K-6 Activities - Dudley Observatory

Materials
• STARLAB Portable Planetarium
• Projector
• Starfield Cylinder
K–6 Activities • B–74 •
Stellar Position — Poles vs. Equator,
Activity 6-5
Objective
The student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the differences in stellar
position at the equator versus the polar region.
Procedure
• Demonstrate the sky as seen from the North Pole. Tilt the projector to a latitude
of 90° North. Locate the Big Dipper and Polaris. Turn on the daily motion switch
and slowly rotate the cylinder in a complete circle. Show the students what stellar
motion is like as viewed from the North Pole.
• Show the sky as seen from the equator. Change the latitude of the cylinder to 0°
or the equator. If the change is made slowly, the students will see familiar stars
disappear to the north while new stars appear to the south. Turn on the daily motion
to move the cylinder slowly in a complete circle. This will demonstrate stellar
motion as seen from the equator. The North Star is due north on the horizon. The
South Pole of the sky is due south on the horizon. The South Pole is hard to locate
because no conspicuous stars mark it. Both points (the North and South Poles of
the sky) will not appear to move.