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Space and Cyberspace

Space and Cyberspace. Case Rijsdijk Astronomical Society of Southern African particles@mweb.co.za case@saao.ac.za. . . . this is about. . . . the underpinning philosophy is to use astronomy as a vehicle for science education . . .

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Space and Cyberspace

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  1. Space and Cyberspace • Case Rijsdijk • Astronomical Society • of • Southern African • particles@mweb.co.za • case@saao.ac.za

  2. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . this is about . . . • . . . the underpinning philosophy is to use astronomy as a vehicle for science education . . . • . . . my experiences in communicating astronomy in the developing world . . . • . . . creating special ‘tools’ and ‘models’ on a needs basis . . . • . . . there is only time to discus a few . . . • . . . but I hope it convinces you that this approach – that of using tactile models . . . • . . . works . . . !

  3. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . celestial dome . . .

  4. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . planetaria . . . • . . . small . . . • . . . and large planetaria do much the same . . .

  5. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . different . . . ? • . . . but are these conceptually very different from some ancient models . . . ?

  6. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . still thinking 2-D . . . • . . . no amount of computer graphics can produce a really effective representation of the real world . . . • . . . even something as simple as the Sun’s apparent motion across the sky, solstices and equinoxes . . . • . . . or the phases of the Moon . . . • . . . are best done with some simple modelling . . .

  7. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . north/south problem . . . • . . . is one that we in the southern hemisphere are very aware of . . . • . . . most astronomical material is produced in the northern hemisphere . . . • . . . this affects Moon phases, sunrise/set, and constellations . . . • . . . again simple models explain this . . .

  8. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . the Sun . . . • . . . where does the Sun rise . . . ? • . . . on your left . . . ? • . . . or right . . . ?

  9. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . . sunrise . . . • . . . does the Sun always rise in the east . . . ? • . . . does it always rise at the same angle . . . ? East

  10. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . sunometer . . .

  11. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . luxometer . . .

  12. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . seasons . . . • . . . these, and other simple devices, help to explain the seasons in a simple and effective way . . . • . . . see ref #8 . . . • . . . standard use of solstices and equinoxes does not work . . . • . . . in many parts of southern Africa there are anything from 2 – 6 seasons . . . !

  13. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . crescent Moon . . . • . . . does the first crescent Moon look like this . . . • . . . or like this . . .

  14. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . showing phases . . . ?

  15. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . showing phases . . . ?

  16. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . this does . . . . . . doing it yourself . . . • Courtesy HartRAO

  17. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . shadow sticks . . .

  18. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . mini shadow sticks . . .

  19. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . time zones . . . • . . . one can see how these time differences can occur . . . • . . . the magic is when the globe is turned round . . . • . . . the shadows move, showing that the Sun’s apparent movement across the sky is because the Earth is turning . . .

  20. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . simple sundials . . . • . . . a simple one made from a single sheet of paper . . . • . . . source – Prof. V. Icke, Leyden. . .

  21. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . simple sundials . . .

  22. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . proper sundials . . .

  23. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . effects of gravity . . .

  24. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . effects of gravity . . .

  25. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . effects of gravity . . .

  26. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . effects of gravity . . .

  27. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . gravity simulation . . .

  28. . . . eclipses . . .

  29. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . but a model . . . • . . . two discs . . . • . . . ecliptic plane with a Sun . . . • . . . Earth-Moon orbital plane that can slide into the ecliptic . . .

  30. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . but a model . . . • . . . no eclipse possible . . . • . . . Moon in line with Sun but above ecliptic . . .

  31. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . but a model . . . • . . . no eclipse possible . . . • . . . Moon in ecliptic plane, but not in line with Sun . . .

  32. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . but a model . . . • . . . eclipse is possible . . . • . . . Moon in ecliptic plane and in line with Sun . . . • . . . solar . . .

  33. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . but a model . . . • . . . eclipse is possible . . . • . . . Moon in ecliptic plane and in line with Earth . . . • . . . lunar . . .

  34. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . doing and making . . .

  35. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . making things . . . • . . . knock-on effect . . . • . . . do you know what I did today . . . ? • . . . the best way to learn is to tell/teach/show others what you have learnt . . . • . . . and this is reinforced by having a model to show others what you did . . . • . . . enthusiasm is infectious . . . !

  36. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . but why . . . • . . . is it in spite of some of the most stunning images from Hubble, VLT and others . . , • . . . amazing software and planetarium programmes . . . • . . . and the internet and really great animations . . . • . . . it is still making something that will generate the pedagogic “ah-ha” . . . • . . . and looking through a telescope that produces the biggest “wows” . . . • . . . we can combine the two . . .

  37. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . connecting Space to Cyberspace . . . • . . . using a laptop, data projector and screen outside . . . • . . . some appropriate software . . . • . . . a lot can be achieved . . .

  38. CAP 2010 Cape Town

  39. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . accessability . . . • . . . easy . . . • . . . mmm . . . • . . . hard . . .

  40. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . further afield. . . • . . . using the same coding as before . .

  41. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . in Africa . . . • . . . again using the same coding as before . . .

  42. CAP 2010 Cape Town

  43. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . south is up . . .

  44. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . Starbus . . . • . . . taking astronomy to the people . . .

  45. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . during YEAST . . . • . . . the Starbus was stocked with a range of resources developed at SAAO . . . • . . . along with laptop, projector, screen and 250 mm telescope . . . • . . . with a staff of two . . . • . . . and taken into the rural areas of 3 focus provinces . . . • . . . and into peri-urban townships . . .

  46. CAP 2010 Cape Town . . . delivery . . . • . . . it worked . . . • . . . until the funding ran out . . . • . . . but it can be done again . . . !!

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