Download To Mars and Beyond - National Museum of Australia

To Mars and Beyond…
Search for the Origins of Life
A Resource Package for TeachersI
Image: Courtesy NASA
Acknowledgements
The material in this resource package was prepared by Lyn Beasley and Merrillee Chignell,
School Programs Officers at the National Museum of Australia, and Geoff Moore, Education
Officer at Melbourne Museum.
Some of the material has been adapted from information contained in the following Melbourne
Planetarium education kits: The Planets, The Stars, The Seasons, Toys Watch the Sky, and Out of
Darkness. The table of solar system statistics and several illustrations were taken from
Melbourne Planetarium kits, and are acknowledged where they appear.
The section entitled ‘Origin of Life’ is adapted from the text of the Melbourne Museum exhibition
Science Arcade.
Patricia D’Agrosa, Education Officer at Melbourne Planetarium, reviewed the text and provided
several of the illustrations. Colleen Boyle, Education and Visitor Programs Officer at Melbourne
Museum, advised on the location and selection of some of the images.
First published January 2002
© National Museum of Australia and Melbourne Museum
Teachers may copy the material in this package for educational purposes.
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Contents
Introduction to the Exhibition
5
Background Notes for Students and Teachers
7
1. Searching the Heavens
2. Origin of Life
3. Rocket Power
4. Australia’s Contribution to Rocket Research
5. Space Race
6. Leaving Home
7. Close Encounters
8. Destination Mars
9. Beyond the Edge
10. Anyone out There?
11. Back to Earth
12. Andy Thomas, an Australian Astronaut
7
9
11
11
15
19
25
27
29
31
32
33
Resources
35
Curriculum Links
37
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NASA’s Mars 2003 Rover, scheduled to be launched in June 2003
Image: Courtesy NASA
Introduction
to the Exhibition
To Mars and Beyond……
Search for the Origins of Life
People have searched the night sky for thousands of years to answer the question What is life?
Throughout history, the patterns made by stars, planets, comets and asteroids have traced our
origins, destinies and futures. The night sky has indicated the mood of the gods and provided a
vast storybook for people around the world. The desire to know, to understand, and to search
beyond the confines of our planet is part of what makes us human. From the time humans first
stood upright, they have gazed at the stars and wondered about the place of humanity in the
grand scheme of things.
It is not surprising that astronomy was the first science. Ancient civilisations studied and mapped
the heavens and religions were built upon the movement of the stars. However, until the telescope
was invented in 1608, human understanding of space was limited by what could be seen with the
naked eye. The telescope changed people's views of the heavens, challenging old ideas and
opening the way for new discoveries. Today, there are telescopes that can probe to the very edge
of the observable universe, billions of light years distant.
More recently, new ways of exploring the heavens have become available. The development of
rockets that produced the tremendous thrust needed to break free of the Earth's gravity and send
vehicles into space was particularly significant. In the early days of the ‘space race’, military
motivation was high, culminating in the Apollo moon landings. While important scientific
achievements resulted, it was soon recognised that no important military advantage was gained
and so manned exploration ceased.
The benefits of space exploration began to be seen in a more scientific light in the 1970s. The
Hubble Space Telescope has returned pictures of the universe that are wonderfully clear and
detailed. Photographic images of Mars and Saturn with their associated data have allowed
scientists to assemble a reasonably detailed history of the solar system. The Hubble Space
Telescope has also added to our knowledge of the formation and early history of Earth.
To Mars and Beyond: Search for the Origins of Life is based on our fascination with all things
space -- from early astronomy to the superpower space race and the futuristic International
Space Station.
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Images of Saturn 1996-2000, photographed from the Hubble Space Telescope
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/15/index.html
Background Notes for
Students and Teachers
1. Searching the Heavens
Astronomy and Astrology
In most parts of the world, there was originally no distinction between astronomy and astrology.
The astronomers of classical times studied the heavens, but also believed that the Sun, Moon and
planets were symbols of the gods, and were able to influence the fortunes of kings and nations.
Most of the planets were therefore given the names of Greek and Roman gods. The ancient
Chinese astronomers also had detailed and accurate records of the sky, because the emperors
believed that the heavens sent signs and good omens for their dynasties. The ancient Greeks
extended this notion to the belief that the planets influenced each and every person, not just the
nobility — an idea that was formalised by Ptolemy in 110 BC. Many centuries later, the famous
astronomer, Tycho Brahe (1546 – 1601), made his living by drawing horoscopes for the wealthy
while he pursued his research of measuring the movements of the stars and planets.
Today, astrology and astronomy are quite distinct. Astronomy can be defined as the scientific
study of celestial bodies, whereas Astrology is the interpretation of the movements and relative
positions of celestial bodies…..as an influence on human affairs.1 In Western societies, most
people don’t take astrology very seriously, whereas the science of astronomy is taught in schools
and universities.
Signs of the Zodiac
In Ptolmey’s time, the Sun, Moon and planets, as viewed from Earth, moved through 12 imaginary
pictures, or constellations. In whichever of these 12 constellations the Sun lay when a child was
born became that child’s star sign. These are known as the zodiac constellations (from the Greek
word for animal), and are still used by astrologers today. However, over the last 2000 years, the
path of the Sun across the sky (the ecliptic) has changed due to slight ‘wobbles’ in the axis of the
Earth (precession). As a result, the Sun now appears to move through a 13th constellation –
Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder. Moreover, the amount of time the Sun spends in each of the 13
constellations is now not equal, as is supposed by astrologers, but varies greatly.
Aboriginal Constellations
For thousands of years, people throughout the world have used the patterns of the stars to form
imaginary pictures. The Aboriginal people of Australia, for example, have many stories associated
with the animals and other beings they find depicted in the sky. These stories vary regionally; they
include stories about the seven Maya-Mayi sisters, (which astronomers know as the Pleiades, in
the constellation of Taurus, the Bull), and stories about Mirrabooka, the man in the southern part
of the sky that we know as the Southern Cross. The constellation of the Southern Cross is also
interpreted by Aboriginal people as a stingray or as the footprint of a wedge-tailed eagle.
For more information on Aboriginal constellations, visit Thinkquest at
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005462/index2.html
1
The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary, Melbourne, 1992.
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The 88 Constellations
Astronomers have long used the constellations developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans as
signposts to describe the location of the various astronomical bodies they observe and describe.
This system was regularised in 1930, when the International Astronomical Union formalised the
division of the sky into 88 constellations, and precisely defined the boundaries of each.
The constellations cover the whole of the sky, day and night. However, which constellations can
be seen depends on the time of night, the time of year, and the part of the Earth from which you
are observing. At any time, it should be possible to see approximately half of the 88 constellations.
The others will be visible:
• several hours later, when the Earth has rotated to allow more constellations to rise in the east,
or
• later in the year, when the Earth is on the other side of the Sun, or
• from the other hemisphere of the Earth. This is why the Pole Star can’t be seen from Australia,
and the Southern Cross can’t be seen from northern Europe.
Activities
•
Research some of the constellations of the Aboriginal people.
•
Buy a planisphere (star map) to use next time you have a dark night sky.
•
Choose a constellation. Research its mythology, main features and location.
•
Debate: ‘That astrology is nonsense’.
Star map centred on the South Celestial Pole, showing 77 of the 88 constellations. The dotted line marks the ecliptic,
the imaginary path of the Sun, Moon and planets through the sky. Constellations are labelled in upper case type (ORION),
while prominent stars are labelled in lower case type (Betelgeuse).
(Source: Melbourne Planetarium education kit ‘The Stars’)
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2. Origin of Life
Life arose at least 3500 million years ago, at a time when the Earth’s environment was very
different from that of today. There was intense volcanic activity and the atmosphere contained
methane and sulfurous gases but little oxygen. It was in this seemingly inhospitable environment
that the first life forms developed — in fact some of today’s bacteria still exist in hot springs and
other environments similar to those of the ancient Earth.
Many of the individual chemical components necessary for life occur spontaneously in
environments like that of the ancient Earth. Cell-like structures, made from membranes, and amino
acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, can also arise spontaneously. Life occurred when
components such as these joined to make the first cells.
Where did life begin?
Life on Earth could have begun in ancient seas, or in hot springs. Perhaps life arose deep within
the Earth’s crust, or even among crystals.
Ancient seas
The Earth’s ancient seas were awash with organic molecules. The atmosphere was thin, so these
building blocks of life were bathed in ultraviolet rays. The transition from non-living to living matter
may have been favoured in such an environment.
Deep Underground
Chemicals and constant heat emanating from the Earth’s core provide a suitable environment for
the formation of organic molecules. This could have been where life on Earth originated.
Black Smokers
Hot springs on land and thermal vents in the deep sea were probably widespread on the ancient
Earth. Today, many of the most primitive bacteria live only in these environments — a clue to
where life could have originated.
Crystals
Mineral crystals can grow and replicate spontaneously. Such crystals could have formed a
template to which simple organic molecules became attached. These could have led to the first
life-forms.
When did life begin?
The Earth Forms
The Earth was formed 4700 million years ago. Its crust solidified about 4100 million years ago, but
the oldest known rocks are from about 3700 million years ago.
Life appears
The oldest evidence of life is from fossils that are about 3500 million years old. These are of simple
cells that resemble bacteria.
Oxygen levels increase
When life first arose, there was very little oxygen in the atmosphere. Significant levels of oxygen
were present from about 2000 million years ago.
Complex cells evolve
The earliest known fossils of complex cells are at least 1800 million years old. The first
multicellular organisms may have appeared shortly after.
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Stromatolites: Evidence of early life
Stromatolites are formed by primitive bacterial communities, and occur in structures that look like
sheets, mounds or columns. These structures are made of a hard limestone-like substance and
range in size from a centimetre to several metres across. Inside, they are made of many fine
concentric layers.
Stromatolites are the most common fossils in Precambrian rocks. They can be up to 3500 million
years old, although they were most common between 2500 million and 700 million years ago.
Stromatolites are rarer in younger rocks, probably due to the evolution of grazing invertebrates
such as snails, which ate the bacteria depositing the stromatolites. Though rare at the present
day, modern stromatolites can still be found in environments where grazing invertebrates are
uncommon (eg. Shark Bay, Western Australia). Scientists think that the earliest stromatolites were
photosynthetic, like their present-day descendants, and may have helped to increase the level of
oxygen in the early atmosphere.
Stromatolites at Shark Bay, W.A.
Source / Photographer: Malcolm Wallace
Activities
10
•
Research the Geological Time Scale. Then make a simple time-line of life on Earth.
•
Research environmental conditions on one of the planets of our solar system.
Design a life form that could live in these conditions.
•
Research some of the recent discoveries of planets revolving around stars.
Could any support life? Would life on these planets be like life on Earth?
•
Life on Earth continues to evolve. What will life on Earth be like in the future?
3. Rocket Power
Rockets burn fuel to produce exhaust gases that are forced out through a narrow opening in the
rocket’s base. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and the outward thrust
pushes the rocket forward.
Fireworks were invented in China at least 1000 years ago. By the 1400s, the use of ceremonial and
military rockets had spread to the rest of Asia and Europe.
In 1804 Colonel William Congreve of the British army built versatile war rockets that could be used
on land or sea as artillery, incendiaries or signals. Propelled by gunpowder, Congreve rockets had
a range of up to 2800 metres.
Modern space launch vehicles and missiles evolved from the German Vergeltungswaffe 2 (V-2)
rocket, the world's first long-range missile. Fully operational in 1944, the V-2 was far larger and
more powerful than any previous rocket and represented a giant leap forward in rocket
technology. It used liquid oxygen and alcohol as propellant and had a range of 300km.
4. Australia’s Contribution
to Rocket Research
The Woomera Rocket Range was set up in South Australia in 1947. The site was selected by an
Australian-United Kingdom joint committee as a British experimental land-based missile range.
It was chosen because of its remote locality, dry climate and clear atmosphere. Early research
focussed on missile development, including the development of missile-borne nuclear weapons.
During the 1950s Woomera's role expanded. Australian research into the fields of high-speed
aerodynamics, guided weapons and rocket propulsion brought Australia into direct involvement
with space-related activities.
In 1957 British scientists began using Skylark sounding rockets to study the upper atmosphere.
The Skylark has been a remarkably successful rocket and has been used for scientific research
by many countries. Many Skylark rockets were fitted with a recoverable nosecone to allow the
scientific instruments inside to be safely returned to earth. An advanced version of the Skylark is
still in use today.
In the same year (1957), the first Australian-designed and built sounding rocket, the Long Tom,
was launched at Woomera. The Long Tom was a two-stage vehicle which could carry an array of
scientific instruments that could be used to measure the temperature, density, pressure,
composition, structure and movement of the upper atmosphere.
In 1968 the Kookaburra rocket carried small instrument packages called dropsondes to the upper
atmosphere. These were released from the rocket and measured atmospheric temperature,
pressure and ozone content as they fell to earth on a parachute.
In 1962 Australia became part of a venture to develop a satellite launcher called Europa.
Ten Europa rockets were launched from Woomera between 1964 and 1970, but no satellite was
ever successfully placed into orbit using these rockets.
Between 1958 and 1971 several space launch vehicles were tested at Woomera. In 1967,
Australia became only the third country in the world after the Soviet Union and the United States
to launch a satellite from its own territory and only the fourth in the world to launch a satellite
independently. The satellite Wresat was launched by a United States Redstone rocket fired
from Woomera. Wresat was launched on November 29 1967, transmitted data for five days and
re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 10 January 1968. In 1971, Propero became the second and
last satellite to be placed in orbit after being successfully launched from Woomera.
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Tracking stations, built to track space craft, have operated in Australia since 1957. The tracking of
spacecraft has been Australia's longest continuous space activity. When NASA began its human
spaceflight program in 1961, Australia was a vital link in the communication network with stations
at Muchea, near Perth and Redlake at Woomera. In 1969 the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station
and the Parkes radio telescope provided television coverage of the first moonwalk during the
Apollo 11 lunar landing. Today Tidbinbilla is the only NASA station in Australia, but it fulfills a vital
role in expanding our knowledge of the solar system.
Activities
Rockets work by the law of action and reaction. The action is the gas rushing out of the rocket
engine and the reaction is the rocket taking off in the opposite direction.
The instructions below tell you how to make a paper rocket and use a balloon to fire it across
a room.
Materials:
Paper or cardboard either A3 size or 30-35 cm square
Cellophane, adhesive tape, scissors
A large drinking straw
A long sausage-shaped balloon
About 20 metres of nylon fishing line
Making the Rocket:
The template overleaf shows how you can cut your whole rocket from one piece of paper.
Variations are possible, but be sure to make the diameter of the body large enough to
accommodate a small inflated sausage balloon (about 12 cm diameter).
Your rocket will look like this:
Image: Courtesy NASA
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A
B
(a)
(c)
(b)
(d)
C
1. Cut the paper into 3 pieces: two squares, A and B and one oblong, C.
2. Roll the oblong into a cylinder to make the body of the rocket. Secure with tape.
3. Cut out the circle. Cut a wedge from the circle, approximately one quarter of the circle.
Roll into a cone and tape.
4. Cut along the centre line of the square marked B. Cut a diagonal line from the point
marked (a) to the point marked (b). Fold along the dashed lines to make two fins.
Cut another diagonal from the point marked (c) to the point marked (d).
Fold along the dashed lines to make another two fins.
5. Use adhesive tape to attach the four fins to the body of the rocket.
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Powering the Rocket:
1. Tape a long drinking straw lengthwise to the body of the rocket.
2. Thread the nylon fishing line through the straw and secure the ends of the line to the walls on
each side of the room. Make sure it is tight.
3. Slide your rocket to one side of the room.
4. Hold a sausage balloon inside the body of your rocket. Inflate the balloon so that its neck is
protruding out of the bottom of the rocket. Hold the neck of the balloon tightly.
5. Do a countdown to blast-off. Release the balloon and your rocket should shoot across the
room, powered by the balloon.
6. Experiment with rockets of different shapes. See if your rocket is powerful enough to go uphill
by adjusting the points where the fishing cord is anchored.
Artwork by Frey Micklethwait
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5. Space Race
Timeline of space exploration
1926
First flight by a liquid-fuelled rocket (Massachusetts, USA)
1937 ff.
Werner von Braun developed A-4 rockets in Germany
1942
First flights of A-4 rockets in Germany (up to 120 miles)
1944
V-2 rockets launched against London in World War 2
1946
Von Braun’s team launch V-2 rockets from New Mexico (USA)
1957
First artificial satellites: Sputniks 1 and 2, USSR
1958
Explorer 1 and Vanguard 2, Earth orbiters, USA
1959
Luna 1, lunar flyby, USSR
Pioneer 4, lunar flyby, USA
Luna 2, lunar impact, USSR
1961
Vostok 1, Yuri Gagarin: first person to orbit Earth, USSR
1962
Mariner 2, Venus flyby, USA
1964
Mariner 4, Mars flyby, USA
1966
Luna 9, lunar lander, USSR
Luna 10, lunar orbiter, USSR
Surveyor 1, lunar lander, USA
Lunar Orbiter 1, USA
1967
Venera 4, Venus probe, USSR
Mariner 5, Venus flyby, USA
1968
Apollo 8, crewed lunar orbiter, USA
1969
July 20, Apollo 11: first crewed lunar lander, USA;
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin: first humans to walk on the Moon
Mariners 6 and 7, Mars flyby, USA
1970
Venera 7, Venus lander, USSR
1972
Pioneer 10, Jupiter flyby, USA
1973
Mars 5, Mars orbiter, USSR; Skylab, crewed Earth orbiter, USA
1977
Launch of Voyager 2, Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/Neptune flyby, USA
1981
Space Shuttle Columbia, first mission, USA
Venera 14, Venus orbiter and lander, USSR
1984-85
Comet Halley flybys by Russian, Japanese, and European craft
1986
Launch of Mir Space Station (de-orbit Feb 2001), USSR
1990
Hubble Space Telescope, Earth orbiting observatory, USA
1996
Mars Pathfinder, Mars lander and rover, USA
1997
Cassini, Saturn orbiter, USA
1998
International Space Station, first component launched, USA, Russia
2001
2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars orbiter, USA
Activity
Use library or Internet resources to prepare a project on a past (or future) space mission.
Start at the NASA website: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html
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Astronauts
Neil A. Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. From 1949 to 1952, he served
as a naval aviator. In 1971, he joined NACA, (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics),
NASA's predecessor, as a research pilot. He pioneered many high-speed aircraft and has flown
over 200 different models. In 1962, Armstrong was transferred to astronaut status. He served as
command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission, launched March 16, 1966, and performed the first
successful docking of two vehicles in space. In 1969, he was commander of Apollo 11, the first
manned lunar landing mission, and gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on
the Moon and the first man to step on its surface. He subsequently held the position of Deputy
Association Administrator for Aeronautics, NASA 1970 to 1971.
Scott Carpenter, a dynamic pioneer of modern exploration, has the unique distinction of being the
only human ever to penetrate both inner and outer space, thereby acquiring the dual title,
Astronaut/Aquanaut. Born in Boulder, Colorado, on May 1, 1925, Carpenter had a naval career
before being selected as one of the original seven Mercury Astronauts on April 9, 1959. He served
as backup pilot for John Glenn during the preparation for America's first manned orbital space
flight. Carpenter flew the second American manned orbital flight on May 24, 1962. He piloted his
Aurora 7 spacecraft through three revolutions of the earth, reaching a maximum altitude of 164
miles. As Executive Assistant to the Director of the Manned Spaceflight Center, Carpenter was
active in the design of the Apollo lunar landing.
Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin was born in Smolensk, west of Moscow, in March 1934. He was a
moulder by trade, but continued to attend various technical schools, and joined the Soviet Air
Force in 1955. In 1957, he became a fighter pilot, and in 1959, was selected for training as part of
the first group of Soviet cosmonauts. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin became the first human to fly in
space, when he orbited the Earth for 108 minutes aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1. He died 7 years
later when a military plane he was piloting crashed near Moscow.
John Herschel Glenn, was born on July 18, 1921 in Cambridge,
Ohio. He was assigned to the NASA Space Task Group in 1959
after his selection as a Project Mercury Astronaut. On February
20, 1962, he piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 ‘Friendship 7’ spacecraft
on the first U.S. manned orbital mission. Almost three decades
later, Glenn was a crew member on ‘Discovery’ (October 29 to
November 7, 1998). This was a 9-day mission during which the
crew supported a variety of research payloads including
deployment of the Spartan solar-observing spacecraft, and the
Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform.
Investigations on space flight and the ageing process were also
carried out.
Image: Courtesy NASA
16
Judith A. Resnik was born on April 5, 1949, in Akron, Ohio.
Upon graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970, she
was employed by RCA. Her projects while with RCA as a design
engineer included circuit design and development of custom
integrated circuitry and engineering support for NASA sounding
rocket and telemetry systems. Dr. Resnik was selected as an
astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978 and flew as a
mission specialist on STS 41-D, which was launched on August
30, 1984. During this 7-day mission, the crew successfully
activated the OAST-1 solar cell wing experiment and deployed
three satellites. Dr. Resnik was a mission specialist on STS 51-L,
which was launched on January 28, 1986. Tragically, all crew
members died when Challenger exploded after launch.
Image: Courtesy NASA
Margaret Rhea Seddon was born November 8, 1947, in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee. After medical school, Dr. Seddon
completed a surgical internship and 3 years of a general surgery
residency. Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in
January 1978, Dr. Seddon became an astronaut in August 1979.
Her work at NASA has been in a variety of areas. A three-flight
veteran with over 722 hours in space, Dr. Seddon was a mission
specialist on STS-51D (1985) and STS-40 (1991)
Image: Courtesy NASA
Loren J. Shriver became the Deputy Director of NASA's
Kennedy Space Center for Launch and Payload Processing,
effective Aug. 17, 1997. Born on September 23, 1944, in Jefferson,
Iowa, he had a career in the U.S. Airforce prior to being selected
as an astronaut by NASA in January 1978. A veteran of three
space flights, Shriver flew on STS-51C in 1985, STS-31 in 1990,
and STS-46 in 1992, and has logged over 386 hours in space.
In October 1992, he was assigned as Deputy Chief of the
Astronaut Office.
Image: Courtesy NASA
John L. Swigert, Jr. was born in Denver, Colorado, on August 30,
1931. He was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April
1966, and served as a member of the astronaut support crew
for the Apollo 7 mission. He was next assigned to the Apollo 13
backup crew and subsequently called upon to replace
Thomas K. Mattingly as command module pilot. Apollo 13,
Apri11-17, 1970, was initially programmed for ten days, but the
original flight plan was modified enroute to the moon due to
a failure of the cryogenic oxygen system. The astronauts
converted their lunar module ‘Aquarius’ into an effective lifeboat.
Their emergency activation and operation of lunar module systems
conserved both electrical power and water in sufficient quantity
to ensure their safety and survival while in space and their
return to earth.
17
Space Shuttle Discovery being rolled out to the launch pad
http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2000-000765.jpg
Image: Courtesy NASA
6. Leaving Home
Origin of the Solar System
Scientists believe that the formation of the solar system may have proceeded as follows:
1. A giant cloud of gas and dust (the ‘solar nebula’) was disturbed and collapsed under its own
gravity. This may have taken up to 100 000 years.
2. As the cloud collapsed it heated up and compressed in the centre. The centre became a
protostar and the rest of the gas orbited around it.
3. The gas cooled off enough for metal, rock and ice to condense into tiny particles.
4. The particles collided to form larger particles. Over millions of years they became larger until
they developed their own gravity.
5. This accelerated the activity as the gravity pulled in more smaller particles. After ten to one
hundred million years the planets had reached a size, depending on their distance from the
sun, where they stabilised in orbit.
The Planets and Classical Mythology
The Sun
The sun is one of more than 400 billion stars in our galaxy. It is by far the largest object in our
solar system and contains more than 99.8% of the total solar system. It is personified in many
mythologies — the Romans called it Sol and the Greeks called it Helios.
The Planets
1. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the eighth largest. It has been known since
the time of the Sumerians (3rd millenium BC). In Roman mythology, Mercury was the god of
commerce, travel and thievery. In Greek mythology, Mercury was known as Apollo when a
morning ‘star’ and Hermes when an evening ‘star’. Greek astronomers knew it was the same
body. Hermes was the messenger of the Gods and was probably attributed to the planet
because it moves so quickly across the sky.
2. Venus is the second planet from the sun and the sixth largest. Venus was the Roman goddess
of love and beauty. The planet is the brightest, which may account for its name. Like Mercury,
it was popularly thought to be two separate bodies: Eosphorus as the morning ‘star’ and
Hesperus as the evening ‘star’. Greek astronomers knew that it was the one body.
3. Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest. It is the only planet whose English
name does not derive from Greek/Roman mythology. The name has Old English and Germanic
origins. It was not until the time of Copernicus (the sixteenth century) that it was understood
that the Earth is just another planet.
4. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the seventh largest. Mars was the Roman god of
war. The Greek equivalent was Ares. The planet probably got its name from its red colour. Mars
was the god of agriculture before becoming associated with the Greek Ares. The name of the
month March derives from Mars.
5. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and by far the largest. In Roman mythology, Jupiter was
the king of the gods and the ruler of Mt Olympus. In Greek mythology, Jupiter was called Zeus.
6. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second largest. It has been known since
prehistoric times. Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture and, in Greek mythology, it was
associated with Cronus, the father of Zeus. Galileo was the first to observe Saturn with a
telescope in 1610.
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7. Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and the third largest. Uranus was the earliest
supreme god of the ancient Greeks. He was the father of Cronus, Cyclops and Titans,
and came before the Olympian gods. Uranus was discovered by William Herschel in 1781.
8. Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun and the fourth largest. In ancient mythology Neptune
(Poseidon in Greek) was the god of the Sea. Neptune was first observed in 1846.
9. Pluto is the farthest planet from the sun and by far the smallest. In Roman mythology, Pluto was
the god of the Underworld, equivalent to the Greek god Hades. The planet received this name
because it is so far from the sun. Pluto was discovered in 1930.
Comparative sizes of the sun and planets
Image: Courtesy NASA
20
58.6 days
0.38
4 878
0.38
Time to rotate
Surface gravity
(compared to Earth)
Equatorial diameter (km)
Equatorial diameter
(compared to Earth)
0
47.9
Average orbital speed (km/s)
12. Number of known satellites
87.97 days
Time to orbit the Sun
none
3 minutes
Approx. distance from
the Sun in light time
(light travels at 299790
km per second)
11. Principal gases
in atmosphere
57.9
Average distance from Sun
(millions of km)
350 (S) day
-170 (S) night
0.387
Average distance from Sun
(Astronomical Units the average distance of
the Earth from the Sun)
10. Average temperature
(degrees Celsius)
S = surface, C = clouds
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Mercury
0
carbon
dioxide
480 (S) night
-33(C) day
0.95
12 104
0.91
-243 days
35.0
224.7 days
6 minutes
108.2
0.723
Venus
1
nitrogen
& oxygen
22 (S)
1
12 756
1
23.9 hours
29.8
365.26 days
8 minutes
149.6
1
Earth
(Source: Melbourne Planetarium education kit ‘The Planets’)
Solar System statistics at a glance
21
––
none
100 (S) day
-170 (S) night
0.27
3476
0.17
27.3 days
1.023
27.32 days
to orbit Earth
1 second
0.3844
from Earth
0.0026
from Earth
Earth’s Moon
2
carbon
dioxide
-23 (S)
0.53
6794
0.38
24.6 hours
24.1
686.98 days
12 minutes
227.9
1.524
Mars
16 plus rings
hydrogen
& helium
-150 (C)
11.2
142 800
2.53
9.8 hours
13.1
11.86 years
43 minutes
778
5.203
Jupiter
18 plus rings
hydrogen
& helium
-180 (C)
9.41
120 540
1.07
10.3 hours
9.6
29.46 years
1 hour
19 minutes
1427
9.538
Saturn
18 plus rings
hydrogen,
helium &
methane
-210 (C)
4.01
51 200
0.92
-17.3 hours
6.8
84.07 years
2 hours
40 minutes
2871
19.19
Uranus
8 plus rings
hydrogen,
helium &
methane
-220 (C)
3.88
49 500
1.18
16.1 hours
5.4
164.82 years
4 hours
10 minutes
4497
30.061
Neptune
1
nitrogen?
-230 (?)
0.17
2 200
0.09
-6.4 days
4.7
248.6 years
5 hours
29 minutes
5913
39.529
Pluto
9 planets
hydrogen
& helium
5800 (S)
15 million (core)
109
1 392 000
27.9
225 million years
to orbit the
Galaxy
40 trillion km
to nearest star
4.2 light
years to
nearest star
Sun
Activities
•
Learn a mnemonic for the order of the planets. For example;
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
M
V
E
M
J
S
U
N
P
My
Very
Excellent
Mother
Just
Showed
Us
Nine
Planets
Study the table on the previous page entitled ‘Solar System statistics at a glance’.
•
The first three lines of the table describe three different ways of showing the
enormous distances between the planets: Astronomical Units, millions of kilometres
and distance in light time.
Make a scale model of the Solar System. For example, let 1 minute of light time equal
1 centimetre. (Work out how much paper you will need to show the distance from the
Sun to Pluto before you begin!)
You can also do this with toilet paper. Let one sheet equal 10 million kilometres.
•
The fourth line shows the time taken by each planet to orbit the Sun in Earth days
or Earth years.
How long is a year on Mercury?
How many Mercury years old would you be if you lived on Mercury? (Multiply your
age on Earth years by 365 (Earth days in one Earth year) and then divide by 88 (Earth
days in one Mercury year).
How many Jupiter years old would you be if you lived on Jupiter?
•
The fifth line shows the average orbital speed of the planets in kilometres per second.
Make a graph showing the orbital speed of each planet.
Why does the orbital speed decrease with distance from the Sun? (Think of the
amount of gravitational pull exerted by the Sun).
•
The sixth line shows the amount of time taken by each planet to rotate once on its
axis. A negative number indicates that the planet rotates in the opposite direction from
the direction in which it is revolving around the Sun.
Which planets are rotating the fastest / the slowest?
Do the ‘gas giants’ rotate faster or slower than the much smaller rocky planets?
The Orbits of the Planets
Source: Melbourne Planetarium education kit ‘The Planets’
22
•
The seventh line indicates the surface gravity of the planets as a fraction of the
surface gravity of Earth.
On which planets could you jump higher / lower than on Earth?
Go outside and measure how high you can jump on Earth. How high could you jump
on Jupiter? (Earth jump divided by surface gravity of Jupiter) On Pluto?
•
The eighth line shows the equatorial diameter of each planet in kilometres,
while the ninth line indicates the size of each planet compared to Earth.
Make a graph of the sizes of the planets.
Make a model of the relative sizes of the planets: If a model of the Sun is 20 cm
in diameter, then the following scale applies:
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
•
Pinhead
Peppercorn
Peppercorn
Pinhead
Walnut
Hazelnut
Peanut
Peanut
Pinhead
0.08 cm
0.20 cm
0.20 cm
0.10 cm
2.40 cm
2.00 cm
0.80 cm
0.80 cm
0.04 cm
The tenth line of the table shows the average temperature of each planet.
Which is the hottest / coldest planet?
Which planet has temperatures most like those of the Earth?
•
The eleventh line lists the principal gases in the atmospheres of the planets,
while the twelfth line indicates the number of moons that each planet has.
Where is oxygen found in the Solar System?
Which planet has the most moons?
Which planets have rings?
Additional Activities
•
Survey the planets of the Solar System. Describe each, indicating the conditions
that would be advantageous/disadvantageous for a future visit by humans. Think of
factors such as distance from the Earth, temperature, atmosphere, visibility, gravity
and surface conditions. Which planet should humans visit first?
•
Imagine you are visiting one of the planets in the Solar System sometime in the future.
Send a postcard or letter to a friend describing the highlights of your visit. Don’t forget
to include the date.
•
Design a travel brochure of the future advertising one of the planets as a place for
tourists to visit.
More information:
The Nine Planets by W. Arnett:
http://cedir.uow.edu.au/programs/tnp/nineplanets/nineplanets.html#toc
Melbourne Planetarium: http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium/
23
Crossword
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Clues
Across
1.
3.
4.
5.
7.
8.
10.
13.
14.
Roof built to protect telescope.
These float in the sky and sometimes stop you seeing the stars.
Jupiter's moon ____ has more active volcanoes than any other body in our solar system.
Earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar _____________.
Scientist who studies the heavens.
The sun and the planets orbiting it makes up our __________ system.
Earth rotates on its axis once each __________.
Common name for the constellation Ursa Major.
The sun is a _____________.
Down
2.
3.
6.
9.
11.
12.
24
Most planets in our solar system have one or more _____________.
A ball with a tail sometimes seen in the sky.
One of the nearest planets to us, sometimes called the ‘red planet’.
The sun puts out large amounts of this form of energy.
Our planet is surrounded by _________, which we breathe.
Jupiter's Great Red _________ is really a giant storm.
7. Close Encounters
The Solar System consists of more than the Sun and its nine planets. Thousands of asteroids,
comets and meteoroids orbit the Sun and periodically come quite close to the Earth. Small
meteorites continually crash onto the Earth, and just occasionally, something bigger collides
with us. Scientists are now fairly sure that such a collision caused the extinction of the dinosaurs
65 million years ago, and in 1908 a smaller impact flattened a large forest in Siberia. Chances are
it will happen again, so researchers are attempting to plot the orbits of all asteroids greater than
one kilometre in diameter that cross the orbit of the Earth. They are also considering what action
could be taken to avert a collision.
Asteroids
There are millions of asteroids or ‘mini planets’ orbiting the Sun. Most are in a zone between the
orbits of Mars and Jupiter, although others are more widely dispersed. They consist of chunks of
rock, and vary in size from Ceres, which is 933 kilometres in diameter, to small pebbles. For more
information, consult a reference book or a relevant website eg.
http://cedir.uow.edu.au/programs/tnp/nineplanets/asteroids.html
Comets
Comets are balls of rock and ice several kilometres in diameter that orbit the Sun. The Oort Cloud,
which is far beyond the orbit of Pluto, contains hundreds of millions of comets. However, the
orbits of some comets bring them into the inner Solar System, within the orbits of the planets,
including that of the Earth. As they sweep around the Sun, the solar wind causes these comets to
develop their characteristic ‘tail’ of dust and gas. More information:
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium/solarsystem/comets2.html
Meteoroids
A meteoroid is the term given to a chunk of rock before it encounters the Earth. When a
meteoroid travels through the Earth’s atmosphere, it is moving so fast (60-80 km/s) that friction
usually vaporises the rock. This produces a streak of light known as a meteor, or more commonly,
a ‘shooting star’. A typical bright meteor is caused by a meteoroid weighing about one gram,
while a brighter trail called a bolide, or a fireball is produced by meteoroids the size of golf balls.
Meteor showers of up to 100 meteors per hour occur at various points in the Earth’s orbit around
the Sun, and are caused by the Earth crossing the trails of dust left behind by comets.
Meteoroids that are bigger than a bowling ball will probably reach the surface of the Earth, and
are then termed meteorites. The largest meteorite found in Australia weighed 12 tonnes
(Mundrabilla, WA), while the largest meteorite crater in Australia is 880m wide and 49m deep
(Wolfe Creek, WA). More information:
http://cedir.uow.edu.au/programs/tnp/nineplanets/meteorites.html
Activities
•
Find out more about Halley’s Comet, the Asteroid Belt, the Oort Cloud.
•
Visit ‘Dinosaurs: Death from Space?’:
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium/constetour/dds/dds1.html
25
Wolfe Creek Crater, WA
8. Destination Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. It is further from the sun than Earth and therefore colder.
A day on Mars lasts 24 hours and 37 minutes, and it takes 687 Earth days for Mars to orbit the sun.
The surface area of Mars is equal to the land area of Earth. Mars has four distinct seasons similar
to Earth.
The first mission to Mars was attempted in 1960. At that time, scientists had no evidence of
advanced life forms on Mars, but many considered that primitive plant life may have been present.
The search for life was central to the space program. There have been 33 attempted missions to
Mars, of which the following is a sample:
In 1962 Mars 1 (USSR) was the first space probe to fly to Mars.
In 1971 Mars 3 (USSR) made the first successful landing on another planet.
In 1976 Viking 1 (USA) was the first successful Mars lander to return substantial data to earth.
In 1997 Pathfinder lander (USA) delivered the first rover to another planet.
In 1997 Mars Global Surveyor (USA) went into orbit around Mars and continues to send data back
to Earth.
In 2001 Mars Odyssey (USA) was launched to analyse chemical elements, look for water and map
the environment.
In 1996 organic compounds were identified in a Martian meteorite. It was suggested that this may
be evidence of Martian microorganisms, but contradictory studies leave the debate wide open.
The Mars Global Surveyor has taken pictures of gullies and debris flow features that suggest
there may be current sources of liquid water near the surface of the planet. Much work needs
to be done before we will know if there is or ever was life on Mars.
Activities
1.
Imagine a colony is to be established on Mars and you are one of the colonists.
Available space and weight for the colonists on board the space-craft will be very
limited. Write a list of the things you would need to survive.
2.
Food must be brought from Earth but it can not be bulky and heavy. Try this experiment
to see which foods would be most suitable to take to Mars.
Weigh one apple. Record the weight.
Peel and core the apple and cut into slices.
Hang the slices to dry on pieces of string.
Check pieces daily until they are dry.
Collect all the slices and weigh them.
Compare this with the weight of the original apple.
Would dried fruit be better than fresh fruit for the long trip to Mars? Why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of dried foods?
What other foods might be taken to Mars using this approach?
3.
Keep a record of how many times you use water in the course of a week. Design a
chart to show days of the week and uses of water (drinking, bathing, toilet, brushing
teeth, washing dishes, etc). At the end of the week see if you can work out how much
water you would need to take with you for a journey lasting 6 to 8 months. Now list all
the ways you could conserve water.
27
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/31/extra-photos.html
9. Beyond the Edge
The Milky Way Galaxy
Galaxies are collections of billions of stars, planets, gas and dust held together by the force of
gravity. They were first classified by their shape in a scheme devised by Edwin Hubble in 1926. He
separated galaxies into three types: elliptical, spiral and irregular. They are now further classified
according to size (dwarf and giant) and energy level.
Our Solar System is part of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is a normal giant spiral galaxy. The Milky
Way has a diameter of 100 000 light years and contains 400 billion stars, of which our Sun is just
one. The Sun and planets are a little over half way from the centre of the galaxy, in one of the
spiral arms. They are travelling at a speed of 250 km/s, but even at this rate, it takes 220 million
years for the Solar System to go around the centre of the galaxy once.
The Milky Way Galaxy is visible on clear, dark nights as a faint milky streak forming a band across
the night sky. With this view, we are looking sideways, back into the centre of the galaxy.
The Milky Way Galaxy, viewed side-on
Source: Melbourne Planetarium education kit ‘Out of Darkness’
Other Galaxies
There are hundreds of billions of galaxies, each containing many millions and sometimes even
many billions of stars. A good telescope enables us to see some of the closer galaxies, and a few
are even visible to the naked eye:
• The Magellanic Clouds are two dwarf galaxies that look like hazy patches in the southern night
sky. They are best seen in Australia in summer. The Large Magellanic Cloud is 169 000 light
years away and the Small Magellanic Cloud is 205 000 light years away. They are the closest
galaxies to our own Milky Way Galaxy.
• The Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant object visible to the naked eye. In Australia, it
appears as a smudge low in the northern sky in November and December. The galaxy is 2.2
million light years away, and has a diameter of 150 000 light years. With a telescope, its
spectacular spiral nature is revealed.
Activities
•
On your next school camp, try to locate the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds.
If you have a very dark night, you may also be able to see the Andromeda Galaxy.
•
Are we likely ever to be able to travel to another galaxy?
•
Prepare a project on a galaxy of your choice. Try to include some images:
http://www.aao.gov.au/images/general/galaxies.html
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/SubjectT.html
29
Starburst Galaxy NGC3310 in the constellation of Ursa Major
Distance from Earth: 59 million light years, diameter: 52,000 light years.
Image Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/26/pr-photos.html
10. Anyone Out There?
For millennia, humans have gazed at the stars and considered the possibility of life beyond Earth.
Many early civilisations looked to the stars for gods which influenced life on Earth. Then,
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, scientists such as Copernicus, Galileo and Brahe
demonstrated that the universe was not an unchanging set of stars with the Earth at its centre.
We now know that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and that the Sun, in turn, is just one of
a vast number of similar stars, some of which have their own planetary systems.
Today the search for life beyond Earth is one of the greatest goals of science. Manned and
unmanned spacecraft have explored the moon and parts of the solar system but, with present
technology, getting even to the closest star would take many generations. Instead, scientists use
radio telescopes to sweep the skies for signs of intelligent life.
SETI is the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. The mission of the SETI Institute is ‘to explore,
understand and explain the origin, nature, prevalence and distribution of life in the universe’.
SETI scientists hope one day to pick up a signal directed at Earth by an advanced
alien civilisation.
In 1959, physicists Giuseppi Cocconi and Phillip Morrison published an article in which they
pointed out the potential for using microwave radio signals to communicate with the stars. In 1960
a radio astronomer, Frank Drake, conducted the first microwave radio search for signals from
other planetary systems. In the 1960s the Soviet Union dominated SETI, looking for evidence of
advanced civilisations. In the 1970s SETI programs were established at two of NASA's centres -one doing targeted searches, the other systematic sweeps. In the early 1990s, government
funding for this project was cancelled, but the SETI Institute continues with private funding.
Today the SETI Institute conducts full-spectrum research into the possibility of life beyond Earth.
Activities
•
Consider how we might communicate with an extraterrestrial civilisation. Make a list
of the ways people communicate with each other on Earth. Would any of these be
practical for use with an extraterrestrial civilisation? What limiting factors are there?
Which methods would work in space? Describe the method you think would be most
practical.
•
‘Star Trek’ is a show in which a starship goes to another system in our galaxy. Proxima
Centauri, the star nearest to Earth (apart from our sun), is 40 000 billion km away. The
speed of light is about 1 billion km per hour. Can you think of practical problems with
visiting the stars? List possible solutions.
•
Mr Spock was famous for saying, "It's life…….but not as we know it". Humans
(Homo sapiens) and trees share an ancestor that lived about two billion years ago.
We probably share no biological ancestor with extraterrestrials. That may suggest
that it would be easier to talk to a tree than to an extraterrestrial. Consider the
types of life that may have evolved on other planets. Animal? Plant? Mineral?
Write a paragraph about a meeting with an alien. Provide an illustration.
31
11. Back to Earth
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing is the observation of an object from a distance. Examples are aerial photography
and the use of satellites to observe the Earth. Satellite remote sensing involves gathering
information about features on the Earth's surface from orbiting satellites. The digital data acquired
by the satellites is transmitted to ground stations and can be used to build an image of the Earth's
surface a bit like an aerial photograph.
Satellite data is used to provide timely and detailed information about the Earth's surface,
especially in relation to the management of our resources. In case of fire, flood and other
disasters, high resolution images can be provided to emergency services within 12 hours of a
satellite pass.
Remote sensing satellites also record infra red images from Earth. These images are beyond
visible wavelengths, so colours are assigned to these wavelengths to make them visible. These
'false colour' images are used to interpret things such as climate change and vegetation growth.
The Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES), Australia's major satellite remote sensing
organisation, was established as the Australian Landsat Station in 1979.
Activities
32
•
Look at the images provided by ACRES, which are included in this resource package.
Write a paragraph describing one of the landscapes you see.
•
Imagine a satellite has taken images above the area in which you live.
Paint a picture of what you think the image may look like.
•
How useful do you think images such as the ones provided by ACRES are?
Think of as many uses for these images as you can.
Spencer Gulf and Gulf of St Vincent, South Australia
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/viewrecord?4952
Credit: Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard
Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
12. Andy Thomas,
an Australian Astronaut
Andy Thomas, was born in Adelaide on December 18th 1951. He studied mechanical engineering
at the University of South Australia, completing his doctorate in 1978.
His professional career began in 1977 as a research scientist with the Lockheed Aeronautical
Systems Company in Georgia, USA. He worked as a scientist, examining various problems
associated with advanced aerodynamics and aircraft flight tests.
Dr Thomas was selected to join NASA in March 1992, and reported to the Johnson Space Centre
in August of that year. In August 1993, following one year of training, he was appointed a member
of the astronaut team and was qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on space shuttle
flight crews. He flew his first flight in space on Endeavour in May 1996 as the payload commander
for STS-77. This was a ten day mission during which the crew deployed two satellites, tested a
large inflatable space structure and conducted a variety of scientific experiments in a Spacelab
laboratory module carried in Endeavour's payload bay.
On January 22nd 1998, Dr Thomas was aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour as part of the STS-89 crew
when it docked with the Mir Space Station. He served aboard Mir as Flight Engineer 2 and
returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on June 12th 1998, after completing 141
days in space and 2 250 orbits of the Earth.
Dr Thomas recently completed his third space flight, travelling to the International Space Station
on STS-102. He has now logged a total of 163 days in space.
Image: Courtesy NASA
33
Image: Courtesy NASA
The International Space Station, as it will appear after completion in 2003
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/artistconcept/html/s97_10536.html
Resources
The Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks Museum
2 Booker Street, Spotswood, VIC 3015
Tel: (03) 9392 4800
Fax: (03) 9391 0100
Hours: 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. daily
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium/
The Scienceworks Shop offers 10% discount for teachers. It stocks a variety of space-related
books and posters, star maps, telescopes and other equipment.
Tel: (03) 9392 4806
The Starry Messenger: space related presentations for adult and student audiences.
Tel: (03) 5786 1382
Fax: (03) 5786 1942
Website: http://www.minerva.com.au/mu/starry/
Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
PO Box 4350, Kingston, ACT 2604
Tel: (02) 6201 7838
Fax: (02) 6201 7975
Mount Stromlo Observatory
Private Bag, Weston Creek, ACT 2611
Tel: (02) 6249 0230
Fax: (02) 6249 0233
NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators
Lorain County JVS
15181 Route 58 South
Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
http://core.nasa.gov/
Supplies NASA based educational resources.
Cinemedia loans videos on various space-related topics:
Tel: (03) 9920 7040
http://www.cinemedia.net
35
Internet addresses
Melbourne Planetarium:
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium
This site contains lots of information and links. Monthly sky notes are available
for southern Australia.
NASA:
http://spacescience.nasa.gov/index.htm
This is an enormous site, containing information and images on all aspects of space.
NASA history of space travel:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html
Latest Hubble Space Telescope observations and photographs:
http://hubble.stsci.edu/
The latest in Mars exploration from NASA:
http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/
European Space Agency:
http://www.esrin.esa.it/
Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex:
http://www.cdscc.nasa.gov
Mount Stromlo Observatory:
http://www.mso.anu.edu.au
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology: Includes satellite images.
http://www.bom.gov.au/
The Astronomical Association of Victoria provides activities for junior and adult members:
http://www.asv.org.au/
Thinkquest on Aboriginal constellations:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005462/index2.html
William Arnett’s site, containing images and links for the Solar System:
http://cedir.uow.edu.au/programs/tnp/nineplanets/nineplanets.html#toc
The Anglo Australian Observatory: information and images of galaxies:
http://www.aao.gov.au/images/general/galaxies.html
SETI Australia Centre
http://seti.uws.edu.au/default.htm
36
National Curriculum Links
Technology
Levels 6, 7 and 8; Years 7 to 10
Designing, Making and Appraising
Outcome 6.1
Analyses how needs, resources and circumstances affect the development and
application of particular technologies.
Outcome 7.1
Analyses the costs and benefits of particular technologies and the values that
underpin their development and application.
Outcome 8.1
Analyses the design development and marketing of products and processes to
identify needs and opportunities for innovation, and their political, environmental
and economic implications.
Science
Levels 4, 5 and 6; Years 5 to 7
Earth, Sky and People
Outcome 4.1
Examines ways scientists investigate the Earth, the solar system and the
universe.
Outcome 6.1
Explains scientific techniques used in monitoring the Earth from space.
Working Scientifically
Outcome 4.16
Reviews the extent to which conclusions are reasonable answers to the
questions asked.
Outcome 5.16
Identifies and considers factors that influence confidence in a conclusion.
Outcome 6.16
Assesses conclusions in relation to other evidence and sources.
Our Place in Space
Outcome 4.3
Locates and describes features of our universe.
Outcome 5.3
Compares and contrasts the conditions that support life on Earth with those of
other planets and our moon.
Outcome 7.3
Examines possible scientific solutions to the problems of supporting life in
space.
Outcome 8.3
Analyses ways in which theories of astronomy have contributed to different
cultures and societies.
Using Science
37
Outcome
Analyses the influence certain scientists have had on the ways we think about
the world.
English
Levels 4, 5, 6 and 7; Years 5 to 8
Reading and Viewing
Outcome 4.5
Justifies own interpretation of ideas, information and events in texts containing
some unfamiliar concepts and topics and which introduce relatively complex
linguistic structures and features.
Outcome 4.8b
With peers, identifies information needs and finds resources for
specific purposes.
Outcome 5.8b
Systematically finds and records information.
Outcome 6.8b
Gathers, selects and organises information effectively for specific purposes.
Outcome 7.8
Uses reading and viewing strategies that enable detailed critical evaluation
of texts.
Years 11 and 12
The exhibition would appeal to students in Years 11 and 12 studying:
• Photography
• English Literature
• Physics
• Astronomy
• Biology
• Chemistry
38