Download Star Search Game: Constructing a Hertzsprung

Star Search Game: Constructing a Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Inspired by: Ian Christie (VSSEC); Activity created by: Nandita Bajaj
Introduction: Star Search is an online game developed by the Victorian Space Science
Education Centre (VSSEC) that allows the user to go on a simulated journey into space using
a spacecraft in search of various stars. The user is able to scan the star to obtain important
characteristics about the stage of the star’s life cycle, such as mass, diameter, temperature,
brightness, and distance from Earth. The obtained data can be used to correlate the various
characteristics of the star, which can further be used to reinforce their location on the
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
Instructions for the game and the activity
Part 1: Star Research (computers required)
1. Go to the following link: http://interactive.vssec.vic.edu.au/starsearch/
2. Click on “Game Introduction” and review the mission.
3. Click on “Start Mission” to start the search mission.
4. Choose your Spacecraft and click on Continue.
5. A list of 285 stars will appear (See also Table 2).
6. You will be assigned approximately 10 stars to research. Add the assigned stars to the Journey Plan screen using
the “Add” button.
7. Select 45 minutes for your Mission Duration.
8. Enter your Captain Name.
9. Click on Start Mission to begin your journey.
10. Your chosen star name will appear under Next Destination. Click Go. (Note: At various times, you may need to
call for Help, Refuel, and/or avoid cosmic hazards.)
11. Once you arrive at the star, click Scan.
12. Complete the Star Characteristics Table for each assigned star (See Table 1 below).
Number
Star Name
Brightness
(relative to
Sun)
Diameter
(relative to
Sun)
Mass
(relative to
Sun)
Temperature
(°Celcius)
Colour
Table 1: Characteristics of Stars from the Star-Search Game
N. Bajaj: www.changegamer.ca
Database of the stars from the Star Search game
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
Gamma Crucis
G001-045
Eta Arietis
LP 062-147
LHS 2333
G163-051 A
LP 101-148
V1581 Cygni A
Wolf 940
AY Indi
EGM 635
L 104-2
HD 142 A
Beta Cassopeiae
Epsilon Phoenicis
HD 1273
GX Andromedae A
HD 1461
Zeta Tucanae
HD 1835
Beta Hydri
Kappa Phoenicis
V547 Cassiopeiae A
Beta Ceti
Eta Cassiopeiae A
Phhi-2 Ceti
Vyssotsky 89 A
GI 47
Mu Cassiopeiae A
Nu Phoenicis
Kappa Tucanae A
50 Upsilon Andromedae
UV Ceti A
P Eridanus A
Tau Ceti
Alpha Trianguli
Beta Arietis
Chi Fridani A
BD-10-403 A
Alpha Hydri
Alpha Arietis
Mu Fornacis
Delta Trianguli
Kappa Fornacis
Delta Hydri
CC Eridani
Lambda-2 Fornacis
Epsilon Ceti A
Gamma Ceti A
Theta Persei A
Iota Horologii
Tau-1 Eridani
BD+25-449
VY Arietis
HD 18455 A
Tau-3 Eridani
Iota Persei
Alpha Fornacis A
BD-69-177 A
BD-46-968
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
Zeta-1 Reticuli
Kappa Ceti
Zeta-2 Reticuli
82Eridani
GI 140 A
Kappa Reticuli A
Epsilon Eridani
GI 145
Delta Eridani
Groombridge A
Beta Reticuli
Tau-6 Eridani
BD-21-784
Omicron-2 Eridani A
Gamma Doradus
Epsilon Reticuli
Alpha Tauri A
Alpha Caeli A
Beta Caeli
Pi-3 Orionis
Eta-1 Pictoris
Zeta Doradus
Kapteyn’s Star
Capella A
GI 195 A
Lambda Aurigae
371 Orionis
Nu-2 Columbae
Gamma Leporis A
Zeta Leporis
Beta Pictoris
Chi-1 Orionis A
Eta Leporis
Alpha Mensae
577 Monocerotis A
XI Geminorum
Sirius A
Psi-5 Aurigae
Alpha Pictoris
I Puppis
Delta Geminorum A
Rho Geminorum A
VV Lyncis A
Castor A
YZ Canis Minoris
Pollux
Alpha Chamaeleontis
LHS 253
Delta Velorum A
GI 323 A
Iota Ursae Majoris A
Alpha Volantis
Sigma-2 Ursae Majoris A
K Velorum
Psi Velorum A
BD+70-565
Theta Antliae A
AD Leonis
I Carinae
GI 400 A
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
145.
146.
147.
148.
149.
150.
151.
152.
153.
154.
155.
156.
157.
158.
159.
160.
161.
162.
163.
164.
165.
166.
167.
168.
169.
170.
171.
172.
173.
174.
175.
176.
177.
178.
179.
180.
GI 409
Beta Crateris
Delta Leonis
SZ Crateris A
LHS 2407 A
GI 433.1
GI 434
Denebola
Beta Virginis
Eta Crucis
Alpha Corvi
GI 460
BD+32-2241
GI 468
Eta Corvi
FL Virginis A
GI 474
Gamma Virginis A
CD-39-7893
DT Virginis
FS Comae Berenices
42 Alpha Comae
Berenices
GI 503 A
BD-19-3653
Ross 1007
Iota Centauri
BD-15-3668
EQ Virginis
CD-32-9603
Tau Bootis A
Eta Bootis
Pi Hydrae
Theta Centauri
HD 124206
Arcturus
Theta Bootis A
Phi Virginis A
Proxima Centauri
Sigma Bootis
Alpha Centauri A
Alpha Circini A
BD-15-3965
BD-15-3966
Xi Bootis A
44 I Boootis A
HD 134987
Beta Circini
Nu-2 Lupi
Psi Serpentis
Alpha Serpentis
Lambda Serpentis
L 153-157 A
Chi Herculis
Gamma Serpentis
HD 147513 A
Eta Draconis A
Gamma Apodis
Zeta Herculis A
Eta Ophiuchi A
Eta Scorpii
181.
182.
183.
184.
185.
186.
187.
188.
189.
190.
191.
192.
193.
194.
195.
196.
197.
198.
199.
200.
201.
202.
203.
204.
205.
206.
207.
208.
209.
210.
211.
212.
213.
214.
215.
216.
217.
218.
219.
220.
221.
222.
223.
224.
225.
226.
227.
228.
229.
230.
231.
232.
233.
234.
235.
236.
237.
238.
239.
240.
Xi Ophiuchi A
Alpha Ophiuchi
Pi Arae
Lambda Arae
Mu Arae
Psi Draconis A
Mu Herculis A
Barnard’s Star
Zeta Serpentis
Tau Ophiuchi A
Iota Pavonis
Eta Serpentis
Lambda Sagittarii
V774 Herculis
Vega
GI 744
GI 755.1
Delta Aquilae
BD+31-3618
Sigma Draconis
Theta Cygni A
Altair
Omicron Aquilae A
Beta Aquilae A
BD+25-4085
Delta Pavonis
BD+76-785
Rho Capricorni A
HU Delphini
Wolf 1346
Alpha Indi
Phi-2 Pavonis
AT Microscopii A
AU Microscopii
Psi Capricorni
Epsilon Cygni A
Eta Cephei
Iota Microscopii
Eta Capricorni A
61 Cygni A
Delta Equulei A
Tau Cygni A
Alpha Cephei
Gamma Pavonis
Nu Octantis
Mu-1 Cygni A
Delta Capricorni
Mu Capricorni
Epsilon Indi
Iota Pegasi
Alpha Gruis
BD-08-5818
Nu Indi A
Do Cephei A
Upsilon Aquarii
FK Aquarii A
Xi Pegasi A
Psi-1 Aquarii A
BD-14-6448 A
ZZ Piscium
241.
242.
243.
244.
245.
246.
247.
248.
249.
250.
251.
252.
253.
254.
255.
256.
257.
258.
259.
260.
261.
262.
263.
264.
265.
266.
267.
268.
269.
270.
271.
272.
273.
274.
275.
276.
277.
278.
279.
280.
281.
282.
283.
284.
285.
EQ Pegasi A
Gamma Cephei
Iota Piscium
Wolf 10
Iota Ceti
LHS 224
Ross 987
Steph 852
LHS 2270
Steph 922
Steph 928
Steph 932
Omicron Virginis
Steph 1021
Ross 991
Ross 1021
Ross 992
Lambda Bootis
HD 144197
Eta Ursae Minoris
Wolf 937
Wolf 939
Wolf 944
Wolf 953
Wolf 983
Wolf 990
L1003-48
BD-11-352 A
BD-04-426
Wo 9124
Wo 9125
Wo 9127
BD-14-933 A
Wo 9188
Wo 9303
Wo 9428
BD+25-2737
HD 146686
BD-22-4915
V775 Herculis
BD-21-5237
BD-21-5933
Wolf 1014
Wo 9791
Wo 9809
Table 2: A list of the stars from the Star Search game
N. Bajaj: www.changegamer.ca
Characteristics of Additional Stars
Number
Star Name
286.
Sirius A
Brightness
(relative to
Sun)
21.48
Diameter
(relative to
Sun)
2.02
Mass
(relative to
Sun)
2.4
Temperature
(°Celcius)
Colour
9750
White
287.
Sirius B
0.01
0.01
0.97
25200
White
288.
Alpha Centauri A
1.47
1.09
1.12
5780
Yellow
289.
Alpha Centauri B
0.43
0.83
0.79
4900
Orange
290.
Sun
1.00
1
1
5780
Yellow
291.
Achernar
3311.00
10
7
14510
Blue
292.
Vega
37.00
2.78
2.14
9600
White
293.
Procyon A
7.73
2.05
1.42
6530
White
294.
Altair
10.60
1.83
1.79
7600
White
295.
Bellatrix
4000.00
5.7
8.5
21500
Blue
296.
Tau Ceti
0.52
0.79
0.78
5344
Yellow
297.
61 Cygni A
0.22
0.67
0.7
4526
Orange
298.
61 Cygni B
0.15
0.6
0.63
4077
Orange
299.
Gliese 725 A
0.04
0.55
0.36
3500
Red
300.
Barnards Star
0.01
0.15
0.15
3134
Red
301.
Wolf 359
0.01
0.16
0.09
2800
Red
302.
Arcturus
210.00
25.7
1.1
4300
Red
303.
Pollux
32.00
8
1.86
4865
Orange
304.
Deneb
54000.00
200
20
8525
White
305.
Rigel
66000.00
78
17
11000
Blue
306.
Betelgeuse
140000.00
1180
18
2500
Red
307.
Antares
65000.00
800
15.5
2850
Red
308.
Procyon B
0.01
0.01
0.6
9000
White
Table 3: Characteristics of Additional Stars
N. Bajaj: www.changegamer.ca
Part 2: Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram Activity
1. You will perform this activity in groups of 5-6 students.
2. You will receive a blank Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, like the one shown in Figure 1. A Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
shows the relationship between a star’s brightness and its temperature on a map.
Figure 1: An HR diagram shows the relationship between a star’s
brightness and its temperature. The temperature scale increases from
right to left on the x-axis, whereas the brightness scale increases from
bottom to top on the y-axis.
3. Based on the information collected for each of the stars from Table 1 and the provided star characteristics in Table
3, choose a sticker that represents the colour and mass of the star to identify its position on the Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram provided by your teacher according to Table 4, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3 below.
Mass of the star (relative
to the sun’s mass)
<5
10-30
Type of star
Sticker to choose
Small to Medium
Large
Small
Small x 3 (bunch 3 stickers together to make a large star)
Table 4: Masses of stars relative to the solar mass
Figure 2: Small-sized
white stickers (1/4“)
Figure 3: Small-sized
coloured stickers (1/4”)
4. Use the temperature and brightness of the star to locate its location on the HR diagram.
5. Using the appropriate colour and size of the sticker, place the sticker at the chosen location for each star on the HR
diagram.
6. Once all the stickers have been appropriately located, compare it with the HR diagram provided to you by your
teacher.
N. Bajaj: www.changegamer.ca
Post Activity Questions (adapted from Oxnard School District)
Based on the Star Characteristics Table and the HR diagram you constructed, answer the questions below:
1. What factor affects the colour of a star?
2. What factor affects the luminosity of a star?
3. What is the approximate surface temperature of the Sun?
4. Is the surface temperature of white dwarf stars higher or lower than red super giants?
5. What is the colour of the stars with the highest surface temperature?
6. What is the colour of the stars with the lowest surface temperature?
7. List the colour of the stars from hottest to coldest:
8. Most of the stars on the HR diagram are classified as what type of star?
9. What type of star has a high temperature but a low brightness?
10. What type of star has a low temperature but a high brightness?
11. What type of star has a low temperature and a low brightness?
N. Bajaj: www.changegamer.ca
Figure 4: Full size H-R Diagram to be provided to the student groups for the sticker activity.
N. Bajaj: www.changegamer.ca