Using 3D Prints to Teach Astronomy to the Visually Impaired. Dr. Thomas Madura San José State University

Transcription

1 Using 3D Prints to Teach Astronomy to the Visually Impaired Dr. Thomas Madura San José State University

2 The Problem Nearly everything we know about the Universe comes from studying light and computer simulations. Most astronomy data consist of 2D images or spectra, even though the Universe is at least 4D. 1. Can we do better than pretty pictures? 2. Can we teach the wonders of the Universe to the visually impaired? YES!

3 The Goal Develop a sustainable solution for teaching astronomy to the visually impaired, helping motivate students to pursue STEM careers. Great, but How?

4 One Answer: 3D Printing!

5 The Goal Develop a sustainable solution for teaching astronomy to the visually impaired, helping motivate students to pursue STEM careers. Great, but How? Create 3D printable files of astronomical objects, coupled with lesson plans, for delivery online and integration into classrooms.

6 D = 7500 light-years (Credit: NASA, ESA, and Hubble SM4 ERO Team) Eta Carinae: A Case Study in 3D Astronomy 2300 AU 90 M Sun e = M Sun 1.5 AU 29 AU

7 Simulations of the Colliding Stellar Winds Density Temperature Low High Low High Madura et al. 2013

8 The 3D Structure of the Homunculus Full spectral mapping (2990 Å 24,790 Å) of the entire Homunculus Nebula in March 2012 with the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Assemble a data cube. Focus on molecular hydrogen infrared emission, which traces fronts and backs of lobes.

9 The 3D Mesh Structure and Model

10 The 3D Printed Homunculus Model

11 No equatorial skirt seen in H 2 Polar holes and trenches are point-symmetric with respect to central stars Angular separation between protrusions angular extent of trenches (~130 )

12 The 3D Structure of the Colliding Winds

13 3D Printing the Simulations Use a MakerBot Replicator 2X Models printed in two pieces Hexagonal internal support White support material dissolvable in limonene

14 3D Printing the Wind-Wind Collision Region 3 Months After Closest Approach of the Stars Looking Down on the Orbital Plane Wind-Wind Collision Region Less Luminous Companion Star Dense Primary Wind Newly Identified Finger-like Protrusions More Luminous Primary Star Wind Cavity Carved by Companion Star Madura et al. 2015

15 3D Printing Results View from Earth Arbitrary view from above orbital plane Arbitrary view looking into wind cavity apastron (when stars are farthest apart) Scale: 1 inch 35.5 AU 3.3 billion miles periastron (stars closest together) 3 months after periastron Madura et al. 2015

16 Enormous Outreach & Education Impact

17 Enormous Outreach & Education Impact Keynote Speaker & Exhibitor at VRATE 2016 Additional talks and hands-on sessions by collaborators Carol Christian (STScI) and David Hurd (Edinboro University)

18 Enormous Outreach & Education Impact Dr. Madura, The YouTube video depic4ng your 3D model of the Eta Carinae nebula has caught my daughter s interest. She is about to turn five and all she wants is a toy nebula her words for your highly sophis4cated 3D model. While I can make a homemade version, this has truly caught her imagina4on and I would like to encourage that interest further. Is it possible to get a 3D model or perhaps the instruc4ons to make one with a 3D printer? I realize this is an odd request, but I must say, the NASA K-5 website and associated links are fabulous. It is opening up a new interest for my daughter, which is wonderful to see. Dr. Madura, THANK YOU! The model is amazing. Our daughter s birthday is next week, so we are holding off giving it to her un4l then. (Her two requests a nebula, and something Frozen or My Li\le Pony ). So, your incredible model is ranked up there with Disney, which for a 5 year old, is high praise. Many thanks for going above and beyond with this request. Renee Many thanks for the work you do. Renee

19 Enormous Outreach & Education Impact Dr. Madura, Cordelia LOVES the nebula. She keeps it in a special place (safe from baby brother), but picks it up every day. It has spawned lots of fun discussions. With the nebula, we gave her a couple of age-appropriate books on space. One has amazing pictures (all from NASA) and it has been the requested bed4me reading every night. Some cute quotes: At the breakfast table: Cordelia, Mama, we and the grass, we are in space. I am about to correct her, when she con4nued: We and the grass are spinning and spinning on Earth. We can t feel it, but we are spinning in space. And that is when I had the very humbling moment of realizing she was correct. We are in space. She had the big picture, I was Earthcentric thinking of space as everything beyond Earth. Your video and generosity providing our daughter with the nebula model has fostered her interest in space. We plan to visit our local observatory next month when it is open to the public. In the mean4me, we are reading more books on space, visi4ng the fabulous K-5 NASA website and will be checking out the resources at our library. This is an educa4onal experience for us as parents too, as our daughter s ques4ons have rapidly exceeded our baseline knowledge. The en4re family is enjoying this journey. Renee At bed4me, looking at a picture of the Milky Way. Cordelia, Where is the black hole? Mom, The black hole??? Cordelia, Yeah, there is a black hole at the center, why isn t it in the picture. And that is when I read the fine print next to the picture and learned that there is a black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Looking at the moon: Cordelia, Mama, even though it s night, that is sunlight, that is why we see the moon.

20 3D Models Freely Available via NASA 3D Resources Website h"p://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/ h"p://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/eta-carinae-homunculus-nebula h"p://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/eta-carinae-high

21 The Next Steps Ø Improve 3D model design for use by visually impaired students Ø Activity and curricular development (deliverables) I. Homunculus Nebula Activity: minute activity on identifying structures in the bipolar Homunculus nebula. Lesson covers topics of size/ scale in the Universe, geometry, physical origins of nebulae, stellar evolution, and binary stars. II. Colliding Stellar Winds Activity: hour activity on understanding the colliding stellar winds in the Eta Carinae binary system. Topics include size/ scale in the Universe, binary stars, eccentric orbits, massive stars, stellar mass loss, and stellar evolution. III. HST Spectra Activity: minute lesson on understanding stellar spectra of Eta Carinae obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. Topics include stellar temperature, radiation, spectra, and binary stars. Ø Classroom implementation, data gathering, analysis, publication

22 The Next Steps Ø Partnership with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Includes multi-week program to teach astronomy to blind and visually impaired students. Equipment purchased includes: 4 Apple Mac Pros 4 Apple 27 Monitors 2 Fuel 3D Handheld Scanner s 1 ISense 3D Scanner 2 MakerBot Digitizer Scanners 1 MakerBot Replicator 3D printer 6 MakerBot Amart Extruders 28 Boxes of 10 large rolls of filament 9 HP ProBook 470 G3 3 MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D printers 1 Cube Pro Trio 3D Printer 1 Infocus 70 Monitor

23 Project Members Dr. Carol Christian (Hubble Space Telescope Outreach Project Scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute) Dr. Nicola Clementel (Astrophysicist, South African Astronomical Observatory) Dr. Wanda Diaz-Merced (Blind Astrophysicist, International Astronomical Union, South Africa) Mr. Kyle Walker (Division Director, Consumer Services, S.C. Commission for the Blind) Mr. Dave Dooling (Director, New Mexico Museum of Space History) Dr. Theodore Gull (Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Mr. Jerry Ropelato (CEO, WhiteClouds, Inc.) Mr. Kenneth Silberman (Blind Engineer/Patent Attorney, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Dr. Wolfgang Steffen (Professor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) OTHER PARTNERS: Fiat Physica, Inc. NASA Goddard Office of Education South Carolina Commission for the Blind New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

24 Thank You!