Category: Global Systems Science
Online curriculum books for high school science pertinent to key societal issues
AC4.3. A Law of Brightness
{ A Changing Cosmos Contents } { All GSS Books } A basic physics lab activity using a light sensor to measure brightness of light source(s) at various distances. Materials: Computer light sensor or Photo cell and ohmmeter Light bulb(s) Meter stick What to do: Hook the photocell to the ohmmeter, and check that the […]
AC4.2. Distance to the Moon Using Parallax
{ A Changing Cosmos Contents } { All GSS Books } Overview: We’ll observe and measure the parallax angle of a relatively distant object, such as a tree or a flagpole, and use that angle to determine the distance to the object. Geometrically, parallax shift for the Moon can be represented by this diagram: Points […]
AC4.1. Parallax
{ A Changing Cosmos Contents } { All GSS Books } There are also 4 other investigations associated with this investigation: Overview: To see how parallax works, we’ll observe and measure the parallax angle of a relatively distant object such as a tree or a flagpole and use that angle to determine the distance to […]
AC4. Fathoming Huge Distances
Chapter 4 { A Changing Cosmos Contents } I. Distance To Things in Our Solar System For relatively nearby things, like airplanes, we can use radar waves to measure how far away they are. Radar waves are like the radio waves that radios, wi-fi, and TVs operate with. Air traffic controllers at airports use radar […]
AC3.3. Sun Movement
{ A Changing Cosmos Contents } { All GSS Books } Originally: The Position of the Sun During the Day (A Partial Explanation for the Seasons) [see also The Solar Calendar] In this investigation you use the software Stellarium to take data of the Sun’s position over a period of a day. You’ll take the […]
AC3.2. Plate Scale of a Smartphone
Investigation 3.2 { A Changing Cosmos Contents } Materials One of the image processing (IP) apps listed for A Changing Cosmos on the GSS software page. Steps I. In order to look at “Smartphone” images with SalsaJ or JS9, you need to be able to transfer photos from your smartphone to your computer and know where to […]
AC3.1. Size and Scale of the Sun
Investigation 3.1 { A Changing Cosmos Contents } Materials: I. How Big is that Prominence? a. Use Image Processing app/software to open the image eclipse1.fts. This image of the longest total solar eclipse* of the 20th century was taken in Hawaii in 1991 by an HOU team. Look around the rim of the Sun (often called […]
AC3. Cosmic Engines
Chapter 3 { A Changing Cosmos Contents } At the beginning of this book, two of the three ways to “end life as we know it” were caused by dramatic changes that can happen at the end of star’s life, when it can swell up to enormous size in a red giant stage, or blow […]
AC2.3. Browsing The Universe
{ A Changing Cosmos Contents } { All GSS Books } There is a myriad variety of celestial objects. Astronomers delight in describing, classifying, and naming them, but also grapple with trying to explain why they look the way they do. Materials Part I: Browse 2.19. Using each of the files, browser1 through browser7, use and familiarize yourself […]
AC2. Astronomers’ Tools
Chapter 2 { A Changing Cosmos Contents } Astronomers are very limited in ability to actually visit and explore their objects of interest. Humans have personally visited only one other body in the cosmos other than Earth: the Moon. We have sent spacecraft to most of the planets in our own solar system and received […]