STARRY, STARRY NIGHT
Description: Identify celestial objects and
answer questions about astronomical facts and concepts
Number of Participants: 2
The Competition
Part I: Portable Planetarium
1. A team identifies the following in a portable planetarium: at
least 5 constellations; at least 5 stars; at least 3 planets; at least
3 phases of the moon; [perhaps] constellations of the Orion sky;
constellations of the Ursa Major sky; constellations of the Cassiopeia
sky; & constellations of the Summer Triangle sky.
2. Penlights are provided for this part
3. Late arrivals are disqualified from this part of the event
Part II: Written Questions
1. The team has to:
a. Distinguish between rotation and revolution
b. Demonstrate knowledge about units of time
[day month year] and their astronomical bases.
c. Arrange a group of bodies according to relative
sizes from largest to smallest
d. Arrange a group of objects according to their
distances from either the sun or earth
e. Demonstrate knowledge about the celestial sphere
and the following: zenith horizon, four directions, ecliptic, celestial
meridian, north celestial pole
f. Demonstrate knowledge about the member of the
solar system
2. Team turns in one [1] answer sheet with only
one [1] answer per question and may consult only by writing; no talking
allowed.
3. Teams may be shown photographs, diagrams, films,
slides, or planetarium simulations of star fields and asked to identify
indicated stars and constellations
Scoring
Team with the most correct answers will be the winner
Tie Breaker [if any]
Team scoring highest in the written part of the event
Notes from presentation at Natural
History Museum
