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| |subject=Science | | |subject=Science |
| |resourcenumber=SC0021 | | |resourcenumber=SC0021 |
| |age= Year 10., Secondary | | |age= Year 10, Secondary |
| |content=A look at the geology of solar system and the fleet of robotic explorers that have provided much of the information we have. This is session 3 of a series of 6 entitled [[Astronomy Master Class]]. | | |content=A look at the geology of solar system and the fleet of robotic explorers that have provided much of the information we have. This is session 3 of a series of 6 entitled [[Astronomy Master Class]]. |
| |strategy= | | |strategy= |
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| [[Category:Secondary]] [[Category:Science]] | | [[Category:Secondary]] [[Category:Science]] |
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| == Teacher's Notes ==
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| '''Session 3 – Celestial Wanderers'''
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| Having looked at the moon last session we turn our attention to the rest of the solar system – specifically focusing on the geology and evolution of these rocky bodies.<br />
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| * The voyager probes were the first close up look at the outer solar system – taking advantage of a rare “lining up” of the gas giants allowing one probe to flyby them all. Video – The story of Voyager 2. Music is NOT Bach but I doubt any student will notice.<br />
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| :- http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/index.html<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2<br />
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| * Feb 14th 1991 Voyager took a departing valentine of the solar system – 6 of the 8 planets would prove visible in its final image before its cameras were shut down.<br />
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| :- http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/voyager-20100212.html<br />
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| * The outer planets<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune<br />
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| * Rocky bodies more interesting as we can see their surfaces.<br />
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| * Mimas has a Massive Crater http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimas_(moon)<br />
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| * Such craters also exist on Earth<br />
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| :- Manicouagan is clearly visible to astronauts<br />
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| :- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3325<br />
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| * The moon also has many craters – although lava flows in the “seas” have covered over many of them.<br />
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| :- Image taken by Apollo 8<br />
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| :- Dating surfaces possible by looking at crater counts. No craters = young surface<br />
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| * Tycho crater can be seen unaided from the earth. The lines of ejecta cover ¼ of the near side of the moon.<br />
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| :- Craters can be dated by the layering of the ejecta’s over older craters.<br />
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| :- Possible that the asteroid that formed tycho was linked to the asteroid that caused the K-T boundary extinction.<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tycho_(crater) <br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptistina_family<br />
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| * Olympus Mons – Not a crater but the biggest volcano in the solar system.<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_Mons<br />
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| * The moons of the gas giants are also rich with surface geology<br />
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| * Io – Jovian System – extremely volcanically active (notice no craters) due to extreme tidal heating from its close orbit with Jupiter<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Io_(moon)<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_force<br />
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| * Europa – Jovian System – Surface also new – but made of water Ice. Theorised to be an ocean of liquid water beneath – kept liquid by the heat generated from radioactivity and tidal energies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B8mer%27s_determination_of_the_speed_of_light<br />
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| * Titan is the biggest moon in the solar system – all 3 phases of Methane appear to be present on Titan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon)<br />
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| * The two stacked images are taken from Mars (top) and from Earth (bottom) only noticeable difference is the more red coloration in the sky.<br />
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| * Venus – covered in cloud – need Radar (next image) to see the surface<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus<br />
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| * Mercury – a planet smaller than titan... <br />
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| :- No atmosphere as it has been lost due to excessive heat, lack of a magnetic field and low gravity.<br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_planet<br />
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| * The final image is one of the surface Mars showing evidence of the Martian Past.<br />
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| :- There are plenty of craters however also evidence of water flowing over this surface. <br />
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| :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_on_Mars<br />
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| End of session 3<br />
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| '''Useful cloudy weather applications'''
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| • Build a model space probe to carry a delicate payload into orbit.<br />
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| - Instrumentation simulated by an egg<br />
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| - Launch simulated by a large plastic box which you shake around for 10 seconds...<br />
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