Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Bringing The Moon Into The Classroom, Laurence A. Marschall
Bringing The Moon Into The Classroom, Laurence A. Marschall
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Understanding the phases of the Moon is a perennial stumbling block in introductory astronomy classes. In the film, "A Private Universe," for instance, both Harvard graduates and gifted high-school students display serious misconceptions about the Moon's phases, believing, among other things, that the Earth's shadow on the Moon is the cause of it all. Part of the problem may stem from textbook illustrations that show a view of the Moon in orbit around the Earth with the Sun of to one side. Students have trouble converting mentally from this "God's eye" perspective into the "geocentric" perspective we experience as observers …
Rotational Periods And Starspot Activity Of Young Solar-Type Dwarfs In The Open Cluster Ic 4665, S. Allain, C. Prosser, Laurence A. Marschall, Bentley D. Laaksonen
Rotational Periods And Starspot Activity Of Young Solar-Type Dwarfs In The Open Cluster Ic 4665, S. Allain, C. Prosser, Laurence A. Marschall, Bentley D. Laaksonen
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present the results of a V-band photometric monitoring survey of 15 late-type dwarfs in the young open cluster IC 4665. Low-amplitude periodic light variations are found for 8 stars and ascribed to the modulation by starspots that cover typically a few percent of the stellar disk. Periods range from 0.6 to 3.7d, translating to equatorial velocities between 13 and 93 km.s-1. That no period longer than 4d was detected suggests a relative paucity of extremely slow rotators (Veq << 10 km.s-1) among late-type dwarfs in IC 4665. The fractional number of slow rotators in IC 4665 is similar to that of Alpha Per cluster, suggesting that IC 4665 is close in age to Alpha Per (~50 Myr).