Outward Bound to the Galaxies—One Step at a Time

Less than a century ago, astronomers began to unlock the cosmic distances within and beyond the Milky Way. Understanding the size and scale of the universe is a continuing, step-by-step process that began with the remarkably accurate measurement of the distance to the Moon made by early Greeks. In p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science scope (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2012-02, Vol.35 (6), p.52-55
Main Authors: Ward, R. Brupe, Miller-Friedmann, Jaimie, Sienkiewicz, Frank, Antonucci, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomical objects
Astronomy
Classroom activities
Dark matter (Astronomy)
Earth
Earths Moon
Education
Educational aspects
Extrasolar planets
Galaxies
Image retrieval
Junior high school students
Laboratory Equipment
Methods
Middle School Students
Middle Schools
Observation
Outdoor Education
Pixels
Robotics
Science Education
Science Teachers
Sciences education
Selenology
Study and teaching
Teaching Methods
Telescopes
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Summary:Less than a century ago, astronomers began to unlock the cosmic distances within and beyond the Milky Way. Understanding the size and scale of the universe is a continuing, step-by-step process that began with the remarkably accurate measurement of the distance to the Moon made by early Greeks. In part, the authors have ITEAMS (Innovative Technology-Enabled Astronomy for Middle Schools) students traverse a similar path to understand the Earth's place in the universe. Each subsequent step students take outward bound--drawing on a mix of telescopic images and hands-on activities--builds on earlier footholds. How far is it to Mars? It is 200 times farther than to the Moon--a giant step outward for humans, but a baby step in cosmic terms. (Contains 5 figures.)
ISSN:0887-2376
1943-4901
DOI:10.2505/3/ss12_035_06