Exploring the Universe through the Curriculum for Excellence Dr Martin Hendry Astronomy and Astrophysics Group, Institute for Gravitational Research Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow

Timetable for the day: 1. Introductions and background10.15 – Science and the Curriculum for Excellence:10.30 – Overview of experiences and outcomes; General strategies for engaging able pupils; Some ‘big’ science questions for exploring; Support and resources – 1.15 SNAP Associate Tutor Day, December 3 rd Spring 2010 science challenge 1.15 – 2.45 Overview of theme and goals; Criteria for identifying participants; Role of the project mentors. Lunch 4. Summary and wrap-up 2.45 – 3.00

Did we really land on the Moon?... Dr Martin Hendry University of Glasgow

Mankind’s greatest adventure?... Between July 1969 and December 1972, 12 astronauts walked on the Moon.

Apollo 11

FOX TV Documentary “Conspiracy Theory: Did We Really Go to the Moon?”

The Hoax Claim It never happened

3. shadows aren’t parallel? 2. no stars? 1. waving flag? 3. shadows aren’t parallel?

4. film played fast looks like on Earth 2. no stars? 1. waving flag? 3. shadows aren’t parallel?

6. lit in the shade? 7. Dust problems 5. Lens crosshairs behind things? 8. Radiation footprints no blast crater

now you see it! now you don’t? 9. Identical backgrounds

10. fuel jets? now you see it! now you don’t? 9. Identical backgrounds

7. Dust problems 1. waving flag2. no stars3. non- parallel shadows 5. crosshairs6. lit in the shade 9. similar backgrounds Convincing? 8. radiation

7. Dust problemsDust problems 1. waving flagwaving flag2. no starsno stars3. non-parallel shadowsnon-parallel shadows 5. crosshairscrosshairs6. lit in the shadelit in the shade 9. similar backgroundssimilar backgrounds Convincing? 8. radiationradiation 4. Slowed filmSlowed film 10. No jetsNo jets

1. The Waving Flag

1. The Waving Flag What the TV Show says

What could be causing the flag to wave? Is there anything strange about the Apollo flag? What would a flag really do on the Moon? Some questions to think about Back to main menu

1. The Waving Flag

Would the flag wave on the Moon, where there’s no atmosphere?

1. The Waving Flag

Labor Day in Johnson City, TN

Back to main menu

2. No stars

2. No stars

Should we see stars in the Apollo photographs? What determines if we see stars in any photograph we take at night? What sources of light were there on the Moon? How would these have affected the Apollo photographs? Some questions to think about Back to main menu

3. Non-parallel Shadows What the TV Show says

Some questions to think about Do we expect the shadows in photographs to run parallel to each other? If there were bright lights in a studio, what would we expect the shadows to look like? How could we test out these ideas for ourselves? Back to main menu

3. Non-parallel Shadows

Back to main menu

4. Film slowed down

4. Film slowed down What the TV Show says

Does the Apollo film, slowed down, really look like the astronauts are on Earth? If they were on Earth, how manoeuvrable would their spacesuits have been? Some questions to think about Back to main menu

4. Film slowed down

Back to main menu

5. Disappearing Crosshairs What the TV Show says

Some questions to think about What are the crosshairs supposed to be? Is there any pattern to the photos where they appear? If so, what does this tell us about a possible explanation, and a way to test our ideas? Back to main menu

5. Disappearing Crosshairs

Back to main menu

6. Lit in the Shade? What the TV Show says

Some questions to think about What are the sources of light in the photos? Would we expect deep shadows on the Moon? What factors affect the shadows we see on Earth? Back to main menu

6. Lit in the Shade?

Back to main menu

7. Dust problems? What the TV Show says

How rapid would the Lunar Module descend? Would we expect it to make a blast crater? What factors will affect how much dust gets thrown up by the Lunar Module engines? How would this dust behave on the Moon? Back to main menu Some questions to think about

The final descent of Apollo 11

7. Dust problems? No blast crater?

7. Dust problems?

Simulating the LEM descent

7. Dust problems? Driving the lunar rover

Back to main menu

8. Radiation

Some questions to think about Where does the radiation in space come from? What kinds of radiation are there? What would these different types of radiation do to the astronauts? What if we were going to Mars, instead of the Moon? What if we were onboard the International Space Station? Back to main menu

Charged particles from the Sun reach the Earth and are trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts 7. Radiation

Shielding against radiation 7. Radiation

8. Radiation

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9. Identical Backgrounds? What the TV Show says

How far can we see on a clear day? How do we tell how far away things are? What happens to our view of nearby things when we begin to move? What about our view of distant things? Some questions to think about Back to main menu

9. Identical Backgrounds?

Ridge

9. Identical Backgrounds?

Back to main menu

10. No fuel jets? What the TV Show says

Do all fuels burn with the same colour of flame? What factors determine the flame that we see? When might we not see a burning flame? What effects might a fuel jet have that we don’t see? Back to main menu Some questions to think about

10. No fuel jets?

Back to main menu

What do you think?...

“Proof” that Moon Landings Happened All the live video footage was tracked by a network of “dishes” during the Apollo missions

“Proof” that Moon Landings Happened Over 382kg of moon rocks brought back All the live video footage was tracked by a network of “dishes” during the Apollo missions

“Proof” that Moon Landings Happened Over 382kg of moon rocks brought back Over 130 separate lunar ranging studies rely on reflectors left behind by astronauts All the live video footage was tracked by a network of “dishes” during the Apollo missions

Gravity measured from original footage checks out at ~1/6 th Earth’s gravity, as expected

What do you think?...

SNAP Associate Tutor Day, December 3 rd 2009

Project summary to date: More than 50 schools participated so far Wide range of activities undertaken – exploring diverse scientific topics: gravity and forces, colour and spectroscopy, atmospheric pressure and evaporation, air resistance, geometry and optical illusions, radiation, distances and scaling relations. Excellent grasp of experimental methodology: control principle, importance of reproducibility, documenting of procedures, consideration of alternative hypotheses. Varied and innovative presentation styles: laptops, short video segments, demonstrations, models, posters, etc… The participants had fun! SNAP Associate Tutor Day, December 3 rd 2009