Richard P. Wilds, MS Teacher,
rwilds@topeka.k12.ks.us
Capital City High School
Lesson Plan: "Astronomy and the Cold War: How the United States Used the Moon to Target the Soviet Union."
Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
Lesson Title
Students will learn how astronomical observations were used to help target sites in the Soviet Union during the Cold War and why such special targeting was needed. Students will then be taught how to make predictions and make observations of the same astronomical events for their experience today, even though such observations have only peaceful purposes when observed in today’s world.
Classes and Grade Levels
This would be for World History but lessons can vary according to subject taught and questions appropriate for grade levels addressed. (Standards would also vary with subject and grade level).
Goals and Objectives - The student will be able to:
Take the information obtained from the various Internet URLs and readings of primary and secondary sources on a given topic and classroom discussions directed by the instructor and demonstrate the appearance of the astronomical event as shown by the various programs suggested and by the various videos enclosed and that can be obtained from the suggested URLs. The purpose is to allow the student to connect the history they are reading with information they can obtain from the various sources on current astronomy within their view and attempt to come to an understanding of how this information was used over 50 years ago. The class will find that, though the original purpose of these observations is no longer needed, the insight this process gives may broaden their understanding of a far larger world around them.
Curriculum Standards Addressed:
Eleventh Grade World History:
Benchmark #7:
Benchmark #8:
Time Required – Class Periods Needed
There should be at least 1 class period allowed for exploring Internet sites and discussion and 1 class period allowed for demonstration of astronomical prediction programs. Students can use the astronomical prediction programs to explore future astronomical events on their own as they have time. A final class period should be used for written essays of conclusions found by students.
Primary & Secondary Source Bibliography
Abileah, Ronald, Private communication
of Pictoral Reduction of 6 January 1852
Grazing Occultation of SAO 078135 (ZC 946) along the lunar south limb as observed
by J.M. Gilliss from Santiago, Chile.
Dr. C. B. Watts, Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers, Springer Science, soon to be published.
Video of Grazing Occultation of Ups Gemini
by the Moon, Observed by Derek C. Breit.
Arthur, D.W.G. & Abineri, K.W., "The Lunar Limb - South of Schomberger."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 61, No.2, Jan., 1951. Pages 45-47.
Bell, Trudy E. (Gertrude E. Bell), "One Bright Star Within the Nether
Tip: The History of Lunar Occultation Observations."
University of California at Santa Cruz, 1971. Unpublished senior thesis.
Contact her at: Trudy E. Bell, 1260 Andrews Ave., Lakewood, OH 44107 USA
Bowker, D.E. & Hughes, J.K., Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the
Moon.
NASA Report SP-206. Washington: NASA, 1971.
Brown, Ernest W., "Practical Astronomy for Amateurs: How the Amateur
Astronomer is Helping to Observe and Calculate the Moon's Motions."
Scientific American, November, 1929.
Cattermole, Peter J., "A Chart of the Lunar Region South and South-East
of Bailly."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 74, 1964. Pages 104-108.
Chugunov, I.G., "System of Absolute Elevations in the Marginal Zone of
the Moon Derived from Stellar Occultations."
The Moon and the Planets. Vol. 21, 1979. Pages 277-281.
Comrie, L. J., "An Appeal for the Observation of Certain Lunar Occultations."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 35, 1924. Pages 23-24.
Dunham, David W. "Grazing Occultation Observations Made During 1963."
(unpublished) August,1964.
__________. "Grazing Occultation Observations Made During 1964 and Early
1965."
(unpublished) August, 1965.
__________. "Geodetic Applications of Grazing Occultations."
Highlights of Astronomy, De Jager, editor. IAU, 1971. Pages 592-600.
__________. "Lunar Occultation Prediction and Software News".
Occultation Newsletter, Vol. V, No. 8, September, 1992.
Fjermedal, Grant. New Horizons in Amateur Astronomy.
Putnam, New York, 1989.
Foxell, J.T., "Occultation of Regulus, 1933 April 6."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 43, No. 5, 1933. Pages 196-198.
__________, "Notes: The Occultation of Regulus, 1933 April 6."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 43, No. 9, 1933. Pages 303 and 397.
Other notes on pages 278-279 and 397.
Foxell, J.T., et al., "An Expedition to Observe The Occultation of Regulus,
1933 April 6."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 43, No. 7, 1933. Pages 281-283.
Gray, Bill J. Guide 8.0 Computer Software.
April 2002. Project Pluto, 168 Ridge Road,
Bowdoinham, Maine 04008 USA. Internet: http://www.projectpluto.com.
E-mail: Pluto@projectpluto.com.
Gray, Mike. Angle of Attack: Harrison Storms and the Race to the Moon.
W. W. Norton and Company, New York, 1992.
Hayn, Friedrich. "Selenographische Koordinaten III,"
Abh. d. K. Sachs. Ges. d. Wiss., Math.- Phys. Kl. Vol. 30. 1907.
"S.K. IV." Vol. 33. 1914.
Heiken, Grant H., Vaniman, David T., & French, Bevan., eds., Lunar Sourcebook,
Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, 1991.
Herald, David. Occult v4.2.0 WinOccult v2.0.3.
1995-2002. David Herald, P.O. Box 254, Woden, A.C.T. 2606, Australia. E-mail:
heraldd@canberra.dialix.oz.au.
Hill, Harold. A Portfolio of Lunar Drawings. Cambridge, New York, 1991.
Kelly, Howard L., "The History of the British Astronomical Association."
Memoirs, B.A.A., Dec 1948. Pages 1-132.
Lenham, A.P. & Abineri, K.W., "Bailly."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 66, No. 1, Dec., 1955. Pages 25-26.
Limburg, Eric. Lunar Occultation Workbench (LOW) Computer Software v3.1.
1995-2002 Dutch Occultation Association, Frescobaldistaat 21, 1323 BB Almere,
The Netherlands.
Internet: http://www.doa-site.nl/
E-mail: E.Limburg@net.HCC.nl.
Meeus, Jean, "Waarneming van een Rakende Sterbedekking."
De Meteoor, Vol. 16, No. 31, April, 1960.
__________, "Le Calcul des Occultations Rasantes."
Extrait de Ciel et Terre, Vol. 83, No. 1-2, Jan., Feb. 1967.
Molnar, Michael R, "The Coins of Antioch."
Sky and Telescope, January 1992. Pages 37-39.
__________, The Star of Bethlehem : The Legacy of the Magi.
Rutgers Univ Press, 1999.
Nefediev, A. Bull. Engelhardt Obs., Vol. 30. 1957.
Povenmire, Harold R. Graze Observer's Handbook.
Vantage Press, New York, 1975, second edition 1979.
Przybyllok, E. Mitt. d. Grosh. Sternwarte zu Heidelberg. Vol. 11. 1908.
Rawlinson, George. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World.
New York, 1870.
Riedel, Eberhard. Grazereg Computer Software v5.1.
November 1997. Herrn Dr. Eberhard Riedel, Schubertstr. 7, D - 80336 Munchen,
Germany.
E-mail: 100756.3510@compuserve.com
Robertson, James. Catalog of 3539 Zodiacal Stars for the Equinox 1950.0.
Nautical Almanac Office, U. S. Naval Observatory Vol. X, Part II. Washington,
1967.
Rukl, Antonin. Atlas of the Moon.
Hamlyn, London, 1990.
Sadler, D.H. and Clemence, G.M. Improved Lunar Ephemeris 1952-1959.
Nautical Almanac Office, United States Naval Observatory, Washington, 1954.
Sawyer, Ralph D. The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China. Oxford, 1993.
Sato, Isao. Catalog of 3539 Zodiacal Stars for the Equinox J2000.0.
Lunar Occultation Observers Group, Japan, 1986.
Scott, David H., "Position - Angle Discrepancy in Watts' Lunar Limb Charts
- An Explanation."
Astronomical Journal. Vol. 95, No. 5, May 1988. Pages 1567-1568.
Sinnott, Roger W., "Computing the Star of Bethlehem."
Sky and Telescope, December, 1986. Pages 632-635.
Smart, W.M. Text Book on Spherical Astronomy.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1965.
Stevens, Berton, "The Automatic Computer Lunar Profile Plotting Program
(ACLPPP)."
Occultation Newsletter, Vol. I, No. 5, August, 1975.
Taylor, G. I., "Tidal Friction and the Secular Acceleration of the Moon."
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1920.
Van Flandern, T.C., "Some Notes on the Use of the Watts Limb-Correction
Charts."
Astronomical Journal, Vol. 75, No. 6. Aug 1970. Pages 744-746.
Watson, Burton. Records of the Grand Historian of China: Translated from
the Shih Chi of Ssu-ma Ch'ien.
New York, 1961.
Watts, C.B., The Marginal Zone of the Moon.
American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac Astronomical Papers, No. 17. U.S. Naval
Observatory, Washington, 1963.
Webb, Rev. T.W., Celestial Objects For Common Telescopes.
Dover, New York, 1962.
Weimer, T. Atlas de Profils Lunaire. Obs. de Paris. 1952.
Westfall, John E., "Mapping Luna Incognita."
The Strolling Astronomer: J.A.L.P.O., Vol. 34, No. 4, Nov. 1990. Pages
149-159.
Plus updated chart graciously supplied by Dr. Westfall.
__________, "A Lunar Polar Peek." Sky and Telescope, April, 1997. Pages 112-113.
Whitaker, E.A., "The Lunar South Polar Regions."
Journal, B.A.A., Vol. 64, No. 6. May 1954. Pages 234-243.
Wilds, Richard P., “Grazing Occultation Observations.”
Occultation Newsletter – International Occultation Timing Association
-
Grazing Occultation Coordinator 1992 to 1999.
Wilkins, H. Percy, ed. "Tenth Report of the Lunar Section."
Memoirs, B.A.A., Oct 1947. Pages 1-20.
__________. "Eleventh Report of the Lunar Section."
Memoirs, B.A.A., July 1950. Pages 18-20.
Wilkins, H. Percy & Moore, Pactrick.
The Moon. Macmillan, New York, 1955.
http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/iotandx.htm
http://www.iota-es.de/moon.html
http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/occult3.htm
http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/zcstars.htm
http://sorry.vse.cz/~ludek/zakryty/pub.phtml
Required Materials
The instructor must have enough Internet enabled computers to allow reading of materials online. The instructor can also obtain the WinOccult Freeware from the first or forth URLs listed above. The instructor can also purchase Guide 8 Software from Project Pluto listed above.
Vocabulary
Atomic Bomb, Continents, Datum, Geodetic Graze, Hydrogen Bomb, Lunar, Moon, Nuclear Weapons, Occultation, Satellite, Telescope.
Procedure
The teacher can review the political and military tensions of the Cold War of the 1950s and 1960s in classroom discussion. The teacher can use the enclosed paper, “The Marginal Zone of the Moon: Chart of Apparent Gradients,” to lead a classroom discussion as to how the US Military used Geodetic Grazing Occultations to help in precisely targeting Soviet Military sites for Nuclear Missile attack. The program Winoccult can be downloaded and properly configured to provide extremely precise total and grazing occultation predictions for the region of the class. The predictions can be used to display them graphically in either Winoccult of Guide 8. The teacher could also find an appropriately bright event close by that could be used as a field trip for the students to use small telescopes to actually observe such an event for themselves. This would allow them to witness an event similar to those observed by special US Military teams sent around the world in the 1960s to do their mission of connecting the datum of North America with those of Europe and Asia.
Questions:
Do students understand the importance of datum in world geography?
Do students understand the problem of launching a missile from one geodetic datum and having it land with precision inside a different geodetic datum when the two are not connected in any measurable way?
Do students understand the term lunar grazing occultation and how a geodetic lunar grazing occultation could be used to connect datum?
Do students understand the use and meaning of Universal Time and its requirement in precise astronomical work?
Assessment/Evaluation
Students will be required to write their answers to the assigned questions. The answers must contain information and ideas obtained from both primary and secondary sources as well as their own original ideas related to the assignment and their own experiences, which may vary widely. The teacher will then provide a short quiz of about 10 questions derived from the questions covered in the assignment. The difficulty of the questions should vary depending on the abilities of the class. Students should pass the quiz based on the usual teacher grading method.
