Space Exploration & Astronomy Today

These careers are just…

out of this world!

Activity Time!

• Think about what astronomers do

• Draw a picture or two of an astronomer at work on a typical work day / night

• Be sure to include a short caption!

• Be prepared to share your work with others

What Did You Draw?

What ClipArt Had to Draw

Is That Drawing Accurate?

• Astronomers spend only a few night per year observing– Typically, less than 5– Many astronomers don’t even use telescopes

• Astronomers never look through telescopes– Eyes aren’t sensitive or objective enough for

astronomy– Eyes don’t create a permanent, reproducible copy of

what they see– No research observatory in the world has a telescope

with an eyepiece

Can Astronomers…

• Take a star into a lab and dissect it?

• Make a solar system by combining chemicals in test tubes?

• Send instruments to the inside of the Sun or planets?

• Watch a star like the Sun evolve over its 10,000,000,000 year lifetime?

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1) ???????

2) Computers

3) Spectrometers

4) Spacecraft

5) Space Telescopes

6) Earth-bound telescopes

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1) ???????

2) Computers

3) Spectrometers

4) Spacecraft

5) Space Telescopes

6)Earth-bound Telescopes

Earth-Based Telescopes

• Use mirrors, not lenses– Why not lenses?

• Collect light for a CCD (digital camera)

• Often located on remote mountaintops close to the ocean– Why might locations like

that be preferable?

Earth-Based Telescopes Cont.

• Not all Earth-based telescopes are designed to study visible light– But only radio, visible,

and some infrared can be seen through the atmosphere

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1) ???????

2) Computers

3) Spectrometers

4) Spacecraft

5)Space Telescopes

6) Earth-bound telescopes

Space Telescopes

• Costs $50,000/lb. to launch into space

• Why would astronomers pay so much just to put a scope into space?– No cloudy weather– Can observe waves

normally blocked by the atmosphere

– No turbulent air; high resolution

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1) ???????

2) Computers

3) Spectrometers

4)Spacecraft5) Space Telescopes

6) Earth-bound telescopes

Spacecraft

• Cost $50,000/lb. to launch into space• Extremely close-up views• Can analyze rocks on the surface of objects

Spacecraft Limitations

• At 38,000 mph, how long would it take to go to the Moon? (238,000 miles)

• How long to Venus? (25,000,000 miles)

• How long to Pluto? (3,000,000,000 miles)

• How long to the nearest star? (25,500,000,000,000 miles)

• Obviously, spacecraft are limited to studying Solar System objects

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1) ???????

2) Computers

3)Spectrometers4) Spacecraft

5) Space Telescopes

6) Earth-bound Telescopes

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Consists of all electromagnetic waves• Only some waves are visible to human eyes• Detectors of other waves have been invented

Spectral Lines

• Each element emits/absorbs light at specific wavelengths

• Can use these lines to determine which elements are present

• Can also be used to measure the Doppler effect

Spectroscopes

• Use prism or diffraction grating to separate EM waves by wavelength

• Can then measure position, width, and intensity of spectral lines– Lots can be figured out from spectral line measurements

Which Element is in the Tube?

Hydrogen

Helium

Carbon

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1) ???????

2)Computers3) Spectrometers

4) Spacecraft

5) Space Telescopes

6) Earth-bound telescopes

Computers

• Can simulate various processes– Long time frames– Huge scales– Interior of stars / planets

• Can make predictions based on models

• Can perform numerous & complex calculations

• Can procrastinate via AIM, Facebook, MySpace…

The Six Tools of Astronomers

1)???????2) Computers

3) Spectrometers

4) Spacecraft

5) Space Telescopes

6) Earth-bound telescopes

A Science Education!!!

• Most astronomy is done by analyzing the physics and chemistry involved

• Math and computer skills are also frequently used frequently– What examples from this

unit can you see physics used?

– Chemistry?– Math?– Any other sciences?

Astronomy Major at VU• 24 credits Physics

– including 4 credits labs

• 16 credits Math• 8 credits Chemistry

– including 2 credits labs

• 7 credits Astronomy– including 4 credits labs

• 8 credits Computer Language (recommended)