Keplers Other Worlds

1
Keplers Other Worlds
31 May 2008 AAS/ASP Discover the Universe with
NASA During the International Year of Astronomy
2009!
Alan Gould Lawrence Hall of Science University of
California Berkeley
2
Tracking Transits

• Activity is being field tested by FOSS
• Full Option Science System
• to become part of revise Planetary Science course
• for middle school

• Start with modeling transit

3
If we had a light sensor pointed at the light,
and we passed a book in front of the light,
what would the light curve (graph of light
brightness vs time) look like?
4
Light Curve of Book
5
What would the light curve of the transiting
planet look like?
6
(No Transcript)
7
LEGO Orrery

• Instructions on Kepler website
• First prototype had 3 planets
• Deputy PI Dave Koch made 4-planet model

8
Full Option Science System (FOSS)

• First prototype of orrery for FOSS Planetary
  Science kit
• Intended to be in Delta Education catalog

9
Light Curve A
10
Light Curve B
11
Light Curve C
12
Light Curve D
13
Light Curve E
14
Detecting Planet Transits and Human Orrery
15
From GEMS grades 6-8 Space Science Sequence

• 4 Units
• The Sun
• Seasons
• Solar System
• Beyond the Solar System

Detecting Planet Transits is in Unit 4
Available this summer.
16
Create a model of a transit

• Human Orrery in Solar System Unit
• Detecting Transits in Beyond the Solar System
  Unit

• 4 Units
• Distance and Size
• How Earth moves
• Gravity
• Phases of the Moon

17
Human Orrery

• In Solar System Unit (3) of GEMS Space Science
  Sequence
• 3D model of inner solar system

18
Exoplanet Transit Hunt

• Online
• Interactive
• Simulates transit method of planet-finding
• Based on outdated original Hyperstudio simulation
  by Dave Koch

19
Select a Star
Revised HOU high school curriculum A Changing
Cosmos becoming part of Global Systems Science
20
Uncle Als Kepler Star Wheel

• Find it on the Kepler website

21
Planet Families

• Developed as part of Alien Earths traveling
  exhibit
• Made into online interactive

22
Where to Find Them
http//kepler.nasa.gov