Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Day 2 Astro Institute

Today began with the question, "Why should we teach astronomy?" The teachers responded with their reasons and Kate continued the discussion by listing four very important reasons: astronomy is welcoming, inquiry based, accessible, and tangible. This was followed with a discussion about historical astronomers that students should be aware of because they are in the state standards but, as Kate pointed out, we really know little of modern astronomers. That is something that needs to be corrected!

This was followed by information about types of telescopes (there are more than just optical ones), telescope placement, some of which are unusual, and the views we get from telescopes. Kate showed us a movie of the Cab Nebula which is made up of x-ray, optical, infrared and radio images. The colors are created by filters-we actually see only the optical. Kate raised the question, "Why do they look the way they do?"

Kate pointed out that the zodiac would likely be of interest to students, and that in the sidereal zodiac there is a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. The dates for Ophiucus are November 30-December 17th. A little research on the two zodiacs indicates that the difference is the orientation of the Earth to the solar system (tropical astrology) or the Earth to the background stars (sidereal astrology). Then we each were given materials and constructed our own Galilean telescope. A Galilean telescope is a refracting telescope, using lenses not mirrors. We then took the telescopes to the roof of Jordan Hall to practice using them.













Following lunch the teachers were divided into groups and each group was responsible for building a larger Galilean telescope. As the groups finished they were given a list and sent on a scavenger hunt throughout the Jordan Hall building.

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