Stars and Cells Kathy Cooksey Astronomy Overview.

Stars and Cells

Kathy Cooksey

Astronomy Overview

History of Cluster 7

• Founded 2001: Stars, Sight, and Science– Astronomy and vision

science– Linked by optics and

adaptive optics

• Center for Adaptive Optics– National Science

Foundation (NSF) science center

– Responsibility to education and outreachPresentation Day 2006

Topics to Cover

• Overview of the Universe

• Optics & Telescopes• Cameras and CCDs• Cosmology • Adaptive Optics• Astrobiology• Color, Light &

Spectra• Life Cycles of Stars

Steward Observatory, Mt. Graham, AZ

Other Events• Lick Observatory field

trip– Tour and history spiel– Observing with Great

Refractor• Additional observing

– Sky observing (anyone)– Remote observing

(projects)• College/Grad/Life

counseling• Reunion picnic• Project time!• Presentation day

36” Refractor, Laurie Hatch, Lick Observatory

Project Time

• Small group research time with up-and-coming scientists

• Astrobiology– What is life? What does it need to live? Where are

such places?

• Galaxy Morphologies – Why are galaxies different shapes, sizes, colors,…?

• Variable Stars– Mysterious object that regularly varies in brightness

What is this?

What do you see?NASA/ESA

Nature of Questions

• Asking…– For clarification– For appreciation– For your own interest

• Research• Manipulation

• Investigating – Gathering evidence and interpreting

• Answering…– Clearly– Succinctly– Or at least gracefully say, ‘I don’t know’

“Scientific Process”

• Make observation• Develop hypothesis• Design experiment to

test hypothesis• Make conclusion

based on outcome of experiment

• Revise hypothesis• Constant revision and

branching or merging

Edwin Hubble at 100” Palomar, 1920

Interesting Observation

• What is this colorful nebula?– Crab Nebula

• Chinese and Anasazi astronomers noted flash in sky here in 1054 AD – What made it so bright?

• How do we find out?– Astronomers only have

radiation (light)

Telescopes

Astronomical Imaging• Cameras/CCDs• Adaptive optics

– Image correction for atmospheric blurring

Crab Nebula: Color

• Red - electrons recombining with protons to form neutral hydrogen

• Blue - electrons whirling around magnetic field of inner nebula

• He, O (emission)• C, N (other means)

Crab Nebula: Morphology

• Roughly spherical• Not smooth

– Lots of sub-structure– Density differences

• Color distributed • Transparency

variations

Crab Nebula: Other Radiation

• X-rays (extremely hot) and radio waves (rapidly rotating)– Visible (red), X-ray

(blue)

• Find that in nebula's very center lies a pulsar

• Pulsar: neutron star rotating, in this case, 30 times a second

Chandra X-ray Observatory/Hubble Space Telescope

Crab Nebula: Central Pulsar

Chandra Space Telescope:

X-Rays

Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/ASU/J.Hester et al.; Optical: NASA/HST/ASU/J.Hester et al.

Hubble Space Telescope:

Optical light

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Conclusion

• What have you learned?– About astronomy?– About scientific method

in astronomy?

• What would you like to learn?– About astronomy?– About science?

• What would I like you to learn?– Nature of questions– To be a better scientist

Eskimo Nebula, Hubble Space Telescope