Why every observatory needs a disco ball

Physics Education, vol. 59, pp. 025012

Abstract

Abstract Commercial disco balls provide a safe, effective and instructive way of observing the Sun. We explore the optics of solar projections with disco balls, and find that while sunspot observations are challenging, the solar disk and its changes during eclipses are easy and fun to observe. We explore the disco ball’s potential for observing the moon and other bright astronomical phenomena.

Authors 8

1. Robert Cumming corresponding

   Chalmers University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Onsala Space Observatory, Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala, SE-439 92, Sweden

2. A. G. M. Pietrow

   Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany

3. Livia Pietrow Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Maria Cavallius

   Stockholm University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden

5. D. J. M. Petit dit de la Roche

   University of Geneva

   Affiliation as printed

   Observatoire de l’Université de Genève, Chemin Pegasi 51, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland

6. Casper Pietrow Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

7. Ilane Schroetter

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier · Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier, CNRS, CNES, 9 Av. du colonel Roche, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 04, France

8. Moa Skan

   Stockholm University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Solar Physics, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 21, Stockholm, Sweden