Physics 111 Observing Project

The Assignment:

• Your assignment is to work in a group of up to three students to observe and document the location and time of either the sunset or the sunrise over the course of the semester. The detailed steps are outlined below. I hesitated to show the image below, but this is what I want - but note that this sequence is for a full year. You won't have that much time. This series of sunrise photos was taken by Zaid M. Al-Abbadi at a site in Amman Jordan in 2017 - it was posted on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. You should use Al-Abbadi's photos as a guide. I would be joyfully surprised if any of you could produce such a beautiful photo sequence.
  
  
  Click here for a larger version of Al-Abbadi's photo sequence.
  Another beatiful sequence on APOD taken at sunset from Cairo, Egypt.

The Assignment Details:

• Choose Your Group. I'm going to let students select their own groups since this project may involve some coordination of observing effort. You may, if you want to, choose to work alone, but coordinating the observations as a group might make the effort easier.
  
  
• As a group, decide whether you will observe sunrise or sunset - once you choose, you can't change. Find a suitable and convenient location to make your observations - note, you must make all of your observations and documenting photos from the same exact location with the camera pointed in the same direction! Use an actual compass or a compass on your phone to identify east (if you're doing the sunrise) or west (if you're doing sunset). If you can, select your exact observing location so that some prominent feature is a reference - like the buildings in Al-Abaddi's sequence.
  
  
• First Submission Assignment, due by 5pm Friday February 13 (counts for 20% of projet grade): Use a map site - like Google Maps - to show your group's observing location. Make a screenshot of the map and include it with your first observation photo in single 1-page pdf document. Here's a sample of what you should submit. I used Word to generate the document, then exported it to pdf. Email me (use alexansg@miamioh.edu, not the Canvas email) your pdf document.
  
  
• Make and document your observations. Coordinate among your group to obtain a minimum of five photo documentations that span the semester.
  
  A few things to note:
  • Like all observational astronomy (except perhaps radio astronomy) done from the Earth's surface, you're at the mercy of the weather. Use a weather forecasting app to determine whether you'll have clear enough observing conditions - don't waste clear mornings or evenings. Most weather apps also list the local sunrise and sunset times, but those times assume that you have a totally unrestricted view of the horizon.
  • Try to get a set of observations that span the semester, i.e. from early February to early May, and be sure to get at least one observation near the equinox (on March 20) when the Sun is rising due East or setting due West.
  • If you are doing the sunrise, go ahead and use an observing app like SkyView to see how far the sun is below the horizon. If you're doing the sunset, I'm not sure if an observing app would help. But note this: a screenshot from an observing app is not adequate photo documentation.
  • Important: Recently, some groups have submitted AI (Artifical Intelligence) generated documents. Besides being mostly incorrect, these are easy to identify. Any AI generated submissions will receive a grade of zero.
  
  
  
• Final Report: (counts for 80% of projet grade) Your group's final report should show your documentation photos in a similar manner to Al-Abbadi's photos above. Each photo should show the date and the exact time it was taken.
  
  Final Assignment, due by 5pm Friday May 8 - the last day of class: Submit your photos in a one-page PDF document that shows the names of all of the members of the group. Make full use of your scientific and artistic skills to make something beautiful and stunning! Email the file to me; use alexansg@miamioh.edu, not the Canvas email.
  
  
• Let me know if you have any questions.