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Planetariums and Amateur Astronomy (November 22, 2002, One)

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Program Summary

Program Summary

Like Science Friday Host Ira Flatow, you may have memories of gazing at a planetarium dome and being swept away by the twinkling show that made you feel as if you were atop a lonely mountain, blanketed by stars. Todays planetarium shows offer much more than a look at the night sky. Some can even take you inside the gas pillars of a forming star. Todays shows have to compete with Hollywood and computer-generated games, so the technologies that drive them are sophisticated, digital wonders that can bring the stars and space phenomena to life.

The wonder of the stars drives many amateur astronomers out into the night-and keeps them there, sometimes performing work much like that of their paid counterparts. One amateur, David Levy, has discovered several comets, including comet Shoemaker-Levy, which bears his name. Better equipment is opening up the skies for amateur astronomers to make important discoveries, possibly even discoveries of extrasolar planets. As one science teacher who called in to the program pointed out, given the opportunity to use telescopes, students take to astronomy like space debris to a black hole. Below youll find some ways to engage your students in such heavenly pursuits.

Guests

Kevin Beaulieu, head of graphic production for Sky-Skan Incorporated, Nashua, New Hampshire

Timothy Ferris, science writer and author of Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Astronomers are Probing Deep (Simon and Schuster, 2002), San Francisco, California

Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer and director of planetarium programs at the Franklin Institutes Fels Planetarium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Related Links and Resources

For Discussion:

1. What is a planetarium? How many of your students have been to a planetarium show? What did they learn/enjoy about the experience?

2. Planetarium shows have changed over the past few decades, and so has our knowledge of space. How might discoveries made by the Hubble Space Telescope, for example, change what people want to see in a planetarium show?

3. If you were designing a planetarium program, what would you want to include in it?

4. Have any of your students used a telescope? What was their experience like? Are they aware of any amateur astronomers or the important discoveries theyve made?

Activities

The final frontier. The best way to get students interested in astronomy is to get them doing it. If you are lucky enough to have access to telescopes at your school, you may be able to allow students to take them home to use as one teacher in Ames, Iowa, does. If youre not so fortunate, arrange a sky-watching trip of your own, or join a local astronomy club on an outing. You can even invite a professional or amateur astronomer to speak to your class. Remember, you dont even need telescopes. Binoculars are an easy way to get started. To get everyone looking in the right direction, read how-to articles on Astronomy Basics and Visual Observing at Sky and Telescope . Once there you can also download star charts using the Interactive Sky Chart . Other online sources of star charts are Heavens Above , which is especially useful for finding and tracking orbiting satellites, and Sky View Caf .

If youre ready to tackle more serious pursuits, consider enrolling your class in an online program that engages them in real scientific study using professional telescope images. Hands-On Universe is a program of the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Its curriculum Hands-On Solar System is designed specifically for middle school students. It lets students use images from professional telescopes along with image processing software developed for use in the classroom, to learn key concepts in astronomy, mathematics, and technology. High school students participating in this program in Oil City, Pennsylvania, took the first images of a particular supernova. Telescopes in Education is a NASA-sponsored program that allows students to use a science-grade 24-inch reflecting telescope located at the Mount Wilson Observatory in Southern California. Students in grades K-12 have used the telescope to observe galaxies, nebulae, variable stars, eclipsing binaries, and take on other ambitious projects and experiments.

For whatever level you choose to take your classs astronomy studies, youll find a plethora of educational resources at Sky and Telescopes Astronomy Education Links page, StarDate Online , and the pages of the Educational Observatory Institute .

Theres nothing unprofessional about these amateurs. Amateur astronomers have made important discoveries from comets to supernovas. Now they may be poised to spy planets around other stars and follow in the footsteps of another amateur, William Herschel, who discovered Uranus. Let students find out about amateur astronomers contributions to science. They may be surprised to find out that many famous astronomers were actually amateurs in their time. They can find out about opportunities for todays amateurs at the Educational Observatory Institutes page Amateurs Contributions to Astronomy .

Lets put on a show! If your students could design their own planetarium show, what would they put in it? Let this question start your class on a project to design and present their own program, complete with graphics and narration. They may not be able to put on a show as sophisticated as the ones designer Kevin Beaulieu produces, but theyll learn a lot in the effort. To see how the pros do it, students can visit Sky-Skans Web site. Visits to online virtual planetariums such as Animated Virtual Planetarium or Chabot Space and Science Centers Virtual Planetarium can provide further inspiration, as can the many amazing images from the Hubble Space Telescope found at Hubblesite . Then they can conduct research to write and create their own show. Invite other classrooms to experience the finished product.

Sending out an S.O.S. Dark skies are in danger of extinction, and without dark skies, you cant see the stars. Thats why several groups have formed to educate people about the problems of light pollution and ways to lessen it. The Web page Come Over to the Dark Side is a good introduction to the issue and offers background and resources to conduct classroom activities involving research, writing, and presentation skills. Especially useful is an online slide show on the topic. At Light Pollution of the Night Sky , you will find an activity to measure light pollution in your area. Find out more about saving our dark skies from the International Dark-sky Association the Google Web Directory on Light Pollution and Saving Dark Skies .

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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