Astronomy

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Lost or Distorted Constellations Restored
Links to my articles which attempt to restore lost constellations.

Professor Pratt

Star Calendar Star Catalog
A free downloadable catalog of the stars included in the Star Calendar is now available in standard spreadsheet format.

Restored Constellation Star Catalog
A free downloadable catalog of the stars in the ancient original 48 constellations is now available in standard spreadsheet format.

The Mag 5 Star Catalog
A new free star catalog which adds several features to the popular Yale Bright Star Catalog, in standard spreadsheet format.

Ptolemy Star Catalog
A downloadable translation of Greek astronomer Ptolemy's star catalog, with stars identified using modern designations, in standard spreadsheet format.

Zodiac Stars.
Both traditional and English names and sidereal coordinates of bright stars in the twelve zodiac constellations. Useful mostly for the zodiac calendar to relate calendar dates to the stars.

My Astronomy Course.
The syllabus, schedule and lecture notes for my former astronomy class at UVSC (now UVU).

Astronomy Exercises
The exercises required for my class.

Fact or Theory?
The Scientific Method, and how to tell fact from theory.

Telling Time with Sun and Stars
How to tell time by just using the sun and stars. Everyone should read this!

Drawing the Moon
If artists know a few principles of astronomy, they can not only draw the moon correctly, but also imply the time of night, direction, and even season of the year.

The Evening and the Morning Star
The cycles of Venus and the legend of the Feathered Serpent.

Solar Eclipse of May 20, 2012

Thin Crescent Moons
It's fun to try to see the very thin crescent moon both at dawn and dusk.

Things to Remember when Observing Planets
Do they move from west to east or east to west?

Bright Stars Worth Knowing
Something to remember about each of the fifteen brightest stars visible from the U.S.

Other Stars Worth Knowing
Something to remember about some other stars which may not be the brightest.

Introduction to Calendars
How do the Julian, Old Style, and Gregorian calendars differ? What's a lunisolar calendar?

Myths about the Stars.
The are many myths that are associated with the constellations, especially from ancient Greece.

Albumazar's 48 Constellations.
I know of no English translation of the ninth century astronomer Albumazar, so I include this latin translation which I found at the University of Utah.

Recommended Reading List
There are some good books available for home schooling and general interest.