sarafModerator
Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:19 pm
Posts: 5359
Location: Portsmouth, England
You've seen us then? 
SANParks.org Forums |
| Moderator: RosemaryH |
| Previous topic | First unread post | Next topic Page 53 of 57 [ 852 posts ] Go to page Previous 1 ... 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 Next |
| Post new topic | Post a reply |
| Print view |
| BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|---|
|
saraf Moderator Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:19 pm Posts: 5359 Location: Portsmouth, England
|
| Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:14 pm |
|
You've seen us then?
|
| Last post |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
H. erectus Junior Virtual Ranger Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2009 5:03 pm Posts: 1206 Location: On my stoep. Sell by date not expired yet!!
|
| Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:21 pm |
|
Interesting moon(d) swings here!!
|
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
Imberbe Senior Virtual Ranger Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2005 12:28 am Posts: 14344 Location: Pretoria, RSA
|
| Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:28 pm |
|
Chacma wrote Hi PeterPM, I have another question for the forum: my late father-in-law always booked his trips to the KNP so that he spent the three nights leading up to the full moon camped at the fence in Balule. He maintained that the nocturnal animals were at their most active on those three nights, rather than those immediately after the full moon. Is there any scientific basis to this theory, or was it just an old husband's tale? There is some base in facts for that. Before full moon, the almost full moon will already be up during sunset. This means that while you are awake early evening you will be able to see the animals which are active. As you know, full moon in the bush provides good light, especially if you avoid human lights and have your eyes accustomed to the dark. But after full moon the moon starts rising later each evening. This means that you will have a time of darkness early evening. During this time you will not be able to do game spotting. Later when the moon rises, you will again be able to see the animals. Note, predators such as lion are far less active during the time of full moon, as opposed to other times during the month. This is simply because it is that much easier for other animals to spot them. The converse is true of prey animals, which can be quite relaxed and active during full moon, as they are able to see predators far more easily. |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
H. erectus Junior Virtual Ranger Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2009 5:03 pm Posts: 1206 Location: On my stoep. Sell by date not expired yet!!
|
| Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:47 pm |
|
A) Cause the moon moves between
sun and earth casting a shadow on the moon. B)Call it overspray of light, cause the moon is notb all that big, though close to earth! C) Cause the width of Earth takes up some time blocking rays from the sun. I hope all suits skymaster OWN. |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
H. erectus Junior Virtual Ranger Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2009 5:03 pm Posts: 1206 Location: On my stoep. Sell by date not expired yet!!
|
| Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:52 pm |
|
Chacma wrote I have another question for the forum: my late father-in-law always booked his trips to the KNP so that he spent the three nights leading up to the full moon camped at the fence in Balule. He maintained that the nocturnal animals were at their most active on those three nights, rather than those immediately after the full moon. Is there any scientific basis to this theory, or was it just an old husband's tale? Maybe this outlook explains it more concisely ie; "Going bossies!!!" |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
H. erectus Junior Virtual Ranger Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2009 5:03 pm Posts: 1206 Location: On my stoep. Sell by date not expired yet!!
|
| Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:28 pm |
|
For some years I did the night shift
for a well known news paper in the production department,.... getting it out there on paper!!! Left work some mornings to face a long and distand road with many a robot changing from red to green.. Timed well one could pass through without a hitch. Some nights that road was awfull quiet. Come new moon that same road became well a ...???? a nightmare!! I sat at the top of the hill looking at drivers skip maybe six red robots at a time, slammed. cats and dogs too., yet at certain times that road well, did it ever exist!! |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
Chacma Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:10 am Posts: 27 Location: Top of a fencepost
|
| Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:11 pm |
|
Thanks Imberte, your explanation makes perfect sense, I am relieved to be able to report back to my wife that her father was not "going bossies" after all!
|
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
onewithnature Distinguished Virtual Ranger Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am Posts: 19081 Location: Midway between the infinite and the infinitesimal!
|
| Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:30 pm |
|
onewithnature wrote Since we are going to Kruger for two weeks -  - this weekend, I am going to set a set of thoughtful questions for the budding astronomers here to consider while I am away. Please consider, and research if necessary, but don't forget to answer the questions too!  a) Please explain how the phases of the Moon come about; i.e. why and how do we see one phase of the Moon as full or new or a crescent, and how does it change to the next phase? b) At New Moon (when the Moon is in full shadow), why does the Moon not block out the Sun completely; also, at Full Moon (when the Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun), why does the Earth not block all sunlight from reaching the Moon? c) Observing from Earth, it takes the Moon about 29.5 days to complete one full cycle of its phases (say from one Full Moon to the next). However, if we had to see the Moon's phases from outside our solar system, it would take about 27.3 days for a full cycle of its phases to occur! Why is there this discrepancy of over two days difference between the two points of observation? Okay, here were the questions I asked before I went to Kruger. Thanks to all who attempted answers.  Now, before I answer, I had the privilege of watching a Full Moon rising over the Letaba River! It was quite odd really, for that disc slowly grew in intensity from a spot of yellow to a full seething mass of liquid gold; and then, just as it reached full curvature ... it disappeared into the grey-black cloud above it, slowly shrinking back to a spot of yellow, and then vanishing from sight! |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
onewithnature Distinguished Virtual Ranger Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am Posts: 19081 Location: Midway between the infinite and the infinitesimal!
|
| Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:59 pm |
|
Chacma wrote I am new to this, but just off the cuff I think I know the answer to (c): The earth is rotating around the sun about every 12 rotations of the moon around the earth. Our perception of a day is relative to our view of the sun, But in fact, because we are rotating around the sun, it is distorting our perception of the rotation of the moon, our rotation is "unwinding" the moon's rotation by about one twelfth of 29.5 days. I would think it also depends on where outside the solar system you are positioned. Are you in the middle of the Milky Way or in the middle of the universe as we know it? Because the solar system is rotating around the Milky Way galaxy and I assume the Milky Way is rotating around the universe...it's all a matter of relativity...or maybe our entire perception of existence is an illusion? Excellent answer, Chacma!!  Truly, I thought that this part of the question would be too advanced for the Beginners' Quiz, but ... it goes to show that many people know many things! Yes, because Earth is travelling around the Sun, the rotation of the Moon is seen as altered relative to where we are at any time on Earth's path. Once outside the Solar System, the distance is so great that the perceived angle of change will be increasingly insignificant, and so the rotation of the Moon would appear very similar in time whether on the nearest star or in a distant galaxy. That is, if someone there would even want to watch our Moon rotating! Is our entire perception of existence an illusion? Very philosophical, but I believe wholeheartedly that it is! Not an illusion from the point of view that it doesn't exist, but that it only exists in terms of how we perceive it to exist with the senses that we have.  |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
onewithnature Distinguished Virtual Ranger Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am Posts: 19081 Location: Midway between the infinite and the infinitesimal!
|
| Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:17 pm |
|
As to Chacma's excellent question as to the activity of predators and night animals on moonless or Full-Moon nights, IB has answered it perfectly! Thank you IB.
Now, I see that nobody really answered the other two questions I posed before I went away. Let's take it one at a time because it is quite interesting really. Let's take the second part: At New Moon (when the Moon is in full shadow), why does the Moon not block out the Sun completely? Let's examine this to see what I am really asking: several people might have realised that the Moon and the Sun are virtually the same size as seen from earth. Yes, this is the case! The reason for this I will get to in a future question. So, now, at New Moon, when the Sun and the Moon are on the same side of Earth, why doesn't the Moon, which is the same size as the Sun, just block our Sun out altogether, causing a Total Eclipse of the Sun? That's when Solar Eclipses occur - at New Moon - and they can only occur at New Moon.Therefore, why does every New Moon, which is approximately once per month as you know, NOT cause a Total Eclipse of the Sun every time? |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
onewithnature Distinguished Virtual Ranger Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am Posts: 19081 Location: Midway between the infinite and the infinitesimal!
|
| Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:14 am |
|
Nobody got a single idea? Should I move this to the Advanced Stargazing Quiz?
|
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
ecojunkie Legendary Virtual Ranger Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:05 am Posts: 6415 Location: Back home - a caravan in Malelane Camp, KNP
|
| Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:32 am |
|
apart from the fact that it will have something to do with alignment and relative size, I am at a loss to explain it!
|
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
JenB Moderator Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:41 pm Posts: 17365 Location: Johannesburg - where they cut down trees and name streets after them.
|
| Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:39 am |
|
Ditto EJ.
 |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
Siobain Virtual Ranger Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:38 pm Posts: 5264 Location: Johannesburg
|
| Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:01 am |
 Throughout the year, the Moon usually passes north or south of the Earth's sun line. At New Moon, if the Moon is not positioned close enough to the Earth, or directly on the Earth's equatorial plane, then the Moon will not block out the sun completely. |
| Re: BEGINNERS' STARGAZING QUIZ (QM) |
|
onewithnature Distinguished Virtual Ranger Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am Posts: 19081 Location: Midway between the infinite and the infinitesimal!
|
| Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:59 pm |
|
EJ and Siobain, you're both definitely on the right track (or is that orbit?
); now all we need is some clarification.  |
| Top |
| Post new topic | Post a reply |
|
Go to page Previous 1 ... 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 Next Page 53 of 57 [ 852 posts ] Previous topic | First unread post | Next topic |
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests |
| Board index » The Ranger Post » Quizzes |