The most significant astronomical phenomena that can be seen on planet Earth

Solar eclipse- an astronomical phenomenon in which the Moon completely or partially blocks the Sun from an observer on Earth. In other words, in its movement along with the Earth around the Sun, the Moon often obscures the stars of the constellations along which the lunar path passes. Periodically, the Moon partially or completely obscures the Sun - solar eclipses occur. Complete solar eclipse occurs approximately once every year and a half. But the area where it can be observed from Earth is very small. The shadow of the Moon can pass over the same point only once every 200-300 years, which means that it is unlikely that you will be able to see this breathtaking spectacle in a lifetime.

Moon eclipse

Moon eclipse - an eclipse that occurs when the Moon enters the cone of the shadow cast by the Earth. During an eclipse (even a total one), the Moon does not disappear completely, but turns dark red. This fact is explained by the fact that the Moon, even in phase total eclipse continues to light up. The frequency of lunar eclipses for any particular place on Earth is higher than the frequency of solar eclipses only because they are visible from the entire night hemisphere of the Earth. Moreover, the duration of the total phase of a solar eclipse on the Moon can reach 2.8 hours.

Northern lights

Polar Lights (northern lights ) - the glow of the upper layers of the atmospheres of planets with a magnetosphere due to their interaction with charged particles of the solar wind. Mikhail Lomonosov was the first to find the answer to the question of what it is. After conducting countless experiments, he suggested the electrical nature of this phenomenon. Scientists who continued to study this phenomenon, based on experiments, confirmed the correctness of his hypothesis. When observed from the surface of the Earth, the aurora appears as a general, rapidly changing glow of the sky or moving rays, stripes, coronas, or “curtains.” The duration of aurora ranges from tens of minutes to several days.

Parade of planets

Parade of planets- an astronomical phenomenon in which a number of planets in the solar system appear on one side of the Sun in a small sector. Moreover, they are more or less close to each other on the celestial sphere.

• The Small Parade is an astronomical phenomenon during which four planets appear on the same side of the Sun in a small sector. These planets include: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury.
• The Grand Parade is an astronomical phenomenon during which six planets appear on the same side of the Sun in a small sector. These include: Earth, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranus.

Mini-parades of planets with the participation of four planets occur more often, and mini-parades of planets with the participation of three planets can be observed annually (or even twice a year), but their visibility conditions are not the same for different latitudes of the Earth.

Meteor Rain

Meteor Rain(iron rain, stone rain, fire rain) - multiple falls of meteorites due to the destruction of a large meteorite in the process of falling to Earth. When a single meteorite falls, a crater is formed. When a meteor shower falls, a crater field is formed. Concepts should be separated meteor shower And meteor Rain. A meteor shower consists of meteors that burn up in the atmosphere and does not reach the ground, while a meteor shower consists of meteorites that fall to the ground. Previously, the former were not distinguished from the latter, and both of these phenomena were called “rain of fire.”

Earth in the Universe

The closest approach of Mars to the Earth, comets, meteor showers that can be observed with the naked eye, and cosmic fireworks. What else will the sky show us in 2018?

1. Solar and lunar eclipse

In the new year, we will have five eclipses at once: two total lunar and three partial solar. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of the Earth will not see a total solar eclipse in 2018.

January 31—total lunar eclipse. It can be observed from Australia, North America, East Asia (including from the territory of Russia) and from the islands Pacific Ocean. The eclipse will last from 14:48 to 18:11 Moscow time.

February 15—partial solar eclipse. This astronomical phenomenon can be observed in Chile and Argentina, as well as in Antarctica.

July 13—partial solar eclipse. It will be visible in Antarctica and the southernmost parts of Australia.

July 27—total lunar eclipse. It will be visible across most of Europe (in Russia it will also be visible), Africa, Western and Central Asia and western Australia. The eclipse will last from 21:24 to 01:19 Moscow time. This will be the longest eclipse in 100 years!

August 11—partial solar eclipse. Best viewing locations: northeastern Canada, Greenland, northern Europe (including Russia), and northeastern Asia.

2. Meteor showers

Every year, space gives us a stunning spectacle in the form of a meteor shower in the night sky. However, the number of falling meteors per hour is almost always different. Activity in 2018 Perseid will not be a record, unlike previous years, and on August 12-13, 2018 (these dates coincide with the peak activity of the stream), the inhabitants of the Earth will be able to observe only up to 60 meteors per hour.
And here Geminids will be much more active this year. On the night of December 13-14, provided the weather is clear, we will be able to see up to 120 meteors per hour.

Photo: Adam Forest/2016 Perseid meteor shower

If you want to get more information about meteor showers in 2018, you can look at the online calendar here or here.

3. Cosmic “fireworks”

In 2018, scientists will monitor the meeting of a pulsar and one of the most bright stars V Milky Way— MT91 213. Astronomers' calculations show that this approach should occur early next year at a distance of 5,000 light years from us. The result will be a release of energy that can be observed in all spectra. It will be recorded by scientists around the world using special telescopes.

Pulsar J2032+4127 was discovered eight years ago and was initially thought to be a single pulsar. However, further observations showed that its rotation gradually slowed down and its speed changed, which could only be explained by its interaction with another body. As a result, it turned out that the pulsar rotates in an elongated orbit around the star MT91 213, whose mass exceeds the Sun by 15 times, and whose luminosity is 10,000 times greater than the Sun! The star is the source of a very powerful stellar wind and is surrounded by a disk of gas and dust.

Photo: NASA/ In 2018, scientists will monitor the meeting of a pulsar and one of the brightest stars in the Milky Way - MT91 213

It takes J2032+4127 25 years to complete one revolution around its massive companion. In 2018, the pulsar will again approach the star, passing at a very short distance from it. Scientists suggest that with minimal approach of two bodies, the interaction of a strong magnetic field A pulsar with a gas and dust disk and a magnetosphere, J2032+4127, will lead to a series of flares in all ranges, from radio waves to high-energy radiation.

4. Parade of planets

Every morning in early March, you can observe the so-called parade of planets: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn will line up in one line and will remain in this position until dawn. On March 8, Luna will join them. It will appear between Jupiter and Mars in the southern sky.

A little later Pluto will join the quartet. The dwarf planet will be visible just below and slightly to the left of Saturn.

5. Mercury

Good news for those interested in Mercury. The planet, which is usually difficult to see with the naked eye, will be visible just after sunset on March 15. On this day it will reach the point of maximum eastern elongation. This means that Mercury will “pass” at its greatest distance from the Sun and will be visible immediately after sunset in the western sky for 75 minutes.

6. Mars

On July 27, 2018, the so-called “Great Confrontation” of Mars will occur. This means that the Red Planet will be in line with the Sun and Earth (Earth will be in the middle) and will approach us at a distance of only 57.7 million kilometers.

Photo: EKA/ In 2018, Mars will approach Earth at a record distance

This cosmic phenomenon occurs once every 15-17 years and causes big interest not only among professional astronomers, but also among amateurs, as it creates the most favorable conditions for observing the Red Planet.

7. Comets that can be seen with the naked eye or with an amateur telescope

Comet 185P/Petru. At the end of January - beginning of February 2018, the comet will reach its maximum brightness (magnitude 11) and can be seen with an amateur telescope in the western part of the evening sky, not very high above the horizon. 185P/Petru will move through the constellations Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Cetus, again Pisces, again Cetus.

Comet C/2017 T1 (Heinze). The celestial guest will reach its maximum brightness in early January 2018 (slightly above magnitude 10). It can be seen with an amateur telescope or binoculars in mid-latitudes. The comet will move through the constellations Cancer, Lynx, Giraffe, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Lizard, Pegasus and Aquarius. C/2017 T1 will be visible at the beginning of the year throughout the night, then at the beginning of February in the evening and in the morning, and at the end of February in the mornings before sunrise. The observation period will end in March.

Comet C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS). The space hulk will reach its maximum brightness in the first half of January (the comet's brightness will be in the range between 11 and 10.5 magnitudes). It can be observed throughout the night high above the horizon in the near-zenith and then in the western part of the sky. Comet movement: constellation Orion, Taurus and Perseus.

Comet C/2017 S3 (PANSTARRS). It is assumed that the comet will reach its maximum brightness (about 4 magnitude) in mid-August. In the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere from July to August it can be seen with an amateur telescope or binoculars. During the visibility period, comet C/2017 S3 (PANSTARRS) will move through the constellations Giraffe, Auriga and Gemini.

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. In September 2018, the comet may reach magnitude 7.1 and will be visible in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere using small instruments. Open for observation from June to November, first throughout the night high above the horizon, and from October in the mornings. At this time 21P/Giacobini-Zinner will move through the constellations Cygnus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Giraffe, Perseus, Auriga, Gemini, Orion, Unicorn, Canis Major and Stern.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen. This comet is expected to reach its maximum brilliance in mid-December, with a brightness of just over 4 magnitude. It can be seen with the naked eye and in amateur telescopes in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere in September 2018 - March 2019. From December 2018, the comet will be visible all night high above the horizon and will rise higher in the sky every day. She will move through the constellations of Cetus, Furnace, again Cetus, Eridanus, again Cetus, Taurus, Perseus, Auriga, Lynx, Ursa Major and Leo Minor.

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Useful tips

Very soon the year 2018 will come into its own, which promises a lot of interesting astronomical events. We continue to inform about these events to all those who look with bated breath at the starry sky, admiring the boundless mystery of space.

You will also learn about many interesting and significant dates in the coming year related to historical events(domestic and foreign), which had one or another relation to the exploration of outer space.

According to the eastern calendar, the upcoming year is the year of the yellow dog. The dog, as you know, is man's friend, so, given the reputation of this symbol of 2018, we can hope that it will pass peacefully, with nice mood.

And even approaching our planet skull-shaped asteroid, which, according to some assumptions, is the nucleus of a degenerate comet (a comet that has lost most of its volatile substances and therefore does not form a tail), will “friendly” fly past at a distance exceeding one hundred distances of the Moon from the Earth.

Astronomical calendar 2018

In 2018, we will have a whole five eclipses: three solar and two lunar. One solar and one lunar eclipse will be observed in the winter of the coming year, while the remaining three eclipses will be observed during the summer months.

Solar eclipses will be recorded in the new year February 15, July 13 and August 11. Lunar eclipses will be celebrated January 31 and July 27. Lunar eclipses will be total; solar eclipses are partial. Only the third solar eclipse will be observed on Russian territory.

In the coming year, it will also be possible to observe how all the celestial bodies of the solar system, revolving around the Sun in their orbit, are somewhat slow down their movement relative to the Earth (that is, they will be retrograde). Most often in 2018, Mercury will be in retrograde – three times.

We should take these phenomena into account, since they limit a person in some new endeavors in a given period, sometimes turning around increased conflict and emotionality. Mercury in the new year will be retrograde during from March 23 to April 15, from July 26 to August 19 and from November 17 to December 7, 2018.

You should take into account the retrograde periods of other planets in the coming year: Venus- With October 5 to November 16; Mars – from June 27 to August 27; Jupiter – from March 9 to July 10; Saturn – from April 18 to September 6; Uranus – from August 7 to January 6; Neptune – from June 19 to November 25; Pluto – from April 22 to October 1.

If you observe the above celestial bodies from the surface of the Earth during retrograde periods, you may get the feeling that one or another planet is moving forward along its trajectory, and then - heading back. In fact, this effect occurs when heavenly body“overtakes” the Earth, then slowing down.

Astronomical objects 2018

In the coming year there will also be a significant event of astronomical proportions, which is repeated once once every 15 or 17 years. This is about The Great Opposition of Mars- a period when the planet Mars, closest to the Earth, provides a unique opportunity to study its surface using telescopes.

It is believed that behind such a rapprochement, some significant events are taking place on our planet. The Last Great Opposition of Mars was celebrated August 28, 2003. In 2018 approach of Earth and Mars will also happen in the summer , July 27.

Residents of the southern hemisphere will be the luckiest in the coming year, as they will be able to observe Mars naked eye at zenith. But with the observation of Venus in 2018, the situation is a little worse due to its low position in the evening above the horizon, although it can be detected with the naked eye even in the daytime until the end of October.

Even Uranus will be visible to the naked eye in the coming year, but this will only be possible in autumn months with a clear knowledge of the star chart, and only after preparing your eyes accordingly (after sitting in the dark for half an hour). And to see the disk of the planet very clearly, you need a telescope with magnification 150 times.

Astronomers also predict a potentially dangerous approach to the surface of our planet. 13 asteroids. Asteroids will be the first “swallows” "2003CA4" And "306383 1993VD" that will approach in the end of January. A dangerous approach of an asteroid is also reported 2015 DP155, which will approach the Earth on minimum distance June 11.

This article also Special attention given “working schedule” of our planet’s satellite: the reader will be able to obtain information about the phases of the Moon by finding out when the Moon is at its minimum distance from the Earth (at perigee), at its maximum (at apogee); study the schedule of full moons and new moons and more.

So, we bring to your attention the most vivid and memorable astronomical events of 2018, which may be of interest not only to people professionally interested in astronomy, but also to ordinary amateurs. All events in the article are recorded in Moscow time.

Astronomical observations 2018

JANUARY

January 3 – today the Quadrantid meteorite shower will reach its pronounced maximum, which only residents of the northern hemisphere of our planet will be able to observe. Some period of peak activity will occur on the night of January 4th. The number of visible meteors per hour (zenith hour number) this year will be about one hundred.

January 31 – Lunar eclipse (peak at 16:30). This will be a total lunar eclipse, which will be visible from the Asian part Russian territory; from the territory of Belarus, Ukraine; in the eastern part Western Europe. The eclipse will also be recorded in Central Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Alaska, western Africa and northwestern Canada. In various phases, the eclipse will be available for observation from all over Russia.

In January 2018, the United States of America plans to launch the first super-heavy-class launch vehicle - FalconHeavy. It is assumed that the carrier will be used to deliver cargo at low low-Earth orbit(up to 64 tons), as well as to Mars (up to 17 tons) and Pluto (up to 3.5 tons).

FEBRUARY

February, 15 – Solar eclipse (peak at 23:52). This partial eclipse will not be visible from the territory Russian Federation. However, if you were in this period in South America or in Antarctica, you would be presented with a rather beautiful sight (the maximum phase of this eclipse is 0.5991, whereas for a total eclipse it is equal to one).

March, 6 – Today marks the 81st anniversary of the birth of the world’s first female cosmonaut, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova.

9th of March – Today marks the 84th anniversary of the birth of pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.

APRIL

12th of April – Cosmonautics Day in Russia or International Day of Human Space Flight.

April 22 – today will be the peak of the Lyrid starfall with a maximum observed number of meteors per hour of no more than 20. This short-lived meteor shower, celebrated from April 16 to April 25, will be observed closer to the sunrise by residents of the Earth's northern hemisphere.

MAY

the 6th of May – the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, whose radiant is located in the constellation Aquarius. This fairly powerful meteor shower, associated with Halley's Comet, with a visible number of meteors reaching 70 per hour, is most clearly visible in the hours before dawn.

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JUNE

June 7 – the maximum of the Arietids meteor shower, which will occur during the daytime. Despite the fairly large zenith hour number (about 60 observed meteors per hour), it is impossible to see the Arietids starfall with the naked eye. However, some amateurs manage to capture it with binoculars after three in the morning, even from Moscow.

June 20 – in the night sky it will be possible to observe with the naked eye one of the largest asteroids in the main asteroid belt, asteroid Vesta. The asteroid will pass at a distance of 229 million kilometers, and it will be possible to observe it at the latitude of the Russian capital.

JULY

July 13 – Solar eclipse (peak at 06:02 am). This partial eclipse will be visible to residents of Tasmania and southern Australia. In addition, it can be observed from Antarctic stations located in the eastern part of Antarctica, and from ships sailing the Indian Ocean (between Antarctica and Australia). The maximum phase of the eclipse is 0.3365.

July 27 – Lunar eclipse (peak at 23:22). Residents of southern Russia and the Urals will be able to observe this total eclipse; it will also be able to be seen by residents of the southern and eastern parts of Africa, southern and central Asia, and the Middle East. During the same period, residents of the entire planet (except for Chukotka, Kamchatka and North America) will be able to see a penumbral lunar eclipse.

Scientists have compiled a list of astronomical phenomena observed in solar system, which are completely impossible to explain. These facts have been verified many times, and there is no doubt about their reality. But they don’t fit into the existing picture of the world at all. This means that either we do not quite correctly understand the laws of nature or someone is constantly changing these very laws.

Who accelerates space probes

In 1989, the Galileo research apparatus set off on a long journey to Jupiter. In order to give it the required speed, scientists used a “gravitational maneuver”. The probe approached the Earth twice so that the planet's gravitational force could “push” it, giving additional acceleration. But after the maneuvers, the speed of the Galileo turned out to be higher than calculated.

The technique was worked out, and previously all devices overclocked normally. Then scientists had to send three more into deep space research stations. The NEAR probe went to the Eros asteroid, Rosetta flew to study the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and Cassini went to Saturn. All of them performed the gravity maneuver in the same way, and for all of them the final speed turned out to be greater than the calculated one - scientists monitored this indicator seriously after the anomaly was noticed with Galileo.

There was no explanation for what was happening. But for some reason, all the devices sent to other planets after Cassini did not receive a strange additional acceleration during the gravitational maneuver. So what was that “something” in the period from 1989 (Galileo) to 1997 (Cassini) that gave all the probes going into deep space additional acceleration?

Scientists are still shrugging: who needed to “push” four satellites? In ufological circles there was even a version that a certain Higher intelligence decided that it would be necessary to help earthlings explore the solar system. Now this effect is not observed, and whether it will ever appear again is unknown.

Why does the Earth run away from the sun?

Scientists have long learned to measure the distance from our planet to the star. Now it is considered equal to 149,597,870 kilometers. Previously, it was believed that it was unchangeable. But in 2004, Russian astronomers discovered that the Earth is moving away from the Sun by about 15 centimeters per year - 100 times more than the measurement error.

Something that was previously described only in science fiction novels is happening: the planet has gone on a “free float”? The nature of the journey that has begun is still unknown. Of course, if the rate of removal does not change, it will be hundreds of millions of years before we move away from the Sun enough for the planet to freeze. But suddenly the speed will increase. Or, on the contrary, will the Earth begin to approach the star? So far no one knows what will happen next.

Who doesn’t allow “pioneers” to go abroad?

The American probes Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 were launched in 1972 and 1983, respectively. By now they should have already flown out of the solar system. However, at a certain moment, both one and the other, for unknown reasons, began to change their trajectory, as if an unknown force did not want to let them go too far.

Pioneer 10 has already deviated by four hundred thousand kilometers from the calculated trajectory. Pioneer 11 exactly follows the path of its brother. There are many versions: the influence of solar wind, fuel leaks, programming errors. But all of them are not very convincing, since both ships, launched 11 years apart, behave the same.

If we do not take into account the machinations of aliens or the divine plan not to release people beyond the solar system, then perhaps the influence of the mysterious dark matter is manifested here. Or are there some gravitational effects unknown to us?

What lurks on the outskirts of our system

Far, far beyond the dwarf planet Pluto there is a mysterious asteroid Sedna - one of the largest in our system. In addition, Sedna is considered the reddest object in our system - it is even redder than Mars. Why is unknown.

But main mystery in a different. It takes 10 thousand years to complete a revolution around the Sun. Moreover, it orbits in a very elongated orbit. Either this asteroid flew to us from another star system, or perhaps, as some astronomers believe, it was knocked out of its circular orbit by the gravitational pull of some large object. Which one? Astronomers can't detect it.

Why are solar eclipses so perfect?

In our system, the sizes of the Sun and Moon, as well as the distance from the Earth to the Moon and to the Sun, are selected in a very original way. If you observe a solar eclipse from our planet (by the way, the only one where there is intelligent life), then Selene’s disk perfectly evenly covers the disk of the luminary - their sizes coincide exactly.

If the Moon were a little smaller or further from the Earth, we would never have had total solar eclipses. Accident? I can’t believe it...

Why do we live so close to our luminary?

In all studied by astronomers star systems The planets are arranged according to the same ranking: the larger the planet, the closer it is to the star. In our solar system, the giants - Saturn and Jupiter - are located in the middle, letting the “little ones” ahead - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Why this happened is unknown.

If we had the same world order as in the vicinity of all other stars, then the Earth would be located somewhere in the area of ​​​​current Saturn. And there reigns hellish cold and no conditions for intelligent life.

Radio signal from the constellation Sagittarius

In the 1970s, the United States began a program to search for possible alien radio signals. To do this, the radio telescope was directed to different parts of the sky, and it scanned the airwaves at different frequencies, trying to detect a signal of artificial origin.

For several years, astronomers could not boast of any results. But on August 15, 1977, while astronomer Jerry Ehman was on duty, the recorder that recorded everything that fell into the “ears” of the radio telescope recorded a signal or noise that lasted 37 seconds. This phenomenon is called Wоw! - according to the note in the margins, which the stunned Ehman wrote in red ink.

The “signal” was at a frequency of 1420 MHz. According to international agreements, no earthly transmitter operates in this range. It came from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, where the nearest star is located 220 light years from Earth. Whether it was artificial - there is still no answer. Subsequently, scientists repeatedly searched this area of ​​the sky. But to no avail.

Dark matter

All galaxies in our Universe revolve around one center at high speed. But when scientists calculated the total masses of galaxies, it turned out that they were too light. And according to the laws of physics, this whole carousel would have broken down long ago. However, it doesn't break.

To explain what is happening, scientists came up with a hypothesis that there is some dark matter in the Universe that cannot be seen. But astronomers have no idea yet what it is and how to feel it. It is only known that its mass is 90% of the mass of the Universe.

This means that we know what kind of world surrounds us, just one tenth.

Rare astronomical phenomena and their observations are of great educational interest. Information about them can be obtained in advance from astronomical calendars or special computer programs that simulate the movements of celestial bodies. brief information on organizing and conducting observations of such phenomena.

Lunar eclipses

Lunar eclipses are clearly visible to the naked eye, so their observations can be carried out without special equipment, as well as using binoculars or a telescope. A lunar eclipse must be observed using a telescope in such a way that the entire lunar disk fits freely within the field of view of the eyepiece device. You can make sketches on pre-prepared sheets of paper with identical circles drawn on them, which would depict the lunar disk. Sketches are made every 15 - 20 minutes throughout the entire eclipse, not forgetting to indicate the time of the sketch. A lunar eclipse, observed using a telescope and a lunar map, allows you to monitor the movement of the Earth's shadow on the surface of the moon and record the moments when lunar craters and other interesting details plunge into its shadow. It is also interesting to monitor changes in lunar brightness throughout the eclipse using inverted binoculars equipped with a weak neutral density filter. As a last resort, you can use N. Florya's Ball Photometer.

The image of the moon, when observed through inverted binoculars, becomes pinpointed and the brightness is greatly weakened. Neutral density filters, even weak ones, further weaken its brightness, so that with their use the lunar brightness is comparable only to the brightness of fairly bright stars. N. Florya's ball photometer consists of several polished metal balls (can be used from bearings), which are located at a distance of 2-3 meters from the observer, who records glare from the moon on the balls. Their brilliance is compared with the brilliance of stars selected in advance for comparison. Lunar eclipses with observation of changes in the brightness of the moon using inverted binoculars or when N. Florya's Ball Photometer is used are very interesting and informative. Moreover, they can also be of scientific value (especially when using light filters). It is interesting not only to observe a lunar eclipse, but also to record its progress using a reflex camera, taking a series of photographs of it in the main focus of the telescope. The lunar eclipse is photographed at intervals between frames of 15-20 minutes, the time of each photograph is recorded in time, if the camera does not support such an option, and is recorded in the observation log.

Solar eclipses

Solar eclipses are observed with the naked eye, using a telescope or binoculars. Solar eclipses can only be observed when the eyes are protected by dark glass filters. When simply observing a phenomenon called a solar eclipse, you can limit yourself to sketching the process on paper sheets with identical circles pre-drawn on them, depicting the solar disk. Sketches are performed sequentially with an interval of 10-15 minutes; they are conveniently done when projecting an image of the sun onto any screen, on top of which another prepared sheet with a circle in the shape of the sun is placed.

A total solar eclipse is interesting because you can observe and try to sketch the solar corona during its total phase. It is useful to take photographs of the Sun at the moment of a total eclipse. For this purpose, you can use a camera or a telescope paired with a camera. To get high-quality pictures, you need to take several frames with different exposures. The exposure value largely depends on the sensitivity of the film (when photographing with a film camera) or setting the optional sensitivity setting of a digital camera, as well as on the aperture ratio of the telescopic system used.

When photographing with a film camera, excellent results can be achieved by photographing the solar corona with moderate aperture (1/10-1/15) at the main focus of the telescope on film with medium sensitivity, using a shutter speed of 0.5-1.5 seconds. When studying a phenomenon such as a solar eclipse, as an interesting and additional work, individual students can be assigned to make observations recording changes in pressure, humidity and air temperature during the entire eclipse using special instruments that are available.

Comet observation

Observing comets in the night sky is specific. Comets are bright and visible to the naked eye in the sky very rarely. For this reason, observing comets often comes down to observing telescopic comets. The brightest such comets can be observed even with a small telescope or binoculars. To the observer they appear as foggy spots of varying brightness. Observing comets from educational purpose is carried out by recording their movements among the stars, while noting the successive positions of comets during their visible periods on a copy of a certain section of a detailed star map (for which A. Mikhailov’s large star atlas is ideal). You can also sketch telescopic views of comets or try to photograph them using a high-aperture astrograph. And if a certain comet is quite bright, then you can observe its spectrum using a spectroscope connected to the telescope.