Telescopes and Other Tools
During this course, you may or may not have professional telescope equipment available to you. Regardless, there are several virtual tools that allow you to view celestial objects. For this assignment, you will use the Using a Virtual Telescope Template and Google Sky™, a web-based application that is part of the Google Earth™ software developed by Google™, to explore several celestial bodies.
This interactive and exciting software allows you view images of the universe captured by telescopes throughout the world. You can even view the images in Google Sky™ in different wavelengths, like x-rays or infrared. To begin this assignment, visit the Google Earth™ website and install the plug-in, if prompted. See the Developmental Module for help if it is not installed. Before you begin, check out these Video Tutorials on Google Earth™ if you are not sure how to use this application. In addition, you can visit the Developmental Module for more information on using Google Earth™ and Google Sky™.
In the top toolbar, select the button that looks like Saturn (a little planet with a ring around it) and switch the view to Google Sky™. Download the Using a Virtual Telescope Template to complete the steps below.
Task 1: Find a Star
In the Search field in the upper left corner of the screen, enter Betelgeuse. A link to the star will appear below the Search field. Click on the name to view the star. Click on each of the icons located in this galaxy to learn more about it. Using these icons, provide responses to the following questions:
- If you double-click on the screen for a closer view, what color is the star?
- How close is Betelgeuse (in light-years)?
- Which constellation is associated with the star Betelgeuse?
Task 2: Find a Star System
In the Search field in the upper left corner of the screen, enter Alpha Centauri, which is the name of the second closest star system to Earth. A link will appear with another name for the star system. On your template, provide the other name for this star system. Then, click on the name to view the star. Click on each of the icons located in this galaxy to learn more about it. Using these icons, provide responses to the following questions:
- How many stars compose Alpha Centauri?
- How close is Alpha Centauri (in light-years)?
- How do the stars in Alpha Centauri compare to the Sun in size?
Task 3: Find a Galaxy
In the Search field in the upper left corner of the screen, enter Messier 82. A link will appear with another name for the galaxy. On your template, provide the other name for this galaxy. Then, click on the name to view the galaxy associated with Messier 82. Click on each of the icons located in this galaxy to learn more about it. Using these icons, provide responses to the following questions:
- Which other nearby galaxy is physically affecting the galaxy associated with Messier 82?
- What are the similarities and differences between the images of Messier 82 provided by the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope?
Tool Evaluation
One of the things that astronomers do is continually evaluate the tools that they use throughout their research. Provide responses to the questions below on your Using a Virtual Telescope Template:
- What do you like most about Google Sky? Explain your answer.
- What do you dislike most about Google Sky? Explain your answer.
- Is there a tool more suitable for this type of assignment?
Since you will use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you use.
Once you have completed your Using a Virtual Telescope Template, please submit your work to the dropbox.