Jan 03, 2016
Educational Activities with the Faulkes Telescopes
Dr Sarah Roberts
Ft • FT Project began in 2001 with funding from Dill Faulkes
Why?• Inspirational projects in maths, science and ICT• Address failing interest in these areas
• In 2005, FT project was taken over by LCOGTN as part of Wayne Rosing’s project to build a global network of robotic telescopes
• Now known as FT project in the UK and Ireland, and LCOGTN elsewhere in the world
• Projects in UK, Russia, Poland and Portugal…..
Project History
UK EducationFT/LCOGTN Initiatives:
• Projects and Activities• Twinning schools in UK/US• Themed Observing Days• Portals - FANG and asteroids• Teacher Training• Online Training• School-based Support Centres
In schools:
• After-school Astronomy clubs• GCSE Astronomy groups• School workshops - Arts/Science week
Projects and Activities• Introductory Activities
• Using the software• Planning an observing session• Simple imaging
• Worksheets• Measuring impact craters in Google Earth/Mars• Earth and Beyond• Light and Optics
• Projects & Observing Programmes• Asteroids• Astronomical Imaging• Galaxies• Supernovae• Themed Observing
Themed Observing Days
Collaborative projects for a number of schools through the day
Projects include:
•Mosaic of M101
•Lifecycle of Stars poster
•Asteroid Rotation
Mosaic of M101
•11 schools from UK, Russia and Poland each given 3 areas of galaxy to observe
•Schools could make mini-mosaic, larger mosaic completed at end of night
• 10 schools from UK and Poland were given specific objects to observe which showed stars at different stages of their lives
• Schools could process their own images, as well as have their images on the final poster
Lifecycle of Stars
Asteroid Rotation
• 10 schools from UK plus Hawaiian users observed 2 asteroids in one night
• Magnitude of asteroids were measured with Astrometrica and light curves produced
• FANG (Faulkes Atlas of Nearby Galaxies)
• Asteroids
Portals
Focus Group and School-based Support Centres
•Focus Group – group of teachers who give us advice on resources etc.
•Involved in Support Centre network
•Support Centres will work at a local, national and international level to help build a community of educators and observers
•11 schools have asked to be support centres
•1 fully trained and supporting users•4 currently undergoing training
Online Training
• Courses currently online: • Introductory Courses• Astronomical Imaging
• Coming soon….• Asteroids• Lifecycle of Stars
British Council Projects•13 schools and education centres across the country
•SN follow-up program
FT/LCOGTN in Poland
• 24 schools in 5 regions
5
65
4 4
FT/LCOGTN in Russia
Ekaterinburg
• Approx. 120 school students and 30 university students participated in project.
• Imaging open clusters and star forming regions previously imaged in IR
• Successfully applied for time on 6-metre telescope for further observations
Moscow
• Extra-curricular study groups at the Astronomy Dept. of Moscow City Palace of Children and Youth Creativity
• Observed PNe in collaboration with other Moscow schools
• Presented work at:• Qualification Improvement courses for Physics &
Astronomy teachers• Children’s Conference• Moscow Region Astronomy Teacher’s seminar
Samara• 4 schools• Main aim - make and process observations of spiral
and interacting galaxies• 34 school students in total were involved• Presented results at a number of conferences• 1st and 2nd prizes given to students involved in the
project at Samara Region Scientific Conference of Astronomy Students
St Petersburg• Educational Objectives:
• Motivate study of Astronomy and Sciences• Cross-curricular links (e.g. English language)• Hands-on skills from Astronomy lessons• Get students acquainted with research methods
used in modern science
• Looked for double asteroids and double trans-neptune objects
• Carried out observations at Pulkovo Observatory due to school internet connection not working
• Students from 6th and 11th forms took part
FT/LCOGTN in Portugal• Hunting for open clusters around O stars• Developed in a Portugese High School together with
NUCLIO and mentored by a professional astronomer • Students conduct the project in class-time• From a list of known O stars, students chose open
clusters which would be suitable to observe before observing them with FTN
Number of Users• In the UK we have:
• Approx. 585 schools registered, 40 in Ireland
• Overseas we have:• Poland – 13 schools and education centres• Russia – 24 schools• Portugal – 4/5 schools
Now registering users for archive accounts – no telescope time, but access to data archive
www.faulkes-telescope.com