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Clear Sky Patrol The University of Iowa Department of Physics & Astronomy |
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Clear Sky Patrol The University of Iowa Department of Physics & Astronomy |
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The University of Iowa hosts Clear Sky Patrol (CSP) on the roof of Van Allen Hall to allow students the opportunity to learn about the night sky when they take astronomy courses through the department. Students will have a list of celestial objects, such as constellations, stars, planets, etc., they need to learn to identify as well as objects which need to be observed in telescopes operated by Teaching Assistants. Typically these observing assignments can be completed in one 2 hour observing session but sometimes it may take a couple evenings on the roof to finish all the observing required.
Clear Sky Patrol is also part of the university community outreach program and the public is welcome to attend as well. If your party is fairly small (4 or less) it should be no problem to accommodate you any given night. With larger parties, such as Boy Scout troops or classes, it would be helpful if you could let us know in advance when you would like to visit. To make plans for visiting CSP please e-mail Zachary-Prieskorn@uiowa.edu.
It's important to keep in mind the weather when planning an evening of observing whether you are a student or someone just wanting to come up and learn about the night sky. There are 2 things TA's consider when deciding to have observing for the night or not:
Always ask yourself if you think observing conditions are good before heading out so as not to waste time coming to Van Allen on a night when there will not be CSP. There is also a website that shows the CSP Status. TA's will update this website about 1 hour before observing is to begin for the evening and continue to do so as conditions change. Remember that weather conditions can change quickly in Iowa, so just because the website says that CSP is open when you check at 6pm does not necessarily mean that it will be at 7pm. It's always a good idea to double check the website just before you leave.
The link above is the list of celestial objects which students must learn to pass the observing assignment. The required number of objects to get full credit is different for each class so check your class websites to determine how many objects you need to observe.
The objects listed under Constellations and Stars/Planets are visual objects which TA's will teach how to find during the Tutorial phase of CSP and students must then be able to point out during the Testing section to get credit. Objects listed under Telescope/Binocular will be pointed out by the TA with a brief description of the object and its significance. The student is only responsible for viewing the object and need not worry about learning the positions of these objects, except in the case of planets for which points can be given for being able to point them out visually as well as looking at them in a telescope.
If students show up at the beginning of observing and stay through testing they should be able to get the majority of their observing assignment finished in a single night of observing. We encourage students to use sky charts, found in the Schedule section of this site, which can greatly improve the chances of finishing in a single evening as will a little prep work before CSP begins, just looking over the sky chart and familiarizing yourself with the objects to be observed will help. A typical night of observing will have one TA showing students how to find the visual objects in the night sky and a 2nd TA covering Telescope/Binocular objects. After approximately one hour students can test on the objects they have learned and, depending on how many students are on the roof, one or both TA's will begin testing students individually. Students should bring a copy of the Observing List to fill in as they go through the tutorial. As you are tested the TA will initial and date your list. This is your copy and should be held onto to ensure that you receive the correct score. After you observe and are tested the TA will also record your scores in a database. Please make sure that your scores have been recorded in the database before you leave or your list may end up being different from the official list.
January 22 - March 1
Tutorial: 7 - 8pm
Testing: 8 - 9pm
March 5 - March 16
Tutorial: 8 - 9pm
Testing: 9 - 10pm
March 19 - May 3
Tutorial: 9 - 10pm
Testing: 10 - 11pm
CSP is held on the roof of Van Allen Hall on the University of Iowa campus. Van Allen Hall is located at the corner of Dubuque St. and Jefferson Ave. in Iowa City, IA. It is best to enter the building by the Dubuque St. entrance. Walk to the opposite end of the building (East end) and take the elevator to the 7th floor. Upon exiting the elevator turn left and there should be a staircase leading up to the roof.