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Tactile Sun
Bringing an Invisible Universe to the Visually Impaired
A Do-it-yourself Guide
The University of Washington Mobile Planetarium
www.capjournal.org
This image shows Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot at its smallest ever observed size. The Great Red Spot is a churning anti-
News
cyclonic storm and is one of the most widely known and popular planetary features in the Solar System.
The Great Red Spot shows up in images of the giant planet as a conspicuous deep red eye embedded in swirling layers of pale
yellow, orange and white. Winds inside this Jovian storm rage at immense speeds, reaching several hundreds of kilometres per hour.
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the spot at just under 16 500 kilometres across, significantly smaller than
the 23 335 kilometres of 1979.
So, I would like to thank the authors of the papers and arti-
cles found in this journal for helping us to share knowledge
on communicating astronomy with the public and to expand
Contents and improve upon the field. Not to mention the team of peo-
ple at the IAU and ESO ePOD who make this journal happen,
Explained in 60 Seconds: Timescales of Stellar Oscillations 4 alongside countless other outreach initiatives.
Tactile Sun: Bringing an Invisible Universe to the Visually Impaired 5 In this issue you will find articles that outline best prac-
tice for astronomy outreach with the visually impaired, with
Here, There & Everywhere: Science through Metaphor, the elderly, with children and with audiences from around
Near and Far 8 the world — from rural Mexico to downtown Tokyo, Japan.
Amongst the research articles there are resources on
Using Survey Data to Inform Best Practice of designing your own spectroscopy lab, building a do-it-your-
Engagement with New Audiences 10 self portable planetarium programme and using new analo-
gies to bring the Universe down to a scale that can be bet-
Reaching the Remote: Astronomy Outreach in Rural Mexico 15 ter understood.
Reaching for the Stars in your Golden Years: If you have any comments, feedback, or wish to send a sub-
The Importance of Outreach for Senior Citizens 18 mission or proposal of your own for our upcoming issues, do
not hesitate to get in touch: editor@capjournal.org.
Camping Under the Stars: The ESO Astronomy Camp 2013 20
Many thanks for your interest in CAPjournal and happy
Streaming Astronomical Events for Public Viewings: reading,
The 2009 Total Eclipse in Japan 24
Announcement
Best Practices
Cover: On the cover of this issue is an image from the Ultraviolet
Coverage of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF) project. It is Research & Applications
the most comprehensive picture ever assembled of the evolving
Universe — and one of the most colourful. Credit: NASA, ESA, Column
H. Teplitz and M. Rafelski (IPAC/Caltech), A. Koekemoer (STScI),
Review
R. Windhorst (Arizona State University), and Z. Levay (STScI).
60 Seconds
Explained in 60 Seconds:
Explain in
For the most part the stars are constants ness variation in a red giant star five times The fast-moving second hand can be a
in our lives and are often perceived as only the diameter of the Sun. good proxy for the variability of a white
changing on timescales of billions of years. dwarf. These densely packed objects are
However, the brightnesses of stars can The minute hand: it completes one cycle in about one tenth of the Sun’s size, and have
vary over a period of time that you could an hour and illustrates the time it takes for brightness variation periods of 100 to 1200
measure on your watch. a red giant twice the diameter of the Sun to seconds.
vary in brightness.
The hour hand: it takes half a day to com- Variability timescales give a good indica-
plete one full revolution — in other words it The Sun is oscillating with a period of five tion of the density of a star. Periods can
has a frequency of two cycles per day. This minutes — a typical coffee break. range from between a few hundred sec-
is roughly the same timescale as the bright- onds in very dense objects to several hun-
dred days for stars with a low density like
Mira, a red giant with a diameter one hun-
dred times that of the Sun.
Practices
Best
Bringing an Invisible Universe to the Visually Impaired
Summary
A tactile model of the Sun has been created as a strategy for communicating astronomy to the blind or visually impaired,
and as a useful outreach tool for general audiences. The model design was a collaboration between an education spe-
cialist, an astronomy specialist and a sculptor. The tactile Sun has been used at astronomy outreach events in Puerto Rico
to make activities more inclusive and to increase public awareness of the needs of those with disabilities.
Introduction tific concepts (Hobson, 2008). Astronomy institutions, public places and museums
in particular is a course that attracts the have a limited selection of adapted mate-
The University of Puerto Rico is currently interest of many students and can serve rials that can be used to elaborate astron-
pursuing strategies to adapt its Descriptive to inspire them to learn about science and omy concepts, and are available to be
Astronomy course for students who are technology (IAU, 2010). used by visually impaired visitors and
visually impaired or blind (Isidro, 2013). students.
Making elective science courses availa- The resources typically available for pre-
ble and accessible to all college students senting astronomical concepts to the Learning to present astronomy concepts
is very important as a means to improve visually impaired are limited to three- according to individual needs in this way
science literacy and give a foundation in dimensional figures, tactile plane figures not only enhances the individual’s appre-
the scientific method and in general scien- and some Braille lessons. Some academic ciation of the concepts and access to
scientific knowledge, but also promotes
a culture of respect for the differences of
others.
Isidro worked as a volunteer for the Hands represents the granular appearance in the Some uses of a tactile model of the
that See workshop at the Museum of Art, visible images of the Sun. The grains in the Sun
Puerto Rico. The workshop was developed tactile Sun correspond to the movement of
with the assistance of five volunteers and gas in the convection zone of the Sun. In The team have used the tactile Sun model
a member of the museum staff. The par- visible images, the bright areas of the Sun at different events 4 developed in consul-
ticipants included totally blind, visually represent gas that is ascending and the tation with blind people. It was displayed
impaired and paraplegic individuals. The dark areas are the descending gas. In the at an exhibit during the celebration of
tactile Sun project was developed over a tactile Sun, the high reliefs represent the White Cane Day 5: Dare to See the World
period of ten weeks and concluded with ascending gas and the low reliefs repre- with Your Eyes Closed, at the University
a display of the students’ creations 3 at the sent the descending gas. of Puerto Rico (15 October 2013). The
museum in May 2013. model has also been used at teacher
The surface of the sphere has two arcs that workshops with science and mathematics
are protruding from the surface. These arcs teachers and with special education teach-
Designing a tactile model of the represent two prominences — jets of gas ers, as a resource with sighted students
Sun ejected from active regions on the Sun’s at all levels in an activity about the scale
surface with the shape of arcs. In addition, of the Solar System, and to present con-
The tactile Sun was created on a styrofoam the tactile Sun has three flat surfaces rep- cepts and at the same time display differ-
sphere coated with a metal mesh screen. resenting three solar flares — jets of gas ent resources developed to make astron-
The texture of the Sun was made using ejected from active regions of the Sun’s omy more accessible.
cold porcelain and it was then painted with surface shaped as flames.
acrylic paint. Cold porcelain is an easy-to- When discussing the Sun at outreach
prepare and inexpensive material that is In the centre of the sphere, there is a small events it is very important to remind the
used in crafts. hole that represents a sunspot — a region public to never look directly at the Sun with-
where the temperature is lower than adja- out proper protection because direct sun-
The tactile Sun consists of a sphere with cent areas. Some sunspots are compara- light may cause permanent damage to our
a radius of 10.9 cm and its rough texture ble in size to the size of Earth. eyes.
The design and development of tactile Arcand, K., Watzke, M. & De Pree, C. 2010, 1 ttp://astrokit.uv.es/downloads/The-
h
materials as an education strategy offers Communicating Astronomy with the Public MoonatYourFingertips_Guide.pdf (retrieved
blind students or students with special Journal, 8, 15 on (19.3.2014)
needs the opportunity to become inter- Grice, N. 2005, Touch the Sun. A NASA 2 ttp://www.youtube.com/
h
ested in learning science and math Braille Book, The Joseph Henry Press, watch?v=fBpNNeh1NzA (retrieved on
ematics. The tactile Sun is an example of Washington, DC 18.2.2014)
how to create tactile resources in the class- Grice, N., Steel, S. & Daou, D. 2007, Touch the 3 ttp://www.youtube.com/
h
room and at astronomy outreach events Invisible Sky. A Multi-Wavelength Braille watch?v=rznx1GxHTQo (retrieved on
that are made using easy-to-find materials. Book. Featuring Tactile NASA Images, 18.2.2014)
(Puerto Rico: OZONE Publishing Corpora- 4 ttp://materialdidacticoparaciegos.blogs-
h
tion) pot.com/ (retrieved on 3.6.2012)
It is very helpful to include the blind dur-
ing the process of design and elaboration Grice, N. 1998, Touch the Stars, (Boston: 5 http://www.nfb.org/ (retrieved on 3.6.2012)
Museum of Science and Charles Hayden
of the models to be used with this com- 6 ttp://www.freedomscientific.com/products/
h
Planetarium)
munity and to synchronise activities with fs/jaws-product-page.asp (retrieved on
events already organised by the commu- Grice, N. 2002, Touch the Universe: a NASA 18.2.2014)
Braille Book of Astronomy. (Baltimore, Mary-
nity. This strengthens the activity’s rele- 7 ttp://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/earthplus/
h
land: Reese Press)
vance to the community, enhances the (retrieved on 20.2.2014)
quality of the output in communicating key Grice, N. 2005, Touch the Sun, (West Monroe,
Louisiana: VIEW International Foundation)
concepts and helps to establish stronger
bonds with the blind community. Grice, N. 2005, El pequeño libro de las fases
de la Luna, (Puerto Rico: OZONE Publishing
Corporation), ISBN 0-9773285-5-4
Other resources for engaging the Hansen, A. et al. 2009, Touch the Earth, A
multimedia book about the Earth’s biomes,
visually impaired with astronomy
(Baltimore: Whitmore Group)
• A printed guide (in large print and Braille) Hobson, A. 2008, The Physics Teacher, 46,
404
to using the tactile model was created by
the University. Hurd, D. & Matelock, J. 2002, Our Place in
• T he tactile Sun can be complemented Space. A Tactile Exploration, Edinboro Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania
with images from the book Touch the
Sun by Noreen Grice (2005). IAU 2010, Astronomy for the Developing World.
• There are several Braille books with tac- Building from the IYA2009, Strategic Plan Biographies
2010–2020
tile images available. These include
Touch the Earth, Touch the Sun, Touch Isidro Villamizar, G. M. 2013, Modelo de
the Universe, Touch the Invisible Sky, accesibilidad de conceptos matemáticos Gloria M. Isidro obtained her PhD from the
aplicados en el curso de astronomía Education Faculty of the University of Puerto
Touch the Stars, The Little Moon Phase Rico, San Juan campus. Dr Isidro is from
descriptiva para estudiantes con impedmen-
Book and Our Place in Space (Grice, tos visuales en la UPR, Order No. 3561798, Colombia. She completed her undergradu-
2006). University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras ate studies in Mathematics at the Universidad
• There is a tactile/Braille exhibit that was Industrial de Santander in Colombia. She com-
(Puerto Rico), ProQuest Dissertations and
pleted a Masters degree in Mathematics at the
developed during the International Year Theses, 221 University of Puerto Rico. She has worked on
of Astronomy 2009 (Arcand et al., 2010). developing strategies to make the learning of
• At events where the setting allows for the mathematics and astronomy accessible for
use of computers, assistive technology blind students.
with software such as JAWS6, or Earth+7
Carmen A. Pantoja is the first Puerto Rican
can be used alongside other tactile- woman astronomer. She completed her Bach-
adapted materials to allow the blind to elor and Master’s degrees in Physics at the Uni-
participate actively and independently in versity of Puerto Rico (UPR), and obtained a
the demonstration. PhD at the University of Oklahoma using the
Arecibo Observatory for her research. She is an
Associate Professor of Physics at the Depart-
ment of Physics of the Natural Sciences Fac-
ulty (UPR, San Juan). Dr Pantoja is interested
in the large-scale distribution of galaxies in
the Universe and in the emission properties at
radio and infrared wavelengths of galaxies. She
has worked in the development of strategies to
make astronomy accessible for persons who
are visually impaired or blind.
Summary
The use of metaphors in teaching and learning has a long-standing history. Metaphors can be an effective way to make
something new seem less daunting by comparing it with something more familiar. This technique of equating different or
disparate things can help complex concepts become more understandable and accessible. The power of the metaphor
is discussed in this article, which explores a recent public science project from the Chandra X-ray Center called Here, There
and Everywhere. This project attempts to utilise analogy in effective science communication, as well highlighting the dan-
gers that come alongside the use of metaphor and analogy. The article will also look at other areas where metaphors may
be usefully implemented in astronomy communication, such as for upcoming programmes, including the International Year
of Light 2015.
Introduction and astrophysics. To that end, the Chandra the conversion of rotational energy into
X-ray Center science communications outflows. Furthermore, most of us proba-
A common refrain heard by those in astron- group created the project, Here, There, and bly do not think of how this could in turn
omy communication, whether from stu- Everywhere (HTE). be related to energetic winds powered by
dents or the greater public runs along rapidly rotating pulsars. But why not? With
these lines: “What does space have to do At the core of the HTE project is the idea the dog, we are observing something that
with me?”, “The Universe seems too com- of grouping familiar happenings in our day- we can grasp, whose underlying physics
plicated for me to understand”, or “Why to-day experiences on Earth with those on we understand from experience. However
should I care about things so far away?” larger scales across the planet and ulti- we often miss the universality of physi-
(Rosenberg et al., 2013). mately with objects and events in space. cal laws and the connection between our
A non-expert might not realise that a solid everyday world and the larger environment.
Research strongly suggests that the knowl- scientific connection exists between seem-
edge and reasoning of people is situated ingly different scenes and so HTE materials
within a context (Osborne, 2007; Brown, attempt to convey that science can con- Metaphor development
Collins & Duiguid, 1989; Carraher, Carraher nect things across vast scales and in many
& Schliemann, 1985; Lave, 1988). By help- different environments. The HTE team of scientists, science com-
ing to make cosmic phenomena easier to municators and educators paid particular
relate to by the use of metaphors, we can When we see a wet dog creatively twist- attention to metaphor creation. Research
perhaps chip away at some of the barri- ing her body back and forth to shake off and development was done through key
ers to the scientific content of astronomy the water, our thoughts might not drift to stages of prototype creation, response to
formative evaluation sessions with non-
expert volunteers and final content refine-
ment.
References
Here, There & Everywhere: Science through Metaphor, Near and Far 9
Applications
Summary
The main purpose of this article is to discuss how survey findings concerning the audiences for astronomy and space sci-
ence outreach could help science communicators to foster public interest and participation in space activities among larger
audiences. The article draws on findings from a large survey carried out in the UK, based on the responses of 744 respond-
ents attending astronomy and space outreach events. The results of this survey, including interests, preferred means of
exploration, beliefs and rationales for exploration, and the relationship with age and gender, could help practitioners reach
new audiences who are not often targeted by conventional outreach efforts.
Introduction veys of public attitudes towards science vey findings may assist in understanding
and technology. The National Science audiences and planning outreach strate-
Space science and astronomy are rec- Foundation (NSF), for example, started gies.
ognised by many as being particularly surveying Americans’ opinions on science
attractive subjects for both students and and technology in 1979, but it was not This study is part of a broader analysis
the general public. Contact with these until 1981 that they introduced questions that examines the public support for space
subjects has a positive effect on students’ on attentiveness to space exploration exploration (Entradas, Miller & Peters,
interest in science and scientific careers, (NSB, 2002, 2010; Miller, 1987). Although 2011).
as well as public support for science and undoubtedly a valuable source of infor
technology. As a result, communication of mation about public interest, knowledge
these subjects is regarded as an impor- and attentiveness, these surveys do not Methods
tant activity to be undertaken by individu- provide an in-depth characterisation of the
als, governments and research institutions public. Practitioners of science communi- The study was conducted at two space
dealing with space research (e.g., Barstow, cation often stress the lack of quantitative outreach events in the UK: the Royal
2005; Washington Charter, 2003; BNSC, data about their audience, which leaves Society Summer Exhibition in London and
2008; Space IGS, 2011; RAS, 2004; Global them to guess the characteristics of the the National Space Centre in Leicester, in
Exploration Strategy, 2007; National Space groups that they are meant to be address- the summer of 2008.
Technology, 2011). ing (Entradas, 2011).
Questions designed as indicators of the
The International Astronomical Union A careful analysis of survey data may pro- concepts “beliefs”, “attitudes”, “rationales
Commission 55 developed the Washington vide a useful framework for thinking not for exploration”, and “political references”
Charter in 2003, which highlights principles only about audiences that are already were included in a short questionnaire dis-
of action for individuals and organisations being targeted by practitioners’ commu- tributed to visitors to the exhibitions and
involved in astronomical research, stating nication efforts, but also about new audi- returned immediately. All questionnaires
that they “have a compelling obligation to ences to reach and communication strate- were anonymous. 744 visitors returned the
communicate their results and efforts with gies to carry out. questionnaires; 249 respondents from the
the public for the benefit of all”. Royal Society and 495 from the National
The study presented here empirically Space Centre. The response rate at the
However, the social scientific literature on examines the characteristics of the British Royal Society Exhibition was 62% and at
these audiences is still relatively limited audience attending astronomy and space the National Space Centre was 71%.
(Bell & Parker, 2009). Audience charac- outreach events and focusses on some of
teristics are usually studied in general sur- those characteristics to discuss how sur-
The variables discussed here are: socio- 5HVSRQGHQWV cation efforts are more likely to be female,
demographics such as gender, age and 1XPEHURI 7RWDO young adults aged 16–24 years, and peo-
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professional activity, means of explora- ple who do not have a professional con-
tion, rationales for exploration, and beliefs *HQGHU nection to science.
in extraterrestrial life. All v ariables were 0DOH
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measured at the nominal level, except
7RWDO
age which was measured at the ordi- 2. Preferred means of exploration
nal level. The relationships between var- $JH
iables were measured using contin- When asked “How do you think we should
gency tables, non-parametric tests (χ2), ² explore the Solar System?” respond-
Cramer’s V (for nominal and ordinal vari- ² ents showed positive support for space
ables), and Gamma (for ordinal variables). ² e xploration with 98% of respondents
Relationships between both age and gen- agreeing that we should explore space.
der with the variables “means of explo- 7RWDO Yet, they held differing views on the pre-
ration”, “rationales for exploration”, and ferred means of exploration. While the
3URIHVVLRQDODFWLYLW\
“belief in extraterrestrial life” were tested majority tended to agree with multiple
6HFRQGDU\VWXGHQW
to determine correlations. A significance means (55%), 43% had varying opinions
8QGHUJUDGXDWH
value of p = 0.05 was used to reject/accept on favoured means, with robotic and
3RVWJUDGXDWH
the hypotheses about the relationships 5HVHDUFKHU manned missions ranking higher (16%)
being tested. 2WKHU
than observation from spacecraft (9%)
7RWDO and observation from Earth (6%). Only a
small number (2%) thought we should stop
Audience for astronomy and space Table 1. Demographic profile of respondents. exploring space (Figure 1).
exploration outreach events
A small percentage of respondents (5.3%)
1. Socio-demographic factors Table 1 shows that a majority of the public ticked more than one response. A sepa-
attending astronomy and space explora- rate analysis looked in more detail at this
The principal finding that comes out of the tion outreach events were male, that young portion of the sample and reflected in this
data is that the frequency distribution of the adults (16–24 years) were the most under- analysis were concerns about manned
socio-demographic factors in both sub- represented and that almost half were space missions: a majority (3.5% out of
samples — the Royal Society Exhibition either students or had a professional con- 5.3%) ticked the three answer options that
and the National Space Centre — were nection to science. The latter is likely to be did not involve human exploration.
largely the same. Both sub-samples were below the actual percentage as some of
equally characterised in terms of gender, the children aged 15 or under, if not yet As one of the main discussions around
age and professional activity. This sug- secondary students, might have consid- space exploration, not only in the UK but
gests that these characteristics are typical ered themselves to fall into the category also elsewhere, is whether it should involve
of the audiences who attend astronomy “others” as no other option was provided. humans, this finding is not surprising. It is
and space exploration outreach events. to be expected that individuals who did
These data thus suggest that those not not agree with “all means of exploration”
Moreover, the distribution of responses to being reached by practitioners’ communi- and chose more than one answer would
survey questions by respondents at both
survey locations was also quite similar
(p > 0.05). χ 2 was used for each ques-
1RQHRIWKHVH 2EVHUYDWLRQIURP(DUWK
tion to test the similarity of distribution of
answers in both sub-samples.
6SDFHFUDIW
This finding indicates that the location did
not influence the distribution of answers in
the two sub-samples, reinforcing the idea
5RERWLFODQGLQJDQG
that not only socio-demographic charac- H[SORUDWLRQ
teristics, but also the other characteris-
tics surveyed, should be typical of audi-
ences for astronomy and space events. $OORIWKHVH
Due to the similarity between the two sub-
samples (p > 0.05), they are not treated +XPDQVSDFHPLVVLRQV
separately in the statistical analysis and
an aggregated data analysis is presented.
Using Survey Data to Inform Best Practice of Engagement with New Audiences 11
Using Survey Data to Inform Best Practice of Engagement with New Audiences
When asked about rationales for explo- with the statement (31%), a similar number 4. Beliefs in life beyond Earth
ration, the most common response was disagreed with the statement (28%), and
“generating new scientific knowledge almost half of respondents were ambiva- 4.1. Is there life out there?
and advancing human culture” (69%). lent (41%). When asked “Do you think life has ever
“Inspiring new generations” was the sec- existed on other planets in the Solar
ond most common reason (16%), while Associations were not found between System?” the majority of respondents said
“creating international cooperation” (3%), respondents’ demographics and ration- they believe that life has existed elsewhere
“engaging British society in the full excite- ales for exploration (p > 0.05). This is not in the Solar System (63%), either as primi-
ment of space exploration” (6%), and at all surprising as the great majority of tive (47%) or higher forms (16%). However,
“returning value to the UK economy” respondents mentioned the same reason around a quarter of the respondents said
(6%) did not appear to be strong prefer- to explore space. “don’t know” (24%). A further 12% did
ences for the justification of space explo- not believe that other planets in the Solar
ration. This seems to suggest that people System have held life (Figure 3).
think of space exploration as a science
whose aim is to generate new knowledge
about the Universe, rather than thinking
'RQ·WNQRZ 1R
about the practical applications of tech-
nologies derived from space exploration.
Applications that have included mobile
phones, GPS, and weather forecasting.
Discussion: Reaching new ysis of these data. Drawing on analysis of to believe that life may exist, or may have
audiences for astronomy and responses from this group and the relation existed outside Earth (63%) in either prim-
space of these responses with age and gender itive (37%) or higher forms (16%). In addi-
factors, practitioners could reach new audi- tion, audiences showed a strong positive
The main purpose of this article is to dis- ences who have not been targeted by their attitude towards exploring space beyond
cuss how surveys of audiences for astron- outreach efforts. the Solar System (56%), on Mars (52%) and
omy and space could benefit the role of on other planets in the Solar System (49%).
science communicators in stimulating pub- The main findings presented here show
lic interest and participation in space activ- that the group most certainly interested in The audiences that have been less well
ities amongst larger audiences. This dis- space and astronomy is mainly composed reached by practitioners’ communication
cussion is based on a UK survey of 744 of male adults aged 25–54 years whose efforts are likely to be female young adults,
respondents attending astronomy and professional occupation relates somehow aged 16–24, who do not have a profes-
space outreach events, as well as other to science. As for the other characteristics sional link to science.
studies, including previous detailed anal- of respondents, a majority of them reported
Using Survey Data to Inform Best Practice of Engagement with New Audiences 13
Footer Main No.
CAPjournal, Title15, July 2014
In particular, the poor attendance of young be based on females’ beliefs, interests National Space Technology Strategy 2011, A
adults seems to be of particular con- and attitudes towards space and astron- National Space Technology Strategy for the
cern. The absence of this age group at omy as shown here. For instance the sur- UK: A High Growth Sector, (London: The UK
outreach events, combined with their lim- vey suggests that a way of reaching new National Space Technology Steering Group)
ited awareness of astronomy and space- audiences might be through communicat- Ottavianelli, G. & Good, M. 2002, Space
related issues (Ottavianelli & Good, 2002; ing the more tangible technological bene- Policy, 18, 2, 117
Saftwat et al., 2006), shows a younger fits of space exploration. Royal Astronomical Society 2004, Report of
stratum of people with whom it is critical the Commission on the Scientific Case for
to engage. It might be of particular inter- Deep analysis of these data (Entradas, Human Space Exploration, (London: Royal
est to attract this cohort since ESA and Miller & Peters, 2011), shows that the more Astronomical Society)
NASA’s long-term space programmes, the public valued space exploration sci- Space IGS 2011, The Space Innovation and
the Aurora Programme and the Vision for ence, the more they tended to support Growth Strategy 2010 to 2030, (London:
Space Exploration (VSE), respectively, higher levels of government spending on Space IGS)
have ambitious aims that call for human space activities. However, as the results
exploration of the Solar System and will here show, only 30% of the respondents
certainly require support from these indi- surveyed believed that space explora-
viduals. Moreover, reaching younger age tion is good value for money, suggesting
groups means recruiting more students a deficit in public knowledge of the bene-
for scientific careers and combating the fits that might come from space research.
decline in the number of young people Therefore, it is reasonable to argue that dis-
studying science and engineering subjects cussing and communicating the benefits of
(PISA, 2009; Barstow, 2005). space exploration to overall quality of life,
and to society at large, rather than con-
The survey shows that members of the centrating on immediate economic returns,
younger age groups express excite- may contribute to attracting the more “diffi-
ment about manned space missions and cult” audiences.
reported themselves as believing in the
existence of life on other planets. These
groups appeared to be particularly sup- References
portive of the exploration of life on Mars
and beyond our Solar System. The belief Barstow, M. 2005, Bringing Space into School
that life may exist on other planets seems Science (BNSC: PPARC, UK)
to be connected with supporting space Bell, D. & Parker, M. 2009, Space Travel and
exploration (Entradas et al., 2011) making Culture: From Apollo to Space Tourism,
it reasonable to argue that communicat- (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell)
ing the goals of ESA’s Aurora Programme, BNSC 2008, The UK Civil Strategy 2008-2012
which has the search for signs of extant and beyond London, British National Space
or fossil life on Mars as a key driver, might Centre
attract new audiences to space events. Entradas, M. 2011, Who’s for the Planets? An
This idea is supported by the strong pub- analysis of the public for space exploration
lic expectations of the existence of life on and the views of practitioners on their pub-
Mars (52% of respondents agreeing that lics and public communication, PhD thesis
submitted to University College London
we should explore Mars for any traces of
(UCL)
life).
Entradas, M., Miller, S. & Peters, H. P. 2011,
Public Understanding of Science, 20, 6
Another important result shown by the sur-
vey is the limited attendance of a female Eurobarometer 2005, Special Eurobarometer
audience when compared to males, as well 224: Europeans, Science and Technology,
(Brussels: European Commission)
as a female lack of interest in and support
Global Exploration Strategy 2007, The Global Biography
for more “adventurous” means of explo-
ration. While these differences in gender Exploration Strategy: Framework for Coordi-
nation, (London: ESA)
are not surprising, concerns about reach- Marta Entradas is a postdoctoral researcher
ing female audiences are shared among Miller, J. D. 1987, Space Policy, 3, 2, 122 in science communication at Lisbon University
practitioners (Entradas, 2011). Many state National Science Board, 2002, Science and Institute, and a visiting scholar at the L
ondon
that such differences are due to the way in Engineering Indicators 2002, (National School of Economics and Cornell University.
Science Foundation, Arlington VA) Her research interests lie in science commu-
which formal education and science com- nication, public understanding of science
munication is pitched. Practitioners may National Science Board 2010, Science and and public attitudes towards science and
want to think about more attractive ways Engineering Indicators 2010, (Arlington VA: technology.
of communicating to females, which could National Science Foundation)
Practices
Best
Astronomy Outreach in Rural Mexico
Summary
This article reports on a visit to Victoria, a small village in central Mexico, and the star party conducted there. We wanted
to share our experience of the outreach programme because this was one of the most remote places we have ever visited.
We emphasise in particular the importance of respecting local culture and traditions, a respect highlighted by making a
visit to a ritual centre in the region.
Introduction average event reaches 2000 people unless conducted by postgraduate students from
it is a particularly remote community that is the Astronomy Department (see Figure 2).
A couple of kids share the dusty soccer visited on demand, in which case it would
field with the astronomy students from the be only a few hundred.
University of Guanajuato. It is five in the
afternoon, and the Sun is about to set. A In December 2013 the village of Victoria,
few eight-inch telescopes are lined up in formerly known as Xichú de Indios
front of a small mountain while curious became the host of a travelling astron-
people begin to appear expecting a good omy event. Located 144 kilometres east of
show. It has been two years since the staff the capital Guanajuato, in a highly under-
from the Astronomy Department last came developed region away from the federal
to this town. Two years that the people of roads, Victoria has 2564 inhabitants 2 and
Victoria have had to wait to see through a was an important place for the Chichimeca
telescope again. people, a hunter-gatherer group who
refused to surrender to the Spanish colony. Figure 1. Poster of the event in the town of Victoria.
A tradition of star parties in Mexico began In this particular case, the local authorities
during the International Year of Astronomy of the municipality contacted the staff from
in 2009, including the nationwide Noche de the Astronomy Department requesting an
las Estrellas1. These events include naked event that was called Noche de Estrellas
eye and telescope observations of the night en Victoria (see Figure 1).
sky, lectures, open-sky talks to describe
the constellations and activities designed The facilities in the town are basic and the
for children. Together with the Cultural events were carried out in a local sport
Institute of the State of Guanajuato, the complex composed of an open football
Astronomy Department of the University field, a basketball court and a small gym.
of Guanajuato hosts around ten travel- Six eight-inch aperture telescopes were
ling astronomy events per year in different erected along the field with two people in
towns across the state. These events take charge of each one. In this way one per-
place in archaeological sites or in what are son moves the telescope while the other
called Pueblos Mágicos (Magic Villages) explains to the people in the queue what Figure 2. People looking through the telescope. The
— towns with special historical value. The they are about to see. Most of this work is big light in the background is the Moon.
Other activities
Staying with the local community, eating Figure 3. Rock paint representing the Sun.
with them and drinking with them helps to
strengthen the relationship with the com-
munity and the outreach with it. In addi- One of the main challenges is light In general events are more likely to suc-
tion it is important to engage with local tra- pollution. Even in Victoria, where the loca- ceed during the dry season, but some-
ditions. In Victoria the team visited a rock tion had reasonably low light pollution, the times if invited to festivals right in the mid-
painting site known as Arroyo Seco 3, a lights from passing cars and buildings dle of the hurricane season, this is not
place that used to be a ritual centre and complicated the night-sky observations. possible. These offers must be considered
still hosts ceremonies during the solstice carefully. A few University of Guanajuato
when the Sun rises between the rocks. Planning lectures for these events is a dif- events have been cancelled because of
ficult task as attendees range from chil- heavy rain.
Visiting the site required understanding dren to elders. Slow or technical talks lose
and respect for local customs by asking children’s attention and a child’s level of
permission of the guardians, which are talk would bore adults and send elders to Collaboration
impressive rock formations that look like sleep. A fast-paced talk with more figures
standing people, and leaving tributes in the than text is usually a good start. Victoria was first visited in 2011 as part of
cavities of rock that represent the nursing an ongoing development project from pro-
Mother Earth. In Victoria and places like it, despite a very fessors of the Faculty of Social Sciences,
basic educational background, there is University of Guanajuato. During this col-
The paintings themselves included repre- always an eagerness to learn. So, it is very laboration a good relationship was formed
sentations of astronomical icons such as important to give enough time for ques- with the local authorities of the communi-
the Sun (Figure 3). tions and to reward this curiosity. The chil- ties visited, including Victoria. Our project
dren received glowing stars for raising their benefited from these pre-existing contact
hands, building confidence and encourag- as less effort was needed to develop the
Lessons learnt ing questions to the point that the supply of project.
rewards ran dry.
When visiting remote places the people
are always grateful and hospitable. The Telescopes get most of the attention, but Trading knowledge
events usually take place in open facili- with unpredictable weather, alternatives
ties, like s tadiums or town squares and are essential. These can include organised It is important for communication not to
include archaeological sites and margin- activities, board games with astronomical present ourselves as wise scientists bring-
alised neighbourhoods. Because of the themes — astronomy bingo and mem- ing wisdom to the ignorant, but as hum-
variety of locations, technical difficulties ory card matching game for example — ble human beings who are eager to learn;
are c ommon so relying on only a projec- or just taking advantage of the time to ask breaking down the educational barrier and
tor or computer for presentation slides is for questions or discuss a particular topic. showing that our own knowledge is limited
not advised. in many other fields.
Summary
Astronomy outreach is often geared towards young children, but rarely towards senior citizens. This article shares the
author’s experience of conducting astronomy outreach activities at senior living communities and discusses why senior
citizens are an equally important demographic to educate about astronomy.
Introduction York, USA, requested the inclusion of sci- Since then, the programme has been
ence- and astronomy-related topics in their expanded to monthly lessons at three
Astronomy outreach is often conducted enrichment programme, and thus astron- different senior living communities in
in science classrooms, museums, obser- omy lifelong-learning lessons began. Rochester and sporadically (1–2 times per
vatories, and even at the local park. The year) at three others. The topics covered
intended audiences are usually families have included NASA’s Great Observatories,
with young children, who we are training to Teaching astronomy to senior the possibility of life beyond Earth, galax-
be the next generation of scientists, inven- citizens ies and black holes, recent astronomical
tors and world-changers. discoveries, and even Einstein’s theories
This programme of teaching astronomy of relativity.
But what about the other end of the spec- at senior living communities in Rochester,
trum, the senior citizens of our commu- USA began three years ago. The pro- During the summer months, seniors are
nity? Astronomy outreach is rarely geared gramme originally consisted of a set of further engaged through star parties at
towards this demographic, and yet this four one-hour presentations covering each of these communities. They are
group can be the most receptive audi- the basics of, and different fields within, given the opportunity to observe Solar
ence, willing to share past experiences and observational astrophysics. The lessons System objects through a telescope and
engage in learning. Educating our seniors were very non-technical and filled with learn which constellations are visible. The
about astronomy, especially current dis- many pretty pictures from the well-known lessons and star parties attract anywhere
coveries, upcoming technology, and fund- NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. from 5–50 people, depending on the topic,
ing challenges, is of the utmost impor- These lectures were presented on a weekly and there is usually a 50/50 mix of men
tance. One of the easiest ways to educate basis at the Highlands at Pittsford Senior and women. Many seniors attend the
a large number of seniors is to give talks at Living Community and they were very well lessons regularly, and often suggest new
senior living communities. received. Roughly forty members of the topics that they would like to be covered at
community attended each lesson and were upcoming events.
Many senior living communities have very excited to learn about astrophysics at
adopted a lifelong learning initiative, in a level that was understandable to them.
which the community holds educational After the session many people shared sto- Why it is important to engage
programmes on a variety of topics, includ- ries about their experiences observing the seniors with astronomy?
ing exercise routines, cooking classes, his- sky with their children or grandchildren, or
tory lessons and science lectures. These their recent visits to NASA centres. Some Most astronomy outreach conducted today
hour-long programmes often consist of residents had even worked on the NASA/ is geared towards the next generation of
lessons and/or hands-on activities that are ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s back-up scientists. We want to promote astronomy
designed to be fun and engaging as well primary mirror at the Kodak headquarters to children so that they grow up wanting
as educational. Recently, many seniors in Rochester, USA. to become scientists, and continue the
in communities around Rochester, New ground-breaking research that is occur-
Reaching for the Stars in your Golden Years: The Importance of Outreach for Senior Citizens 19
Camping Under the Stars:
Reviews
Summary
The end of last year saw the first ESO Astronomy Camp take place, held at the Astronomical Observatory of the Autono-
mous Region of the Aosta Valley. The aim of this report is to give a short overview of the camp programme and focus on
one of its workshops — the stellar spectroscopy laboratory — as a case study.
Introduction city of Aosta is relatively small and its lights Stellar spectra
are concealed by the nearby mountains, Hα He l Hβ He Il Hγ Hδ
From 26 to 31 December 2013, the pictur- and the larger but much more distant city
esque alpine village of Saint Barthélemy of Turin — which lies 70–80 kilom etres
in the Italian Western Alps, played host away — has little effect, as, although it
to 56 secondary school students keen to causes some slight light scattering in the Bellatrix B2III – 22 000 K
learn more about astronomy. This was the lowest atmospheric layers, it is hidden by
first ESO Astronomy Camp, held at the the 3000-metre peaks in the south-eastern Menkalinan A1IV – 9 200 K
Astronomical Observatory of the Aosta area of the Aosta Valley. The alpine location
Valley. also means that c rystal-clear weather is a
common occurrence, especially during the Pollux K0III – 4 800 K
The winter astronomy school explored winter season.
the theme of the visible and the invisible Betelgeuse M1.5lab – 3 600 K
Universe through lectures, hands-on activ- The extensive experience of the observa-
ities, and night-time observations with tel- tory staff was also a considerable factor. TiO TiO Na l TiO
escopes and instruments. One of these They have developed and implemented
activities was a laboratory on stellar spec- educational activities that make use of the Figure 1. Spectra taken at the Camp arranged along
troscopy which will be further explored seven 25-centimetre reflecting telescopes the Harvard spectral sequence. Below each spec-
trum the name of the star and its spectral classifica-
through this report, looking at its aims, placed on the panoramic didactical terrace
tion are indicated. The suffix “I” after the symbol of an
challenges and achievements. of the observatory. In addition, the location element means “neutral”, the suffix “II” means “singly
is well connected, with a handy motorway ionised”. The main lines and bands are highlighted.
connection running from the international
The observatory airport of Milan Malpensa to Nus, a town
20 minutes from the observatory. and from 18 different countries. Most were
The location of the first ESO Astronomy from the ESO Member States, but not all.
Camp was chosen based on several fac- The international aspect was greatly appre-
tors, with the favourable conditions for night- The participants ciated by the participants who had the
time observations being among the most opportunity to meet their peers from dif-
important. The sky in Saint-Barthelemy has The camp brought together 56 students — ferent countries and cultures with the same
almost negligible light pollution. The nearby 29 girls and 27 boys — aged 15 to 18 years interests and passions. The command of
English as the common language at the knowledge of physics and astronomy The theme of the camp, The Hidden
camp was quite good and did not pose any could go further with some specific top- Universe, was explored by lectures and
problems to the team. ics and discuss them with the astronomers activities dedicated to optical, infrared,
during lunch or free time. radio, ultraviolet and X-ray astronomy plus
an introduction to the multi-wavelength
The challenges Universe.
The programme
The main challenge for the organisers was
to tune the level of the activities and lec- The programme aimed to introduce the The stellar spectroscopy activity
tures to make them enjoyable and chal- students to activities related to research
lenging for everybody, notwithstanding processes in astronomy and science in The stellar spectroscopy laboratory cov-
the different backgrounds with regard to general. Besides leisure and sport activi- ered the topic of optical astronomy from
school curricula, age and personal inter- ties (about three hours per day), the sched- different perspectives: theoretical, includ-
est. For this reason, students were invited ule included: ing simple calculations and exercises;
to give continuous feedback to help the practical, through night-time observations
organisers to adjust the activities based on • Lectures and theoretical exercises led with telescopes and use of a spectrograph
suggestions and expectations. Lecturers by visiting astronomers and observatory and associated software; data analysis
used appropriate, but simple terminology, staff: 45%; and discussion of errors. The objectives of
provided full explanations of all physical • S ky observations with naked eye and the laboratory were to introduce the stu-
concepts which were introduced — even telescopes: 25%; dents to the importance of spectroscopy in
the most basic ones — and illustrated the • Data analysis including stellar spectros- astrophysics and to learn both how to take
concepts with examples from everyday copy and measurement of the angular a spectrum and how to extract information
experience. response of an antenna: 15%; about the star’s temperature by analysing
• L aboratory activities for measuring the its spectral lines.
Visiting astronomers, observatory staff angular response of an antenna: 10%;
and supervisors spent all their time at the • Group presentations on art and science Stellar spectroscopy is strictly related to
camp with the participants. This meant that and the measurement of the angular stellar colours and so can be appreci-
the participants with the most advanced response of an antenna: 5%. ated at the telescope and, to some extent,
even with the naked eye. So, the laboratory ple telescope observations. We feel as well Links
began with the observation of late autumn that the number of practical activities and
and winter constellations, identifying stars sky observations should increase, and the Sterrenlab website: http://www.sterrenlab.
of different colours. Students were then challenge for future similar experiences com/camps/eso-astronomy-camp-2014/
organised into small groups and instructed will be to reduce the number of hours of
how to operate a spectrograph and a CCD theoretical lessons — which are none-
camera attached to one of the didactical theless fundamental to appreciate and
telescopes. They could then capture the actively contribute to practical activities —
spectra of several “favourite” stars, among and invest in technical equipment to work
which were Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Dubhe, in smaller groups, thus giving everybody
Mirphak and Sirius. the opportunity to spend more time on the
instruments.
These spectra were wavelength-calibrated
thanks to the prominent Balmer lines visible We hope that future camps will build on the
in the spectrum of one star — Menkalinan success and lessons learnt from this first
in the constellation of Auriga — used as a case. The ESO Astronomy Camp 2014 is
calibrator. The students could appreciate already being planned and will take place
the differences between spectra and learnt from 26 December to 1 January 2015 in
to pick out diagnostic lines in order to relate Saint Barthelemy, Italy. The theme of the
them to stellar temperatures. camp will be Distances in the Universe.
Main Title
The 2009 Total Eclipse in Japan
Summary
We describe our outreach activity to make high-quality images of the 2009 total solar eclipse freely available to the public
and inspect the impact of events allowing public viewing of high-definition (HD) streaming video of the eclipse.
Introduction tions, which included community centres, In this paper we explain our methods of
public halls, science museums and public data transmission and preparation, pre-
A total solar eclipse is one of the most gor- astronomy observatories. sent the results of the questionnaires
geous astronomical phenomena known taken at the events, discuss unexpected
and attracts numerous viewers, includ- The public-viewing events attracted 34 300 reactions of potential organisers of the
ing those who do not usually engage with people. By the end of 2009, views of our public viewings and consider possible
astronomy. On 22 July 2009, the longest videos — and those of the Japan broad- countermeasures.
total eclipse of the century was visible in casting cooperation Nippon Housou
East Asia and Japan. The timing of the Kyoukai (NHK) who used our images — This project was proposed by experts in
total eclipse meant that for some isolated on YouTube and other sites totalled over large-capacity data transmission at the
Japanese islands it occurred when the Sun 770 000. The images appeared 72 times on National Observatory of Japan (NAOJ),
was high in the sky, making them an excel- 28 television programmes on 22–23 July whose participation was essential to bring
lent location for viewing the eclipse. and if cable television and communication the project to fruition.
satellite programmes were also consid-
However, from most locations in Japan, ered, for which data could not be c
ollected,
only a partial eclipse could be observed. it is estimated that the images were used in 1. Project outline
This drove the decision to broadcast high- over 100 televised programmes.
definition (HD) streaming images of the 1.1. Collaborations
total eclipse from the islands, via the inter- To better understand the impact of such From the beginning, it was clear that col-
net, to a much larger public audience. This public outreach efforts, the public view- laboration with other organisations out-
audience may otherwise have missed this ings were assessed to see whether they side NAOJ would be key. To publicise the
rare and beautiful phenomenon and the provided an effective way of sharing the project alone, collaborations were formed
project aimed to use the total eclipse to experience of an astronomical phenom- with the press, internet broadcast stations,
generate interest in nature, science and, in enon. Although other studies on out- video websites and other media sources,
particular, astronomy. reach efforts have indicated that providing these being the experts in the wide distri-
streaming videos for viewing on personal bution of content. Science museums and
HD images were transmitted to selected computers (PCs) is effective, the effec- communication experts were also part of
science museums, universities and televi- tiveness of providing high-quality stream- the collaboration to ensure that the con-
sion stations. In addition, the HD images ing for a large screen has not been suffi- tents were put to best use.
were converted to Windows Media Video ciently discussed.
(WMV) format and transmitted to 35 loca-
2. Results
Streaming Astronomical Events for Public Viewings: The 2009 Total Eclipse in Japan 25
Streaming Astronomical Events for Public Viewings: The 2009 Total Eclipse in Japan
network systems. Today’s network capac- images requested aid in providing lectures the images and the delivery methods must
ity limits the amount of data we can trans- and setting up network systems. The level be optimised for either large screen or per-
mit to personal terminals. Thus, choosing of support we could provide depended sonal display.
the appropriate data quality is important; on the organiser’s resources. If the staff
images that can be browsed comforta- at all the groups that planned to receive
bly should be provided for individual use, our streaming images had been suffi- Acknowledgements
whereas transmitting HD images is more ciently educated in information technol-
suitable for museums and public halls, ogy (IT), our workload would have been We acknowledge Goki Inoue for his oper-
which could use them to conduct vari- much lighter. These problems may have ational support. We also thank Tomoko
ous outreach and educational activities. In been avoided and the workload reduced if Ono who provided data from the ques-
other words, for today’s outreach activities, a frequently asked questions document or tionnaires distributed at public view-
both the images and the delivery methods manual for beginners had been produced. ings that used WMV video. This pro-
must be optimised for either large screen A step beyond this would be to organise a ject was partially supported by NICT,
or personal display. help desk or call centre, if possible. JAXA, NHK, Hitachi High Technologies
Corporation, Fujitsu, TAKAHASHI, Meisei
University, Keio University, Power Play,
4. Recommendations 5. Conclusion the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
Communications, MEXT, the Ministry of
We recommend preparing a beginners’ Although the number of YouTube viewers Defence, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs
manual or question and answer docu- was much larger than the number of pub- and Communications. We also acknowl-
ment before any public announcement of lic-event participants, we do not feel that edge the IAU 2009 Japan Committee for
this kind of project. After we announced this justifies total reliance on the individual publicising this project.
our intent to deliver images of the total communication method. Because science
eclipse from Iwo Island, groups that did communicators were usually present at the
not know how to connect to the internet public viewing events to explain the astro-
asked us to provide real-time images. We nomical event, these outreach activities Biographies
realised that a phenomenon such as the proved important for providing a deeper
total eclipse attracts people from outside understanding of the astronomical phe-
Masafumi Oe works for network manage-
astronomy, or even the natural sciences. nomenon and astronomy in general.
ment at NAOJ. He is a researcher on informa-
People who have no experience of public tion security, wide-area distributed storage,
outreach activities for astronomy and little To organise a successful public viewing and satellite communications.
knowledge of the internet. This resulted in event using HD video streaming, we rec-
an unexpected workload for us, because ommend preparing a detailed manual for Chisato Ikuta obtained a PhD in Astronomy in
Japan and is an assistant professor of NAOJ.
our manual was not written with this tar- IT beginners in advance. To maximise the She is also heading the Public Relations Office
get audience in mind, so we had to answer use of the recorded video and images, they of NAOJ, where she is responsible for press
each group individually and on a very basic should not be highly protected by copy- releases, web pages and announcements.
level. In particular, those designing the HD right but be made freely available, and both
Streaming Astronomical Events for Public Viewings: The 2009 Total Eclipse in Japan 27
Applications
Main Title
An Astronomy Lab On Spectroscopy
Summary
Many Portuguese schools are not equipped to carry out the mandatory experimental activities covered by the school
curriculum. In order to remedy this deficiency, the Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (CAUP) has developed
hands-on laboratories, offering schools several different experimental activities. This article will focus on one of these exper-
iments, in which students build a spectroscope and use it to analyse different spectra. Pupils learn not only the practical
methods of science but also the astronomical and everyday applications of spectroscopy.
Introduction CAUP began to develop several experi- at the Planetarium of Porto. These can be
mental activities in 2006, activities which used as stand-alone activities, or to com-
Although the Portuguese school curric- covered themes from the school curricu- plement regular planetarium sessions. The
ulum places considerable emphasis on lum, and forged a direct link to astronomy experiments are guided by CAUP’s out-
experimental activities, many schools lack and space sciences. Today, six experi- reach staff, all of whom have a high level
the materials and facilities required to carry ments covering different topics and cater- of astronomy education.
them out. Thus, schools are often forced to ing to different age ranges are available
bypass these activities, resorting instead
to textbooks, PowerPoint or video pres-
entations of the experiments they were
supposed to conduct, and teaching the
results that should have been obtained
experimentally rather than completing
the practical work. In recent years, some
effort has been made by the Portuguese
g overnment to improve the conditions
under which public schools operate
(Almeida, 2009), but these programmes
can only reach a handful of schools1.
Notes
1 arque Escolar, E.P.E., Schools included in
P
the modernisation programme; available at
www.parque-escolar.pt/pt/escolas/escolas.
aspx, retrieved on 2012/10/12
2 ECD Programme for International Student
O
Assessment (PISA), Science Proficiency
2009, http://www.oecd.org/statistics/,
retrieved on 2012/10/12
3 ther sources on the importance of experi-
O
mentation in science teaching include:
• tes, Ö. & Eryilmaz, A. 2011, Asia-Pacific
A
Forum on Science Learning and Teach-
ing 12, 1
• K reitler, S. 1974, Instructional Science 3,
75–88
• S adi, Ö. & Cakiroglu, J. 2011, Journal of
Baltic Science Education 10, 2
Biographies
Research &
Correlations
Summary
The large-scale structure of the Universe, vividly displayed by the spatial distribution of galaxies, is characterised quanti-
tatively by the two-point galaxy–galaxy correlation function. But the meaning of the correlation function is somewhat abstract
because it does not have a ready analogy. This work computes the two-dimensional, two-point city–city correlation func-
tion for three populous regions of the United States, demonstrating that the city–city correlation function is analogous to
the galaxy–galaxy correlation function determined from Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. City radii are analogous to galaxy
cluster radii, and city-to-city distances are analogous to distances between galaxy clusters. Part of this work has been
adapted for a lab suitable for non-experts.
Introduction galaxy–galaxy correlation function calcu- the degree to which galaxy clustering of the
lated from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) actual catalogue is enhanced over that of
The large-scale structure (LSS) of the data or from other surveys. The question the random catalogue.
Universe — essentially the distribution of posed and answered in this work is the fol-
galaxies — is characterised by the two- lowing: in what sense, mathematically, does
point correlation function (Peebles, 1980). the clustering of galaxies in Figure 1 resem- City–city two-point correlation
Its applications include determining the ble the clustering of cities in Figure 2? function
percentage of dark matter (Peacock et
al., 2001; Hawkins et al., 2003) and dem- A method for calculating the galaxy–galaxy
onstrating baryon acoustic oscillations Two-point correlation function correlation function (Zehavi et al., 2002)
(Eisenstein et al., 2005) as predicted by was adapted to the problem of determin-
the dark energy–cold dark matter (ΛCDM) If galaxies were randomly distributed in the ing the city–city two-point correlation func-
model of the Universe. However, the con- Universe, there would be a certain prob- tion for three groups of cities. The compos-
cept of the correlation function might seem ability of finding two galaxies near each ite satellite image poster, North America at
obscure to the uninitiated. This motivated other. That probability is enhanced by Night (Sullivan, 1993), was digitised, and
the current work to calculate, for three the gravitational attraction between two cities represented by a blob of light were
groups of cities in the United States of galaxies, an enhancement called the two- identified by comparison with a standard
America, a two-dimensional, two-point point correlation function, represented geographical map.
correlation function that can be easily by the dimensionless ξ. The method for
interpreted because of readily available calculating the two-point correlation func- Three regions were chosen as represent-
city data. tion is clear in theory, if not in practice. First, atives of clusters of cities. The criteria for
generate a random catalogue of galaxies choosing a region were:
This provides a tool for non-experts to with the same spatial extent as the galaxy
interpret the three-dimensional two-point catalogue under analysis. Then determine
1. That its shape must be square, for ease The Midwest, Southwest, and Southern The correlation function is calculated for
of analysis. regions of the United States chosen the Midwest cities, shown in Figure 3. The
2. That two other non-overlapping regions (highlighted squares in Figure 2) are result is displayed in Figure 4 and is readily
could be chosen of the same size and approximately 414 000 square kilometres interpreted when compared to independ-
approximate light density. in area. ent measurements.
0.5
Galaxy–galaxy two-point
correlation function
Research &
Main Title
A Do-it-yourself Guide
Summary
The University of Washington mobile planetarium project is a student-driven effort to bring astronomy to secondary schools,
and the community, in Seattle, USA. This paper presents the solution that was designed and built in order to use the World-
Wide Telescope — a computer program created by Microsoft that displays the astronomical sky as maps, the 3D Universe,
and earth science data — from a laptop and an off-the-shelf high-definition (HD) projector located in an inflatable plane-
tarium.
In the first six months of operation, undergraduates at the University of Washington presented planetarium shows to over
1500 people, and 150 secondary school students created and presented their own astronomy projects in our dome, at
their school. This paper aims to share the technical aspects of the project so that others can replicate the model or adapt
it to their needs. This project was made possible thanks to a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope education/public outreach
grant.
Introduction about $1500 less had the laptop and pro- tive solution to the lack of engagement with
jector already been available. The largest these schools was to bring the planetarium
Digital planetariums are becoming a main- costs are the planetarium dome and the shows to the schools.
stay in astronomy education. They allow first-surface mirror ($12 000).
the presenter to enhance their lessons with With WWT software it quickly became clear
the incredible imagery that has become The mobile planetarium project grew that there was no need to lecture, and that
commonplace in the modern age and to from an existing planetarium outreach the planetarium presentations could be
use visualisations of astronomical systems programme. The graduate students at flipped. In other words, the students could
from moons to galaxies. the University of Washington Astronomy create and present their own planetarium
department maintain a weekly outreach shows. The initial plan to turn the plane-
Free software, in particular WorldWide programme where they organise and pre- tarium outreach programme into a road
Telescope (WWT)1 has brought high- sent free planetarium shows to any school show became simplistic and outdated in
quality, up-to-date astronomical imagery or astronomy group that makes a reserva- the face of new technology. Now the pro-
to the screens of anyone with an internet tion. In 2009, organisers noticed that over ject engages students not by presenting
connection. Furthermore, the WWT contains a three-year period, this outreach pro- to them, but by helping them to produce
its own image-warping software, putting gramme had served, on average, 1000 their own planetarium content and provid-
do-it-yourself planetariums with HD students per year. However, in the same ing a mobile planetarium for them to stage
imagery within the reach of smaller period, no public secondary schools in their astronomically themed presentations.
b udgets. In fact, the method described Seattle had made reservations, despite
here costs roughly $14 000 in parts (all pur- being located within 16 kilometres of the Below is a description of the technical deci-
chased new). The costs would have been planetarium. It was decided that a proac- sions made and the advice that we wish
3. Essential equipment
Figure 1. The University of Washington mobile planetarium dome. 3.1. Projection type
At the time of ordering equipment, a fish-
eye lens solution would have been prohib-
had been available when starting the pro- the funding on mobile planetarium equip- itively expensive as a single purchase and
ject from scratch. A very useful starting ment. In total, the mobile planetarium cost difficult to replace. In addition we wanted
point is to become a member of the Yahoo $14 000 in parts, including the purchase of a projection system that would sit on an
groups full_dome and small_planetarium. a $1500 laptop. edge of the dome, rather than at the centre,
There is a lot to be learnt by diving into their where the students entered the dome. In
archives. 2.2. Insurance the end two first-surface mirrors, one con-
Insurance is an important element to vex, and one flat, were purchased to pro-
remember to include in a longer-term ject imagery on to the dome.
1. Timeline budget.
3.2. Inflatable dome, fan and hemi-
This project was planned over nine months 2.3. Transportation sphere mirror
of part-time work to gather equipment, We rent a minivan for the project members The biggest equipment cost is the inflata-
design and build optics housing, and test to travel in groups of at least three people, ble dome. The decision of which size dome
the optical alignment. Three months were but we have transported our entire plane- and which company to use should be made
also allocated to offer a seminar to train tarium and a passenger inside a four-door with care. We will not reproduce the clear-
undergraduates in setting up and operat- sedan. Depending on the range over which inghouse of knowledge and experience in
ing the planetarium. Finally, two meetings you expect to travel consider budgeting for the Yahoo groups, small_ planetarium and
with a pilot classroom were set up before rental vehicles and mileage costs. full_dome. We made heavy use of their
launching into full operation. email archive as well as asking specific
2.4. Personnel questions of the group at large.
This project never occupied anyone full
2. Budget time. The initial overhead is the highest Listed below are the main concerns and
concentration of labour. This is the period solutions arrived at with the help of the
2.1. Equipment when the planetarium is built, the first team Yahoo groups. Advice from the experi-
This project received a Hubble Space of undergraduates is trained in the WWT ences of members in the Yahoo groups
Telescope education/public outreach software and the technical details of the positively mentioned Go-Dome, Digitalis,
grant of $40 000 to increase access to planetarium are planned and implemented. and Stargazer. In the end, a standard sized
the University of Washington planetarium For this initial ramp-up a graduate student Go-Dome was purchased through eplane-
and build a mobile planetarium. This was was hired for approximately 300 hours in tarium.com 2, which came with an inflating
limited to spending no more than half of total, during the nine-month period, and fan and the hemisphere mirror.
1. T he assumption was made that there Figure 2. The optics box in the mobile planetarium. The do-it-yourself guide to building the above optics box is
would be no internet access outside available on our website 4.
the classrooms. In fact, it transpires that
there is rarely internet access in schools.
2. The assumption was made that it would from experiences of members in the Yahoo ships a first-surface hemisphere mirror for
be more difficult for a science class to groups positively mentioned Go-Dome, an additional cost with the Go-Dome.
take over the other locations and one Digitalis, and Stargazer as ADA-compliant
aim was for the imprint on the school to options. 3.3.5. Dome fan
be as small as possible. For example, Concern: How portable is the fan, given
the presentation could be too loud to 3.3.3. Dome material how much other equipment there is?
share a space in a library, even though Concern: Will the dome let in outside light?
librarians are often very happy to share Is it safe to bring into schools? Has it been Solution: It is simple to purchase a small-
their space. However, it was very helpful fire tested? wheeled attachment for the fan, or a two
to have the option of using a classroom. wheeled luggage accessory. It was not
Solution: All the above domes are light- found necessary to purchase them for this
The recommendation would be to phone tight. The three companies listed above all project.
different schools to see what options are seemed to have dark domes and the nec-
available. In the end, we would have made essary documentation. Fan speed, fan control, and fan noise are
the same decision on the dome size, and important factors. The fan speed needs to
purchased the standard Go-Dome. 3.3.4. Mirror costs be turned up while people enter and exit
Concern: First-surface hemisphere mirrors the dome, since the fan control is often
3.3.2. Dome entrance are expensive, and seem to be only pro- found on the fan itself, one must control
Concern: Needs to comply with the duced in Australia. How can we limit the the fan speed from inside if giving the show
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). cost as we are based in the USA? alone. In practice, there was always some-
one on the outside to assist with crowd
Solution: We have not found an excellent Solution: First-surface mirrors are a must. control, and they were able to adjust the
solution for inflatable domes. The best Coated mirrors produce blurry images as fan speed to communicate to the pre-
option seemed to be to purchase a stand- some of light from the projector is reflected senter. The fan is turned up when it is time
ing dome (one that does not require con- by the interior surface of the coating back to wrap up the show.
stant inflation) that has an open entrance. to the mirror, and travels to the dome at
In our research, these domes were well a new angle. This is only made worse if In a small room, a large fan can create a
beyond our equipment budget. Advice more than one mirror is used. ePlanetarium lot of background noise. Look closely into
the specifics of the dome fan to make sure 3.3.8. Optics assembly ing. With some extra budget, we would
it fits your needs. Concern: Mainly durability, size, cost and a have had a logo option!
preference to limit the handling of the first
3.3.6. Projector surface mirror(s). 5.2.2. Mirrors
Concern: Need a projector that is good The hemisphere mirror is the most deli-
for high dark–light contrast (stars and ePlanetarium.com sell their own Transport cate and difficult to replace item, as there
nebulosity), easily portability, has small Security Approved (TSA) optics solution, is no repair for scratches. For this project
replacement costs, and all on a small which was beyond this project’s budget, the housing was built as part of the box it
budget. and may have limited the projector choice was transported in, to avoid the number of
to a projector with a lens in its centre. times it would be handled.
Solution: An off-the-shelf, 1920 × 1080 p
(16 × 9) HD, high-lumen projector was pur- Solution: To save money, an optics solu- The secondary mirror is less than 20.5 cm
chased. The website projector central3 is a tion was built from scratch by the project in diameter and kept in a picture frame,
powerhouse of information when it comes team. Full details of the solution are posted which is covered and sealed with rubber
to choosing projectors. The search for on the website 4 and are available from the bands, so that nothing touches the mirror
this project was limited to 1920 × 1080 p authors. surface.
(16 × 9) HD projectors under $1000. High-
lumen projectors were found to be better 5.2.3. Laptop
suited for mobile planetarium purposes. 4. Essential accessories A simple laptop backpack is enough to
Large planetariums can make use of dark hold the laptop, lots of cables, a mouse,
adaption in conjunction with a low-lumen 4.1. Power an Xbox controller, non-essential accesso-
projector, so the eye can better pick out The laptop, the projector, the lights, and ries, and any paperwork (such as the fire
details like constellations after seeing a perhaps other accessories such as speak- retardancy certificate and contact informa-
bright image. However, in the portable ers and public address (PA) systems, tion). A laptop cooling pad is a good idea.
planetarium the line of sight to the image is require power. It is often against fire code
never more than 15 ft, and usually around regulations to connect a power-strip to an 5.2.4. Projector
10 ft. Dark adaption of students’ eyes can- extension cord, so it was important to pur- Most off-the-shelf projectors come with a
not be depended upon after, for example, chase a single unit. carrying bag. In light of the amount of travel
flashing an image of the Hubble Space — in and out of cars and schools while car-
Telescope’s mosaic of the Crab Nebula 4.2. Display rying other equipment —a heavy-duty pel-
spread on the entire dome. Finally, no Not all HD projectors come with Digital ican case was purchased for the projec-
attention was paid to the quoted contrast Visual Interface (DVI) or High-Definition tor. We included the cost in the projector
ratio, since dynamic irises and other tech- Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables, and budget.
nologies make the quantity non-uniformly some laptops need a cable to convert
defined from projector to projector. HDMI. Using only the Video Graphics Array
(VGA) cable that comes with an HD projec- 6. Non-essential accessories
3.3.7. Laptop tor is like buying a sports car and never tak-
Concern: A HD video card, large hard drive ing it out of second gear. 6.1 A
udio and public address equipment
space, and a Windows PC or Mac running WWT can play pre-recorded tours with
Windows on a dual boot or as parallels (for audio, which requires some sort of ampli-
WWT) was needed. 5. Non-essential equipment fied speaker system. Speakers placed
outside the dome work well, as do higher
Solution: Any laptop with a video card 5.1 Secondary mirror quality computer speakers placed near the
capable of extending an HD display and A secondary flat first-surface mirror comes presenter.
dedicated hard drive space for WWT to recommended. It allows the projector to be
cache imagery is fine. Look for one with safely placed underneath the hemisphere 6.2. Tickets and seating
a backlit keyboard so the presenter can mirror, and thus takes up less physical Tickets are particularly useful when pre-
type in the dark (a USB powered reading space in the planetarium, meaning more senting at school science nights, which
light would be an affordable workaround places for people, and a smaller chance typically involve doing many short shows in
to a backlit keyboard). Based on personal of being bumped and jostled. However, it a row. They let people know when to return
experience (and not industry comparison) adds more variables to the alignment. and aid crowd management.
we have been happy with a near top-of-
the-line NVIDIA GeForce video card. In 5.2. Equipment cases 6.3. Lighting
simpler terms, the laptop should have a For effect, rope lights were placed around
built in (mini) DV or HDMI output. For lower 5.2.1. Dome the edge of the dome with a small switch
quality imagery, VGA can be used, but is A rolling equipment bag made for hockey so that the presenter has easy access
not recommended. goalies was used for this project. It is large to turn the house lights on and off. A
enough to fit extra smaller equipment and battery-powered camping lantern is use-
does not require expert dome repackag- ful for setup and takedown.
7. N
on-essential equipment and using imagery from WWT. If the teacher is Contact
accessories for WWT not trained in WWT, an initial visit is made
to the classroom to demonstrate WWT Email our team: uw.mobile.planetarium@
7.1. Internet access tour creation and check in with each stu- gmail.com
WWT caches imagery from servers around dent group. After this visit, students work
the world. A 30-ft-long Ethernet cable together to create WWT tours. Finally, the Find us online: http://www.astro.washing-
was used as back up for internet access. team returns with the mobile planetarium ton.edu/groups/outreach/mplanetarium/
Another possibility is using a wireless card and the students present their work to their
in the laptop. Neither were found to be peers.
essential. If weak or no internet is availa- Links
ble, see the WWT documentation housed Students create a story as they research
on their website. their topic, and then practice their commu- 1 w ww.worldwidetelescope.com
nications skills to present it. On the presen- 2 w ww.eplanetarium.com
tation day, everyone gets to see their tour 3 w ww.projectorcentral.com
8. Initial assembly projected inside the dome. 4 ttp://www.astro.washington.edu/groups/
h
outreach/mplanetarium/about.html
8.1. Optics box construction Students were found to have no problem 5 https://wwtambassadors.org/
Justin Gaily, who designed and led the creating tours that showed well in the plan-
building of our optics box, has written a etarium, as long as they avoided project-
separate do-it-yourself guide, posted on ing text. They were advised to consider that
the website and available from the authors. only the middle third of their computer’s
screen will be in front of them when they
8.2. Testing and alignment are inside the dome and there is no read-
With the optics box ready, it was great to ing from scripts inside the dome, so they
have high-ceilinged rooms to align and test could either record a voiceover or memo-
the system and train undergraduates. The rise what they wanted to say.
Dance and Theatre Departments of the
University of Washington graciously pro- 9.2. Creating tours Biographies
vided these spaces. WWT makes warping General information on creating tours and
very easy in several scenarios, including a teaching WWT in the classroom is available
16 × 9 mirror dome (see WWT documen- on the excellent WWT Ambassadors’ site 5. Philip Rosenfield is a postdoctoral researcher
tation for details). The rest of the setup at the Univeristá degli Studi di Padova, Italy,
focussing on constraining stellar evolution
involves adjusting the components of the
models using NASA/ESA Hubble Space Tele-
optics box, positions of the projector and Conclusion scope observations. As a graduate student at
angles of the mirrors until the entire dome the University of Washington, USA, he led the
is filled with light. It is helpful to project a Digital planetariums are immersive spaces digital upgrade of the planetarium and was a
grid during this process. that have the potential to increase students’ co-principal investigator of the mobile plane-
tarium project.
enthusiasm for learning science. We have
described the path we chose in designing Oliver Fraser is a lecturer in astronomy at
9. Presentation and creating the University of Washington the University of Washington, USA. In addi-
mobile planetarium in the hopes that oth- tion to serving as faculty advisor for the Uni-
versity of Washington Mobile Planetarium
9.1. Flipping the planetarium ers will adapt it to suit their needs. The
group, Dr Fraser teaches introductory astron-
It seems that the one measure of a suc- main components are a laptop, a projec- omy classes, along with classes that focus on
cessful education or public outreach pro- tor, a dome, a hemispherical mirror, and how to write in the natural sciences.
ject is how well it can be adapted to the software that will warp the projected image
specific needs of the target market. We (we recommend WorldWide Telescope). Justin Gailey is a recent graduate of the Uni-
versity of Washington, USA, with a double
wrote our grant with the simple idea of Our equipment budget was under $15 000 major in Physics and Astronomy, and minors in
bringing our successful planetarium pro- with everything purchased new and 80% Music and Mathematics. He designed and built
gramme directly to the Seattle schools and going to the inflatable dome and first-sur- the optics box for the mobile planetarium, and
community, but we have discovered that face hemisphere mirror. Our initial aim was is currently teaching mathematics as a Peace
Corps volunteer in Mozambique.
students can create their own tours of the to bring planetarium shows to local class-
Universe in the planetarium. rooms. We are excited to report that our John Wisniewski is an assistant professor in
mobile planetarium has gone beyond this the Homer L Dodge Department of Physics and
The model is to support teachers dur- and become an undergraduate-driven Astronomy at the University of Oklahoma, USA.
ing a planetarium presentations unit last- stage for secondary school students to He was a co-principal investigator of the mobile
planetarium project and currently serves as co-
ing one or two weeks. The unit begins teach their peers about the wonders of the principal investigator of Oklahoma University’s
with small groups of students choosing a Universe. new “Sooner-tarium”, a similar mobile planetar-
topic in astronomy and creating a story- ium project to the one reported here.
board for a short (3–5 minute) presentation
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