Finding South

Aim: To understand and remember how to find the South Celestial Pole.

 

Research: Youtube Video

 

Research Questions: 

1. What does Circumpolar mean? situated around or inhabiting one of the earth’s poles.
2. What is the name of the two stars that point at the Southern Cross? Alpha and Beta Centauri,
   1. What are the names of these two individual stars? Only a handful of the brightest stars have individual proper names not depending on their asterism; 
   2. How far away from Earth is the brighter star? (8.6 light-years away).
   3. What are the names of the stars in the Southern Cross? Acrux (also known as Alpha Crucis), Mimosa (Beta Crucis), Gacrux (Gamma Crucis) and Imai (Delta Crucis). 
   4. What is the name of the 5th star in the Southern Cross, which is on the Australian flag? Ginan (Epsilon Crucis), 

Method: 

 

1. Open this site, and copy down (including the pictures if you can) the three different ways of finding South using the Southern Cross.
2. On your copy of a Starmap, find the Pointers and the Southern Cross, and then use one of the methods to draw the way of finding the Southern Celestial Pole.  
3. Which would be the easiest to use 

 

Results: Attach a photo of your Starmap with your chosen method drawn on it.

 

Discussion: 

 

1. Which method of finding the Southern Celestial Pole do you think would be the easiest to remember, and therefore use outside? Extend the line out another 4 lengths from the foot of the cross to the south celestial pole. Then look straight down from the south celestial 
2. Use Stellarium-web.org to find the Pointers, Southern Cross, and then calculate where the Southern Celestial Pole is.

 

1. For Wairarapa Māori, the Southern Cross is called Māhutonga. This is a compound word: Māhu and tonga. What do those two words directly translate into English as? Why is that a good name for the Southern Cross?
2. For Tainui Māori, the Southern Cross is called Te Punga. What does that translate into English into? Why is that a good name for the Southern Cross?
3. What are the constellations which are the prow and stern of the Waka? HINT

Why is the milky way called Māngōroa? HINT