Visions of the Universe. Four Centuries of Discovery. Future. Visions

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1 Visions of the Universe ~ Four Centuries of Discovery Future Visions

2 Future Visions Table of Contents - Exhibit Overview... 3 Science Background... 4 Science Misconceptions... 6 Glossary... 8 Related Educational Resources... 10

3 Exhibit Overview In turning his telescope to the heavens in 1609, Galileo embarked upon a journey that would revolutionize science and culture alike, profoundly changing our view of our place in the universe. Our views of the universe, and how they have evolved over time, are portrayed in the images and text of the Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery exhibit. In recognition of the International Year of Astronomy, this exhibit includes six twosided panels that feature key astronomical discoveries from the past 400 years. The exhibit also highlights the technological advancements that made these discoveries possible. Exhibit topics range from celestial objects within our own cosmic backyard to those beyond the realm of our solar system. Featured objects include the Sun, the Moon, Saturn, Mars, comets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Images are accompanied by captions that highlight relevant, historical discoveries. The Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery exhibit is supported by supplemental resource documents available online, in PDF format, for each panel. These twelve documents include science background information in the form of Q&As, related science misconceptions, a glossary, and links to additional resources on NASA s Amazing Space Web site. In addition, each exhibit panel is available as a downloadable, poster-size file. These materials are available from: The Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery exhibit was produced in December 2008 by the Space Telescope Science Institute, the American Library Association, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, through funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 3

4 Science Background NOTE: Words in boldface italics are defined in the glossary. Q1: Why do astronomers observe the universe in all types of light? By observing the universe in all types of light, astronomers can gather more information about celestial objects. Certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum provide astronomers with specific information only available from that light. For example, radio waves are used to study Jupiter s magnetic field. Microwaves can probe the molecules in dense interstellar clouds. Infrared light detects the heat radiation from dusty disks around newborn stars. Astronomers look in ultraviolet light to study young clusters of hot stars. Objects that give off X-rays include material colliding at extreme speeds around black holes. Gamma rays are associated with the highest-energy events like supernova explosions of stars. Q2: Why are some telescopes placed into space? Astronomers have built telescopes to observe all types of light. Some telescopes can be ground-based; others must be space-based. Earth s atmosphere allows only certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to pass through. The lowest energy of light, called radio waves, can be observed by ground-based telescopes. Some microwaves make it to the ground, but more microwaves can be observed with telescopes carried high in the atmosphere by balloons. Similarly, infrared telescopes can operate from high mountains, but due to absorption by water vapor in the atmosphere, more infrared light can be observed with space-based telescopes. Visible light, of course, can be observed from the ground, but space-based telescopes obtain clearer images by being above the distorting effects of the atmosphere. Most ultraviolet light is blocked by Earth s atmosphere, as are X-rays and gamma rays. For this reason, telescopes need to be placed above Earth s atmosphere to detect these kinds of electromagnetic waves from celestial objects. Q3: How will astronomers search for answers to this question: How do collections of stars, gas, and dust develop into spectacular galaxies? A curious feature of the universe is that as you look out in space, you are also looking back in time. Since light travels at a fixed speed, the light from very distant parts of the universe left those regions billions of years ago. We see those objects as they were billions of years ago. By studying the farthest objects, we can see galaxies as they were when they were forming many billions of years ago. Astronomers have some details already, but future telescopes will enable better and more detailed study of these very faint and very distant objects. Continued 4

5 Science Background, continued Q4: How will astronomers search for answers to this question: How will our universe evolve, and does it have an end? Astronomers observe that distant galaxies in every direction appear to be moving away from us. That apparent motion is really the expansion of the universe that started in the Big Bang. By studying distant galaxies, we can tell that the expansion has slowed down and sped up over time. Right now, it appears that the expansion will go on forever. We, however, do not yet understand what could cause the expansion to speed up. We need to answer fundamental questions about dark matter and dark energy before we will truly know the fate of our universe. Q5: How will astronomers search for answers to this question: When did stars first light up the universe? While astronomers have some observations about the very distant and very early galaxies in the universe, they have not yet observed the first stars. The first stars will be much fainter and will require more sensitive telescopes. In addition, due to the expansion of the universe, the light from those stars will have been stretched into infrared wavelengths. The James Webb Space Telescope, a large space-based infrared telescope, is slated to launch in 2014 and is the best avenue for future research on the first stars in the universe. Q6: How will astronomers search for answers to this question: Are there any Earth-like planets around other stars, and do they harbor life? During the past two decades, hundreds of planets have been discovered orbiting other stars. Most of these planets, however, cannot be seen directly, and most are Jupiter-sized or larger. To see Earth-sized planets will require more sensitive techniques that will probably come from space-based telescopes focused on planet hunting. To tell if the planets harbor life, astronomers will look for gases like water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in their atmospheres. Certain combinations of gases can indicate the likely presence of biological activity. 5

6 Science Misconceptions MYTH 1: Space-based telescopes are manned satellites with astronauts living and conducting research on them. FACT: Space-based telescopes are unmanned and controlled from Earth. Astronomers request observation time on the telescopes and conduct their research from Earth. MYTH 2: Space-based telescopes can observe celestial bodies better than other observatories because they are closer to them, or because they travel to the celestial bodies. FACT: Space-based telescopes produce clearer images than ground-based telescopes because they are above Earth s atmosphere. The Earth s atmosphere distorts our view of objects in space. MYTH 3: Space-based telescopes take pictures of celestial objects, like taking snapshots with the family camera. FACT: Space-based telescopes do not use film to take images. The telescopes instead take digital images, which are transmitted to Earth. Scientists, however, do not think of space-based observatories as giant digital cameras in space, but rather as scientific instruments that observe objects for analysis. These observations can be converted into pictures, but obtaining pictures is not the telescope s primary purpose. MYTH 4: NASA has warp-drive technology. FACT: Warp drive is an imaginary device used in science fiction. Objects cannot travel faster than the speed of light (300,000 kilometers per second, or 186,000 miles per second). MYTH 5: NASA spacecraft can travel at or near the speed of light. FACT: Spacecraft travel much more slowly. For example, the Cassini spacecraft was successfully launched on October 15, 1997, and is expected to reach Saturn in July The Apollo missions took Continued 6

7 Science Misconceptions, continued slightly more than three days to travel from the Earth to the Moon. At the speed of light, it would take about one second to reach the Moon and about an hour and fifteen minutes to reach Saturn. MYTH 6: We can tell how far away a celestial object is by looking at its size in the sky. FACT: We cannot tell how far away a celestial object is just by looking at it. Large objects that are far away will appear small, and small objects that are close to Earth can appear large. The Sun and Moon appear to be about the same size in our sky. In reality, the more-distant Sun is much bigger than the Moon. MYTH 7: Black holes are giant, cosmic vacuum cleaners that swallow up everything around them. FACT: Black holes do not suck up nearby material. If the Sun were magically converted into a black hole, Earth s orbit would not change. Material generally falls into a black hole when it collides with other material orbiting the black hole. The collision alters the material s orbit. Instead of orbiting a comfortable distance from the black hole, the material now orbits too closely to the black hole. Then the black hole s enormous gravity traps the material in a one-way spiral to oblivion. MYTH 8: You can see a black hole. FACT: The light produced or reflected by objects makes them visible. Since no light can escape from a black hole, we cannot see it. Instead, we observe black holes indirectly by their effects on material around them. MYTH 9: Black holes lead to other places. FACT: In science fiction, people sometimes travel through wormholes. Many students think black holes are wormholes and therefore lead to other places. The existence of wormholes is merely a hypothesis. 7

8 Glossary Atmosphere The layer of gases surrounding the surface of a planet, moon, or star. Big Bang A broadly accepted theory for the origin and evolution of our universe. The theory says that the observable universe started roughly 13.7 billion years ago from an extremely dense and incredibly hot initial state. Dark energy A mysterious force that seems to work opposite to that of gravity and makes the universe expand at a faster pace. Dark matter Matter that is too dim to be detected by telescopes. Astronomers infer its existence by measuring its gravitational influence. Dark matter makes up most of the total mass of the universe. Electromagnetic spectrum The entire range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays. Below are definitions of each type of light listed in order from least to most energetic: Radio waves The part of the electromagnetic spectrum with the lowest energy. Radio waves are the easiest way to communicate information through the atmosphere or outer space. Microwaves The part of the electromagnetic spectrum with energy between radio waves and infrared light. Microwaves are used to heat food. Infrared light A region of the electromagnetic spectrum not visible to the human eye. This region of light that cannot be seen is similar to the range of sounds that are too low for the human ear to hear. Infrared light can be detected as the heat from a fire or a light bulb. Continued 8

9 Glossary, continued Visible light The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that human eyes can detect; also known as the visible spectrum. The colors of the rainbow make up visible light. Blue light has more energy than red light. Ultraviolet light The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that has slightly higher energy than visible light, but is not visible to the human eye. Just as there are high-pitched sounds that cannot be heard, there is highenergy light that cannot be seen. Too much exposure to ultraviolet light causes sunburns. X-rays The part of the electromagnetic spectrum with energy between ultraviolet light and gamma rays. X-rays are considered high-energy radiation and are used in medicine to detect broken bones and cavities in teeth. Astronomers can detect X-rays from exploding stars and black holes. Gamma rays The part of the electromagnetic spectrum with the highest energy; also called gamma radiation. Gamma rays can cause serious damage when absorbed by living cells. Galaxy A collection of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity. The smallest galaxies may contain only a few million stars; the largest galaxies have thousands of billions of stars. Our Sun is one star in the Milky Way Galaxy. Galaxies are classified or grouped by their shapes. Round or oval galaxies are elliptical galaxies, and those showing a pinwheel structure are spiral galaxies. Others are called irregular because they do not resemble elliptical or spiral galaxies. Interstellar clouds A cloud of gas and dust located between stars. An interstellar gas cloud is composed mostly of gas. Magnetic field A region of space in which magnetic forces may be detected or may affect the motion of an electrically charged particle. As with gravity, magnetism has a long-range effect, and magnetic fields are associated with many astronomical objects. 9

10 Related Educational Resources from NASA's Amazing Space Web site Amazing Space uses the Hubble Space Telescope s discoveries to inspire and educate about the wonders of our universe. The Amazing Space Web site includes curriculum support tools, a section for the general public, and a special section for educators and developers. The curriculum support tools are developed by a team of scientists, education specialists, and multimedia experts. They are aligned with national educational standards and are reviewed for scientific accuracy. Find teaching tools, graphic organizers, Online Explorations, and more. Online Explorations Online Explorations are fun, interactive activities for exploring various space science topics. Telescopes From the Ground Up Telescopes From the Ground Up traces the 400 years of telescope development from Galileo s refractor to NASA s Great Observatories. The overview for this activity can be found at: Specific sections of Telescopes From the Ground Up related to this exhibit panel include: Webb Space Telescope, which explores the design and workings of the infrared successor to Hubble. Compare space telescope mirror sizes, which compares the Webb Space Telescope s mirror size to those of current telescopes. Reading Selections These selections are grade-appropriate readings based on Hubble press releases. Star Witness News stories are written for grades 5 8. Tales of stories are written for grades Tales of The hunt for life on other worlds, which explores how scientists used spectroscopy to detect methane on a Jupiter-sized planet that orbits close to its parent star. The Early Cosmos: Out of the Darkness, which explores the formation of stars in the early universe. 10

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