Observing Our Sun and Solar System

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Jackie Allan Matt Bobrowsky Lou Mayo Christine
Shupla
Jim Thieman
Observing Our Sun and Solar System
Image Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
http//solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm
?IM_ID178
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Opening Observations

• Examine the stuff on your groups table.
• What do you know about what you see?
• What questions do you have?
• Write down your groups questions on one of the
  large tablet sheets.

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Examining the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter
Our focus for today
Using the various methods developed by scientific
explorers over time
Divide into heliophysicists, venusian scientists,
and jovian scientists
http//www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/moon_
phases/about.shtml
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Beginning Observations

• Record observations
• What could early observers see when they looked
  at the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter (before Galileo)?
  
• Record your groups thoughts on your chart

• Your answers may have included
• Positions of these objects in the sky
• Time for cycles of motion
• Brightness and changes in brightness
• Eclipses
• Probably not sunspots or Venus phases

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Beginning Observations

• Lous Observational Activities
• Time to gather some data!

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Beginning Observations

• What can be learned from the motions of the Sun,
  Venus, and Jupiter in the sky and where and when
  they rise and set?

• Answers may include
• Angular motion
• Length of year
• Relative distances order of objects from Earth

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Beginning Observations

• What other questions do we have about the Sun,
  Venus, and Jupiter, beyond their positions?
  
• How do we get more and better science data? What
  is the next step?
  

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Telescopic Observations

• Record observations
• What could early telescopic observers see when
  they looked at the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter
  (Galileo up to early late 19th century)?
  
• Record your groups thoughts on your chart

• Your answers may have included
• Sunspots and Prominences
• Phases of Venus
• Moons of Jupiter
• Bands and Great Red Spot on Jupiter

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Telescopic Observations

• How did these observations change our
  understanding of the Universe?
  
• Here is a strong connection to the International
  Year of Astronomynew methods of observing create
  new questions and wonder!!
  

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Telescopic Observations

• Time to gather some data!

Now lets play with golf balls to model what we
observe!
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Telescopic Observations

• Sunspots

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Telescopic Observations

• What can be learned from observing sunspots,
  Venus phases, Jupiters moons, Great Red Spot,
  etc?

• Answers may include
• Evidence that Earth orbits the Sun!
• Suns rotation
• Jupiters rotation
• Orbital periods of Jupiters moons
• Mass of Jupiter
• Solar Cycle

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Telescopic Observations

• What other questions do we have about the Sun,
  Venus, and Jupiter?
  
• How do we get more and better science data? What
  is the next step?
  

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Spectroscopic Observations

• Record observations
• What could early telescopic observers see when
  they looked at the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter (up to
  today)?
  
• Record your groups thoughts on your chart

• Your answers may have included
• Solar flares
• Corona chromosphere of the Sun
• Absorption lines from Sun, Jupiter, Venus
  atmosphere
  

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Spectroscopic Observations

• Absorption spectra

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Spectroscopic Observations

• Absorption spectra

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Spectroscopic Observations

• What can be learned from the spectroscopic data
  of the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter, and observations
  at other wavelengths?

• Answers may include
• Discovery of helium
• Composition of the Sun
• Carbon dioxide atmosphere for Venus
• Jupiters hydrogen and helium composition

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Spectroscopic Observations

• What other questions do we have about the Sun,
  Venus, and Jupiter?
  
• How do we get more and better science data? What
  is the next step?
  

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Observations in Space

• Record observations
• What can modern scientists see when they look at
  the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter using current
  orbiting and fly-by missions? (SOHO, Galileo,
  Magellan, etc.)
• Record your groups thoughts on your chart

• Your answers may have included
• Wavelengths blocked by Earths atmosphere (some
  radio, x-ray, ultraviolet, etc.)
  
• More detailed spectra and images
• Radar information

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Observations in Space

• Observational Activities
• From http//soho.nascom.nasa.gov/explore/lessons/m
  atching_activity.html
  
• Time to gather some data!

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Observations in Space

• Can you match the extreme ultraviolet image to
  the magnetic activity images?
  
• If so, what does that tell us?

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Observations in Space

• What can be learned from orbiting and fly-by
  missions of Venus, the Sun, and Jupiter?

• Answers may include
• Magnetic field information
• Radar topography of Venusvolcanos!
• Aurora information of Jupiter

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Observations in Space

• What other questions do we have about the Sun,
  Venus, and Jupiter?
  
• How do we get more and better science data? What
  is the next step?
  

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Landing and Sample Returns

• Record observations
• What can landing and sample return missions learn
  about the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter?
  
• Record your groups thoughts on your chart

• Your answers may have included
• Detailed Composition of the Sun, Venus, Jupiter
• Extrapolate that information to understand our
  Solar Systems and Earths history
  

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Landing and Sample Returns

• Observational Activities
• Time to gather some data!

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Landing and Sample Returns

• What can be learned about the Sun, Venus, and
  Jupiter with past and future landing and sample
  return missions?

• Answers may include
• From the Genesis sample return composition of
  the early solar nebula that formed our Solar
  System
  
• From Venus surface conditions, types of rocks
  will give us history of geologic activity, maybe
  dates?
  
• Jupiter Galileo mission gave us conditions
  inside the atmosphere, composition, winds, etc.
  

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Landing and Sample Returns

• What other questions do we have about the Sun,
  Venus, and Jupiter?
  
• How do we get more and better science data? What
  is the next step?
  

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Observe the Solar System
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Evaluation of Todays Workshop

• 1. St. Louis Postcard What one action step will
  you take to integrate materials/strategies that
  you learned about today into your own astronomy
  practice to help your audiences discover the
  universe during IYA?
• 2. Green Index card Describe one or two key
  insights or strategies that you learned through
  today's workshop.
  
• 3. Red Index card What suggestion(s) do you have
  for future NASA IYA workshop providers to better
  meet your needs for planning and implementing IYA
  learning opportunities?