| Tutorial | Description | Overview | Links & Worksheets |
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Path of the Sun from SparksHow the Sun Moves through our Sky |
From Northern Nevada, the sun rises and sets each day. Where the sin rises and sets, as well as its height in the sky varries throught the year. This tutorial explores the different paths the sun takes in summer, winter, spring and fall. |
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Star Movement Near the North StarHow the Stars Move around Polaris |
When you look at the night sky, it appears to move in circles around one star, Polaris. This star stays stationary while familar constellations like Ursa Major orbit around nearby. |
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Path of the Sun, Moon and Planets from Sparks |
The sun, moon and planets all have their hourly motion similar to the stars, but they also have motion from day to day and month to month that set them apart. Ther sun and moon each move east west to east along the ecliptic and the planets... well, they have a motion all their own... |
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Lunar PhasesWhy the Moon Changes Phase |
The moon waxes and wanes each month resulting in the beautiful and ever-changing phases of our companion in the solar system. This tutorial explains these phases as well as eclipses. |
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Retrograde MotionWhy the Planets Exhibit Retrograde Motion |
The planets move differently than the stars, moon and sun. They appear to change direction relative to background stars. This complicated motion baffled early astronomers but was explained by Copernicus years ago with a heliocentric model. |
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