Cumberland-Times Sky Columns
November 2005

November 6- Understanding the Universe
November 13 - Sky Gazing Equipment
November 20 - School Bus and Time
November 27 - The Key Skill

November 6 - Understanding the Universe

Our new November program, premiering this afternoon is "Space Myths and Truths: Bad Astronomy vs. Good Astronomy". This program looks at common beliefs about space, where they come from and why they are mistaken. This 50 minute program also covers the November and December evening skies, where the brilliant stars of winter begin to appear. Our free public programs will be held the first three Sundays in November at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Planetarium is in Tawes 302 in the middle of the campus with free public parking across the street from the Public Safety Building on University Drive. This parking lot in the back of Frampton Hall is about 150 feet away from the Planetarium. Visit our website at www.frostburg.edu/planetarium for a campus map, showing both parking and the Planetarium.

Mistaken ideas about the universe are not suprising. For over two thousand years, Astrology was regarded by scholars as an accurate way to guide individuals in their life decisions, who to marry, what occupation to choose, which vital organ will likely malfunction, etc. All of this was based on a compelling idea: that the heavenly bodies, such as the moon, planets and stars have a mysterious influence on humans. In this way, you don't have to take full responsibility for your actions, you can instead blame the stars, planets, etc.

Astrology's prime was during a time when the Earth was considered the center of the universe and heavenly bodies all orbited the Earth. One prevalent misbelief is that there is no gravity in space. Anyone watching television footage of the astronauts aboard the Shuttle or Space Station can see them floating around, without weight. Since gravity causes weight, there can't be any gravity in space!
Our moon and the Space Station are all orbiting the Earth. There is a huge difference in their distance from the Earth's center; the Shuttle and the Space Station are only a few hundred miles above the Earth's surface while the moon is about 60 times the Earth's radius (about 4,000 miles) from the Earth's center. What keeps the moon faithfully orbiting the Earth? The Earth's gravity reaches out to the moon and slowly bends its natural straight line path into a curved orbit, taking 27.3 days for one complete trip. Isaac Newton used the moon's motion to establish his law of gravitation. So if the Earth's gravity extends to the moon, then it must work for the astronauts who are nearly 60 X closer to the Earth's center. (The strength of gravity is proportional to one over the (distance between the centers of bodies) squared.)

Then why do the astronauts float around in the Space Station? The astronauts are weightless (not feeling their weight) because the Station itself is falling! It is similar to an elevator whose cable has been cut; the unfortunate individuals inside would also be weightless! But gravity definitely is in effect, causing the elevator to descend faster and faster.

The reason why the Station doesn't crash to Earth is that it is moving parallel to the Earth's surface at over 17,000 miles an hour. So as the Station falls, the Earth's surface curves away just as fast. This keeps the Space Station at nearly constant altitude, about 217 miles above the Earth's surface.

There are many other satellites falling about the Earth including the satellites that used by the DISH network, DIRECT TV and SIRIUS radio.

"SPACE MYTHS AND TRUTHS" will also address the moon's lighted shape, why the stars don't fall out of the sky and disasters occuring when the planets line up.

November 13 - Sky Gazing Equipment

If you like sky gazing, what optical equipment would likely give you the most enjoyment? The answer is not a telescope but binoculars! Binoculars are actually twin telescope, one for each eye. With any decent pair of binoculars, you can see many more stars than you can see with your eyes. Binoculars magnifying 7 or 8 times (makes sky objects look 7 or 8 times closer) can be hand held for very enjoyable views of the Milky Way, the moon's plains, a number of star clusters and double stars. With binoculars, there appear tiny stars close to Jupiter; these are the planet's large moons!

I have found the best place to buy binoculars is in the hunting sections of the large discount stores or in a camping/hunter goods store. The most important thing is to look for binoculars with wide front lens, 40 mm or more. (40 mm is just under two inches.) For the wider the front lens, the fainter the stars that you can see. For binoculars that magnify 8 or 10 power with a wide lens, you may find on sale for under $30. If you can, take the binoculars out of the box/case and try viewing out the store windows. You should be able to quickly focus the binoculars for your eyes. If you wear glasses, take them off when looking through the binoculars.

If you want great views of the planets, you need a large telescope costing close to a thousand dollars. You don't have to buy such a telescope, just visit one of the Cumberland Astronomy Club's star parties held at the Glendenning Recreational Center in Frostburg. Another way to see the planets well is to come to one of our 7 p.m. Planetarium programs on Sundays. If the sky is clear, we will roll out our new large Dobsonian telescope after the program finishes (about 8 p.m.). You can have a nice view of Mars or the moon without having to wait very long.
What about a small telescope such as those on display in large discount stores or in camping/hunting stores? You can see a lot with a small telescope but they take patience. I mean pointing the telescope can take longer than the time you actually spend looking at the object you are seeking to find. You can become a quicker 'finder' by using your telescope outside during the day! Try pointing your telescope down the street or towards a mountain or hill. Align the finder scope with the main telescope. Then take the telescope out at night and start with the easiest object - our moon. Start with low power for objects stay in view a lot longer. The Earth's rotation quickly sweeps objects out of view at high power. High power mainly shows you the distorting effects of the Earth's atmosphere, not more detail.

If you must buy a telescope, the best kind for beginners is a spotting scope. They are compact telescopes with an upright image. Spotting scopes usually come with a tripod that can be set up on a small table. Spotting scopes give nice views of the moon and the bigger planets such as Jupiter and Saturn.

Spotting scopes are also highly portable; they are easy to stow away in a car when you go on trip. Then you can stop at an overlook and see sights far away. Binoculars will also do fine at overlooks. If you want the names of particular stores, just send me an e-mail at rdoyle@frostburg.edu . You can also talk to me at one of our free planetarium programs on Sundays at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

November 20 - School Bus and Time

One of the most enjoyable books to introduce younger readers to space is The Magic School Bus' "Lost in the Solar System". I found this book factually accurate and really fun to read. The story starts with Mrs.Frizzle (aka "the Friz") taking her class to the Planetarium. When they find the Planetarium closed for repairs, the school bus starts to return to school. But at a red light, the school bus rears back and blasts into space! As they leave the Earth far behind, the boys and girls begin to float within the school bus. The school bus takes them first to the moon, where the class dons space suits to visit and jump rope! Then there is a cruise by the sun, then trips to the surfaces of Mercury, Venus and Mars. In the asteroid belt, a rock breaks one of the bus rear lights and Mrs. Frizzle goes out in her space suit to make repairs. But her tether line breaks and the school bus blasts off, leaving her behind! The school bus on autopilot visits Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, the tipped over planet Uranus, Neptune and finally the frozen planet Pluto. Then the kids push the autopilot for the asteroid belt. They pick up Mrs. Frizzle and zoom back to Earth, just in time for school dismissal!

A new book that I recently bought at a school book fair is "Star gazer" by Ben Morgan, a Smithsonian Book published this year by Dorling Kindersley. This stiff paperback has eye catching illustrations and a series of 'hands on' activities to make learning fun. These include a paper model showing the relative sizes of the planets, drawing Neptune's and Pluto's intersecting orbits (don't worry, they won't crash\, a sundial using small board, glue and pencil with a removable eraser and a two stage balloon rocket. "Star gazer" has an ISBN of 0-7566-1031-1 and costs under $10. It can be ordered from your local book store or on the internet.

November 27 - The Key Skill

As a teacher, I hear raves about the innovative methods - Discovery, Inquiry, Workshop, etc. What all these approaches rely on is good reading, the ability to extract meaning from the printed page or computer screen. Group methods allow students who have poor reading skills to lean on more able readers. Ultimately at the work place or at home, each person will have to read on their own, using this information to solve a problem, operate technology, deal with another person, etc. Often there is no person to consult with, then you must make a decision based on what you have read.

I feel that reading is similar to physical fitness. Fitness involves exerting your self to maintain muscle tone. In the same way, you must read often to keep your reading level from falling back. As I mentioned in a previous column, reading levels in middle school and high school have declined, relative to the levels in the past. This is likely due to the explosion of personal technology (cell phones, mp3 players), the huge increase in television channels, the reliance on video media (DVD's, tapes) and enticing computer games. As a consequence, a smaller number of teens and young adults follow the news, both national and international. This is why there are fewer college students voting than the general population.

In my college classes, I start each class with a reading exercise that allows me to appraise my student's reading levels in the content area. This reading exercise (called an overview) has a brief paragraph for each chapter to be included on the first test. Following each paragraph are a few sentences where needed words, phrases or numbers are to be supplied in slots (usually one slot per sentence), based on the ideas in the above paragraph. This overview reading exercise gives my students a preview of the major concepts coming ahead in the course. Most students score between 80 and 90% in the overview exercises but a few do badly (40-60%). The overview exercises are returned the very next class. These exercises give both the instructor and the student an indication if extra help or tutoring is indicated. As the course continues with typically 3 to 5 overview exercises per class, the overview exercise scores slowly rise for students who started at a low level. These overview exercises count as much as a chapter quiz, meaning that the students take them seriously.

In addition to the overview exercises, I encourage students to do a single note card on the key ideas of each chapter. At the start of a class before a quiz, I collect the note cards and grade them on their coverage of key ideas. Then just before the quiz, I return the note cards to each student and allow them to use the note card as an aid during the quiz. The note card forces the students to separate the details from the key ideas; for there is simply not enough room on the note card! These note cards provide motivation for the students to carefully read the chapters prior to the chapter quizzes.