APSU
Astronomy
Observatory Visit Report
After you have attended one First Quarter night and completed your Virtual Observations you must do a report. The report should be typed with double line spacing. You may turn it in at any time but the reports will not be graded until after the last day of classes. The last date to turn in a report is in class the last day of class on Wednesday December 3.
The report should consist of three major parts. Part 1 should consist of information about telescopes. Much of the information for this part is covered during the 1st Quarter night. For information on the telescopes, check out the web sites of the various manufacturers. You can find links to them on the So You Wanna Buy a Telescope page of www.apsu.edu/astronomy. Part 1 of your report must include (but is not limited to): types, sizes and manufacturers of telescopes; types of mounting systems used for telescopes ; drawings of the optical systems of telescopes and, finally, any special attachments or devices (i.e., spectrometers, CCD, cameras, etc.) that can be connected to a telescope. You can also view a PowerPoint presentation (as a PowerPoint document or PDF document) by clicking on the appropriate type.
Part 2 should consist of information about the celestial objects you saw on the 1st Quarter night. This must include (but is not limited to): what were they (i.e., planet, star, nebula, cluster, etc.); their name (if known); other objects associated with them (i.e., moons of Jupiter or Saturn); their location (constellation they are in or "in the solar system, fifth planet from the sun..."); a brief description of the object and, finally, which telescope you saw them through. For additional information on the objects, check out the SEDS website or the Constellations Home Page on the Astronomy Links page of APSU Astronomy.
Part 3 is your Virtual Observations table. The table should be neatly formatted and easy to read. If you wish, you may include images of a few of the objects and a short sentence or two describing your favorites. You do not have to include images or additional descriptions of all the objects on the list.
1. The cover page should include: your name, date of visit and a title.
2. Introduction. A brief summary of what the report is about. Probably one or two paragraphs in length.
3. Part 1: Telescopes, mounts and observing aids.
4. Part 2: Celestial objects viewed.
5. Part 3: Virtual Observations table and optional descriptions & images.
6. Conclusions. What did you learn? Was the trip worthwhile? Would you recommend that this be repeated every semester in the astronomy class? What can be done to improve it?