Observing and Interpreting the Sky

What we can see in the night sky, and what those observations tell us.

9 questions, free, marked as you go with a worked explanation on every one.

What this covers

The questions

  1. Why do stars appear to move across the sky during the night?
  2. What is a constellation?
  3. Why is it easier to see faint stars far from a city?
  4. Which of these can be seen in the night sky without a telescope? Select all that apply.
  5. How can you tell a planet from a star when looking at the sky over several weeks?
  6. A telescope makes distant objects easier to study mainly because it
  7. On average the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each night than it did the night before. Tonight the Moon rises at exactly 7:00 p.m. Using that average, how many minutes after 7:00 p.m. would you expect it to rise four nights from now?
  8. The constellation Orion is easy to spot in Alberta's evening sky in January, but it cannot be seen in the evening in July. Why?
  9. Use the table. On which day was the Moon a full Moon?

Answer these free