during the summer months! Weather is a huge debate around the world, and its interesting to know that astronomy plays a huge part in it!
Alexis Alvarez ASTR 152OL
Hi Professor,
ReplyDeleteWhat interest me the most about this blog post was the fact that most stars rise in the east and set in the west. I did not know that stars rise, I sometimes forget that the sun is also considered to be a star. The fact that some stars never rise at all makes me question is it because they are too far away to make an impact for us to view. Or do we need to see the star rise in order for it to do so.
Thank you for your insight I really enjoyed it.
Talya Joffe ASTR 152
Hi Professor,
ReplyDeleteI was knew this from a geography class, but it becomes more professional and interesting in astronomy class. It explain more specific and more logical in terms of how everything in the sky operate. Which is amazing to know how things cooperation together, such as how the season or day and night happened. Especially study this in a professional way.
Yang Liu
Astronomy 152OL
Andrew Lovitt
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 - Spring 2017
This post puts me into perspective to how the Earth rotates on its axis around the sun. I had no idea that the stars have a path of circling the north star, I had always believed that it the stars moved across the skies in the same pattern as the sun itself. The thought of the stars delaying for 4 minutes is a random fact that I myself will begin to look at my watch when the sun comes up in the morning. As I plan to travel the world I find myself wanting to look into the skies and compare the sights I may not be honored to witness from home.
Thank you Professor
Sebastian Artola
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 OL - Spring 2017
Much like the first person who commented here, I too like the idea of majestic. California definitely is very strange when it comes to the subject of weather, and this is no different. The chapter itself was very interesting in the discussions it begins about the pulling and axis of the sun and why and how we are capable of seeing certain things. I look forward to further reading into this.
Alejandra Mora
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 spring 2017
It is very interesting to understand how the sky moves. Many of us take it in vein what the sky does because we do not understand the importance of its movements.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBertini Nguyen
ReplyDeleteASTR 152 spring 2017
While living in a state that we barely feel the cold weather, it is very interesting to see how our earth axis tilts and we get our seasons. This is very interesting because we could learn so much from our earth's axis just by studying the seasons or vice versa
As I read, not meaning to sound dense, but I never realized the rising/setting of the sun was based on the the earth mvoing rather than the sun itself. I think I learned this in 6th grade science class that along with the only other astronomical thing that I cant seem to forget (SUPER NOVA). But now that this information has been recalled from my memory I can now stop myself from sounding ignorant during an astronomical conversation venture. I must say I thoroughly enjoy the theme of you bringing up your childhood thoughts and memories and how now through further knowledge you think differently, it allows the posts to have a more personal and heartfelt manner than trying to fill our heads with countless information (not that there is anything wrong with that, and you do an excellent job at it) but it definitely makes it easier for one to digest. Information such as the earth not always being in-tune with the North Star. I find that fascinating in that this fact effects the climate here on earth. That a "small" star at least thats how the naked human eye sees it in the sky, plays a large role on our everyday lives. Looking forward to future post and further learning about the world above us.
ReplyDeleteLauren Chachula
ASTR 152 #16522
Shaquirah Brooks
ReplyDeleteASTR 152
It's very interesting that the stars circle the north star. I never knew that star do that.
Brenda Benavides ASTR 152 Online Spring 2017
ReplyDeleteHello Professor,
Once again, your post was written in a way that just makes me want to learn more and more about astronomy. This post helped me understand something that I never did before. Having friends living in Argentina, I always wondered why their winter is during our summer while we are in the same continent. I never bothered researching why such thing happens, but after reading your post I find out that I was clearly part of that 65% people that had no idea the Earth's rotational axis is tilted. Now I realize that probably since Argentina is at the very bottom of South America, the tilt of the axis makes that part of South America not face the sun while it is facing us here in North America. I definitely learn a lot through this blogs!
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that I never knew the real reason for the changing of the seasons! Like most people, I guess I just never bothered looking into it, but I'm glad that I know now. It also explained why other countries experience their seasons during different months than we do in the US, and again, I had wondered why this happened but I had never looked it up. It also explained why areas surrounding the equator are the warmest. I feel like I'm already learning a lot in this class, and that it is expanding my understanding of the world, and your blog helps us review material from the book in a way that doesn't feel repetitive and that is engaging.
Andrea Perez ASTR 152 Online Sp17
Soraya Gomez- ASTR152OL
ReplyDeleteHello Professor,
Its interesting to me how certain stars have their own destinations in the sky. They either rise then set and some only rise. Some stars don't even move. the stars that don't rise or set are called circumpolar. I thought that was very interesting because even though they don't rise or set they do circle around the northern star. So, from my understanding every star moves either by rising or setting and some just change positions but remain in the sky.
Hello Professor,
ReplyDeleteI never knew why we had 4 different seasons with 4 different climates. After reading the lecture blog, I learned that it is actually due to the tilt of the earth's axis. Another piece of the blog that surprised me was the fact that the Sun is in fact closer to Earth during the winter. I'd expect the sun to be closer to Earth in the summer since that is the hottest time of the yer. The reason for this is due to the orbit of the Earth.
Another reason why I enjoyed reading this blog was the fact that it was enjoyable, informative, and straight to the point. There are articles that professors have assigned and they have been too long and the important facts were spread out all throughout the article. The shorter and more informative an article is, the more beneficial it is. When an article is short and informative, it keeps me intrigued and makes it hard for me to lose focus since I am not being given pointless information in a lengthy report.
Anthony Martin (Astro152)
Hello Professor.
ReplyDeleteI think it is completely mind boggling to learn about all these new things I had no clue about. I honestly did not know that during the summer the sun was actually farther from the earth than during the winter. These are facts that I myself did not know about. Thank you for informing me once again .
ASTR152