Project DescriptionThis project teaches students how professional astronomers map the objects in our solar system. Students learn the relationship between 2D and 3D maps, and between terrestrial coordinate systems and celestial coordinate systems. Using SDSS data, they create a map of the asteroids in our Solar System as seen from Earth, and measure the angle of the ecliptic. They then use this new knowledge to work out the cause of the seasons for themselves. Concepts
Target Audience
Classroom TimeAll teachers and professors are advised to work through the lesson first on your own--the times provided are rough estimations that may vary.
Real World RelevanceWe all frequently encounter and use maps - from the road atlas in the car to interactive web-based mapping programs like Mapquest or Google Maps. Learning about how objects are positioned on a map, and the limitations of different ways of representing location, provides a deeper understanding of this common tool. The seasons are a fundamental natural phenomenon that dictate the cycles of nature and of our lives. Nevertheless, students and the public have many misconceptions about the causes of the seasons. When graduating seniors at Harvard were quizzed about the cause of the seasons for the film A Private Universe, only a few responded correctly. By inquiring into this phenomenon for themselves, students should acquire a new understanding of the natural world around them. The project also exposes students to a simple programming language for data mining, Structured Query Language (SQL) on a conceptual level, without requiring that they learn its intricacies.Worksheet and Sample SolutionsYou may wish to have students keep track of their progress with the project worksheet. Click on one of the links below to get the worksheet in Flash, as a PDF document, or as a Word document: Student responses may vary; these sample solutions are only a guideline for appropriate responses. Questions are designed to be open-ended, to require thought, and to encourage students to discover concepts for themselves. Much of this project also requires students to make graphs, either in graphing software like Excel or on paper. While all student graphs won't look exactly the same, each should contain at least 100 points, and should demonstrate the pattern that they're looking for. Their measurements of the ecliptic accurate to within reasonable limitations of using a protractor – about 5 or 10 degrees from the true value. To get sample solutions for this project, E-mail the site director, Jordan Raddick. |
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