Transcript The Astronomical Search for Origins

Agenda
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EM Spectrum Review
NASA Astrophysics Observatories,
techniques, images
Visible Spectra, IR demo, UV beads
Resources
PPT and Resource Word doc
http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Edu/materials/pr
esentations.html
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The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Our eyes see only part of the
electromagnetic spectrum…
“Invisible” Light in Society
Each part of the spectrum impacts
our daily lives…
UV Sunscreen
Communications
Microwave ovens
Remote controls
X-rays
NASA SMD Astrophysics:
Discover the origin, structure,
evolution, and destiny of the
universe, and search for Earthlike planets
The Tools of Our Search
We collect light from distant objects, and bring
together researchers from many disciplines.
Stratospheric Observatory For
Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
Chandra X-ray telescope
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http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/
NASA Resources
Representative Color
“Invisible” Light in Astronomy
Each part of the spectrum provides a
piece of the puzzle in understanding
our universe.
The Pinwheel Galaxy
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/07
Galaxies:
How Do They Form and Evolve?
Ellipticals
Spirals
Huge collections of stars, gas, and
dust held together by gravity…
Irregulars
M82: A Burst of Star Formation
Infrared
Visible
X-Ray
Centaurus A
Infrared
Visible
X-Ray
Looking Back in Time
To find the earliest galaxies, we will need
to explore the universe in the infrared.
The Lives of Stars
The Orion Nebula
Infrared
Visible
X-Ray
Our Place in the Universe
Spectra = Signatures
Active Astronomy Lessons
Compare and contrast visible & infrared light
1. Overview and pre-test
2. What’s getting through to you?
gel filters
3. Seeing the Invisible
detector circuits
4. Reflection of Visible and Invisible
mirrors and detector circuits
5. Listening to Light
detector and transmitter circuits
Visible vs Infrared Images
Resources
SOFIA Active Astronomy
• http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Edu/materials/activ
eAstronomy/activeAstronomy.html
• SEEK and FLIR smart phone IR cameras
• ASP AstroShop
Noel Encarnacion
Inventory and Customer Service Manager
[email protected]
• PPT and Resource Word doc
http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Edu/materials/present
ations.html
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Resources
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Stanford Solar Center Spectrascopes and
Colors of the Sun video (high school for
power supply and gas tubes)
http://solar-center.stanford.edu/
Project Spectra
http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/education/
k-12/project-spectra/
NASA Tour of the EM Spectrum
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http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/index.html
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Sponsors for today’s talk
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NASA’s SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory
for Infrared Astronomy) Mission
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SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA