My Background Born under dark skies in PA! Fell in love with the stars ‘Professional’ Amateur...

My Background 

• Born under dark skies in PA!• Fell in love with the stars• ‘Professional’ Amateur Astronomer• Physics Degrees, Biophysics Research• Introductory Astronomy, non-science majors,

since 1975:– Large Lecture Courses, no lab, (100 – 250 students)– ‘Back Yard Astro’, 2000-, take home labs, (35

students)

IUPUI

Outline 

• Non Controversial

• Controversial

Task One 

Keep them awake!

NC Topics 

• Light Pollution Assignment

• Telescopes

• Lunar Photography

• Constellation Photography

• Meteorites

• Spectroscopy

• Planetarium Programs

Light Pollution Assignment 

(Use your favorite search engine, e.g. www.google.com, to search on topics such as "light pollution" or "light pollution Indiana".)

1. What organization is doing the most to fight light pollution in Indiana? Print out their Internet Home Page.

2. What National/International Organization is doing the most to fight light pollution in the US and world wide? Print out their Internet Home Page.

(Note: The Sierra Club is not the correct answer to either of these.)

3. To sell the Public on fighting light pollution we have to find something that appeals to them and their interests. Asking them to turn out their lights so we amateur astronomers can see the sky won't cut it.  Persuading them to enjoy the beautiful night sky is not one of the answers.   List two issues which have the potential of appealing to the general public. Do some reading on the Internet.

4. Describe the worst example of light pollution near where you live.

Telescopes 

• For Nite

• For Day

15 lb !

$230

Orion 6”34 lb$260

Orion 8”41 lb$360

ComputerizedTelescopes ?!

Solar Viewing 

• Real Cheap

• Inexpensive

• Moderate

• Expensive

Rainbow Symphony, ≈ $1.25

Coronado Instruments, $99; 10x25

Coronado Instruments, $499

Coronado SolarMax- 40, $1,700

≈ $150

Astrophotography 

• Lunar, Solar

• Constellations

Hand held Point & Shoot Digital Camera

8” Orion Dob, Cheap 3 MP Hand Held Digital Point & Shoot

Is it the real thing? 

Free 

Constellation Photography 

• Film ? (SLR)

• Digital ? (Point & Shoot)

SLR’s

B&H, $150 new Ebay, $50 - $100, excellent

Film ? 

• Kodak 800 Max Versatility Plus (for Reds)

• Any 800 to 1000 speed

Orion, 20 seconds,50 mm normal lens.7 ½ miles to downtownIndy (1999), normal drug-store processing. No digitalenhancement.

Taurus, 15 sec; Susan Lopez

Becky RansdellAndromeda Galaxy20 seconds, dark skylocation.

Becky RansdellOrion, 20 sec.Dark sky! Digital enhancementby fwk.

Becky RansdellOrion, 20 sec.Dark sky! Digital enhancementby fwk.

Digital Point & Shoot 

e.g.Sony DSC-W100

•Manual Ctrl•Hi ISO

•Low Noise

Excellent: ButNo Color.

e.g.Betelgeuse,Orion Neb.

Meteorites (show and tell)

Irons 

Sikhote AlinSiberia, 1947

$450/lb

Canyon Diablo = Meteor Crater AZ$150/lb

Stones 

NWA$50/lb

Small Rocks 

www.amazingmagnets.com1” x ¼”, 6/$7Ebay, cheap

Spectroscopy 

www.Rainbowsympony.com

40¢/each

Planetarium Prgms 

• Billions of free and pay programs

Planetarium $5 √Planetarium Gold $20

www.Fogwarepublishing.com

Controversial 

Introductory Astronomyis the only

Introductory Science Coursefor

Many Students

• Teach Science

• Don’t Preach Science(Scientific Method)

Teaching Science 

• Ptolemy

• Brahe

• Kepler

• Newton

• Einstein

• ???

• Never a final answer• Never ending progress• Each builds on predecessor

Cosmos: Sagan on KeplerEpisode III: The Harmony of the Worlds

Francis Collins