HUNTING DOOMSDAY ASTEROIDS

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TURNING THE NVO INTO AN EVOAn Educational
Virtual Observatory
Larry Marschall Project CLEA Gettysburg College
NVO EPO Workshop, JHU/STScI, July 11, 2002
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THE TWO PRIME DIRECTIVES IN DEVELOPING
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

• Consider your Audience
• Consider your educational objectives

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AUDIENCES FOR CLASSROOM MATERIALS

• Students Science Majors or Non-Science Majors?
• Faculty Trained Astronomers or Not?
• Institutions HS, 2 yr, 4 yr, Univ?

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Example Introductory College Level Astronomy

• Who takes introductory astronomy in the US?
• 200 250 K students/year mostly non-science
  majors.
• Who teaches introductory astronomy in the US?
• Most classes are taught by instructors whose
  Ph.D. is NOT in astronomy.

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EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LABORATORY
EXERCISES DIRECTED AT NON-SCIENCE MAJORS

• Keep it simple
• Highlight fundamental astrophysical research
  techniques
• Avoid black boxiness --- methods should be
  transparent to user.

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EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LABORATORY
EXERCISES DIRECTED AT PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
MAJORS

• Complexities and tricks can be included
• Clever variations on basic techniques or exotic
  applications are acceptable
• Avoid black boxiness --- methods should be
  transparent to user.
• What about teaching data mining itself? Is Data
  Mining a black box?

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An Example PROJECT CLEAContemporary Laboratory
Experiences in Astronomy

• Laboratory exercises illustrating modern
  astronomical techniques
• Designed for non-science majors, but adaptable.
• Simulation of measurement process.
• Modern digital data and analysis techniques,
  using, wherever possible, real data.
• Modular each module includes software, student
  workbook(s) technical guide.
• Funded by Gettysburg College and the NSF

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PROJECT CLEAContemporary Laboratory Experiences
in Astronomy
Project Staff

• Larry Marschall P.I. Graphic Design and Manuals
• Glenn Snyder Software
• P.Richard Cooper Manager and Outreach
  Coordinator
• Also Mike Hayden, Rhonda Good, Mia Luehrmann,
  Helenmarie Hofmann, Marcus Lieberman,
• Students Shawn Baker, Erin Walsh, Brin Finnigan,
  Julia Lynch, Lauren Jones, Michell Vojtush

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PROJECT CLEAContemporary Laboratory Experiences
in AstronomyDISSEMINATION

• Freeware (to educational users).
• Software and manuals downloadable from website
• http//www.gettysburg.edu/academics/physics/clea/
  CLEAhome.html
• Users in all states and gt 60 countries
• Manuals available in Spanish, Italian, Dutch,
  Polish, Hebrew, Kiwi, ???

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PROJECT CLEAContemporary Laboratory Experiences
in AstronomyTRAINING

• Workshops at AAPT Sectional meetings
• Workshops at AAPT national meetings
• For Physics faculty who are teaching Astronomy
  courses 9-day workshops on Research Techniques
  in Astronomy, at Gettysburg and Green Bank June
  2000, 2001, and coming up 2003 and 2004.

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PROJECT CLEAContemporary Laboratory Experiences
in AstronomyASSESSMENT

• Pre and post concept tests available for
  downloading.
• Satisfaction survey available on line.
• Site visits by external evaluator.
• Study of lab and non-lab classes by Gina
  Brissenden, University of Wisconsin.

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EXERCISES FROM PROJECT CLEA (1)
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EXERCISES FROM PROJECT CLEA (2)
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EXERCISES FROM PROJECT CLEA (3)
Collaboration over the LAN
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THE SEARCH FOR OBJECT XA Capstone Exercise

• Students are given the coordinates of an unknown
  object and a summary of identification criteria
• Access to Optical, Radio, IR and X-ray telescopes
  instruments VIREO The Virtual Educational
  Observatory
• Carry out an observing program of their own
  design, identify type of object.
• Measure its physical characteristics
• Write report in specified format (Journal
  article, lab report, etc).
• Note The Object X database currently contains 20
  million stars, 50,000 galaxies, 6000 qsos,
  20,000 asteroids, 1000 pulsars, 50 million IR
  sources. Under development X-ray

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THE SEARCH FOR OBJECT X and the Virtual
Educational Observatory
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GENERAL CONSIDERATIONSin making EVOs from the
NVO

• SELECTED DATA SETS, not access to the entire
  database, is what is required
• THE USER INTERFACE is of prime importance, and
  should be designed, if not created, by teachers.
  The advice and collaboration of the research
  community is essential, however.
• BOTH DATA and PROCESSING can be distributed, but
  servers may have to handle the onslaught of
  classes rather than sporadic users.

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WHATS NEXT FOR PROJECT CLEA?

• X-Ray Astronomy Integrating CHANDRA data via the
  web and DS-9
• OLEO The On-Line Educational Observatory on the
  web
• I Cant believe its not a real telescope
• Teachers guides and more alternative student
  manuals.

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THENATIONAL VIRTUAL OBSERVATORYis the line
between observation and simulation blurring?
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CLEA MANUALS IN SPANISH
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CLEA MANUALS IN ITALIAN
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CLEA MANUALS IN DUTCH
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CLEA MANUALS IN HEBREW
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CLEA MANUALS IN POLISH
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CLEA MANUALS IN KIWI
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An older Canned Lab on Spectral Classification
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Modern Astronomy uses digital spectra displayed
graphically.
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An Older Canned Lab on Hubbles Law
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The CLEA WEBSITE http//www.gettysburg.edu/acade
mics/physics/CLEAhome.html