Space Exploration

1
Space Exploration Astronomy Today

• These careers are just
• out of this world!

2
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

3
What Did You Draw?
4
What ClipArt Had to Draw
5
Is That Drawing Accurate?

• Astronomers spend only a few night per year
  observing
• Typically, less than 5
• Many astronomers dont even use telescopes
• Astronomers never look through telescopes
• Eyes arent sensitive or objective enough for
  astronomy
• Eyes dont create a permanent, reproducible copy
  of what they see
• No research observatory in the world has a
  telescope with an eyepiece

6
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?

7
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound telescopes

8
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound Telescopes

9
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?

10
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

11
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound telescopes

12
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

13
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound telescopes

14
Spacecraft

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

15
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

16
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound Telescopes

17
The Electromagnetic Spectrum

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

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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

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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

20
Which Element is in the Tube?
Hydrogen
Helium
Carbon
21
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound telescopes

22
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

23
The Six Tools of Astronomers

1. ???????
2. Computers
3. Spectrometers
4. Spacecraft
5. Space Telescopes
6. Earth-bound telescopes

24
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?

25
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)