HST
CYCLE 14 E/PO GRANTS
This year, the HST Cycle 14 E/PO Grant Program drew 18 proposal submissions, comprised of 26 science programs. Eight proposals were accepted for funding. The ratio of proposals awarded funding compared to the total number of submissions was approximately 1:2.
- Understanding Light Through The Eyes
of the Hubble Space Telescope
Gilda E. Ballester, University of Arizona - Universe in the Park (Minnesota)
Evan Skillman, University of Minnesota - The Life Cycle of Stars and Birth of Planets
Charles O'Dell, Vanderbilt University - Beyond Hubble's Tuning Fork
Erica Ellingson, University of Colorado - The Interactive Astronomer's Periodic Table
(iAPT)
Donald York, University of Chicago - Evaluating Galaxy Cluster Discoveries in
a Planetarium for Large, Undergraduate Classes
Megan Donahue, Michigan State University - Understanding Galaxies Through Their Electromagnetic
Radiation
Arjun Dey, NOAO - Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed
Rogier Windhorst, Arizona State University
ABSTRACTS
Understanding Light Through The Eyes
of the Hubble Space Telescope
PI: Gilda E. Ballester, University of Arizona
CoI: Elizabeth Selina Johnson, University of Arizona
Training/Workshop
Budget: $19,999
Highlights of the planetary science observations with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have changed our understanding of the physics of planetary atmospheres and beyond. With UV observations, the findings about the upper atmospheres and magnetospheric interactions have been outstanding. These include:
- The imaging of spectacular auroral displays on Jupiter and Saturn;
- Discovery of escaping atmospheres in extra-solar “hot” Jupiter;
- Io’s volcanically-derived atmosphere and aurora-like emissions; and
- The discovery of thin oxygen atmospheres of icy moons Europa and Ganymede and of the aurora on Ganymede with its own magnetic field.
The science research program will identify aurora-like emissions on Europa. In the visible wavelengths, properties of the surface and low atmosphere are extensively studied on various objects. These findings provide an opportunity for teachers to explore connections between the secondary classroom and research using light to understand planetary phenomena.
The E/PO program would be to conduct a “Nature of Light” workshop that is designed to enhance classroom practice and elicit understanding by exploring the electromagnetic spectrum using diffraction gratings and filters to separate light of different wavelengths, identifying spectral analysis in planetary/satellite atmospheric composition, and analyzing images and spectra from HST. A Science Teacher’s seminar will further enhance science knowledge through an ongoing series of science talks.
Universe in the Park (Minnesota)
PI: Evan Skillman, University of Minnesota
CoI: Diane Hedin, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Public Outreach
Budget: $19,934
For the last five summers we have been conducting a program of public talks followed by observing sessions in partnership with the State Parks of Minnesota. This program was initiated under a previous STScI E/PO program to replicate the highly successful outreach program in Wisconsin under the administration of Eric Wilcots. Through the program, graduate students have been trained in conducting public outreach events and reach an audience of roughly 1,000 each year. The main outreach goal of the program is to help the public understand the role of NASA satellite observing facilities in the exploration of astronomical questions. The program also allows the audience a potentially unique experience of having their questions about astronomy answered by professional astronomers. The program is heavily leveraged by resources and infrastructure from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Resources.
The Life Cycle of Stars and Birth of Planets
PI: Charles O'Dell, Vanderbilt University
CoI: Laurette Cousineau, Independence High School
CoI: Sue McPherson, Hendersonville High School
Training/Workshop
Budget: $59,884
The grandeur and changes of the heavens serve as a natural magnet for the public, both children and adults. This interest in astronomy can be a special connecting point to link the public to multiple disciplines of science. The program would combine HST research on planetary nebulae with a special astronomical facility, Dyer Observatory, to connect astronomy to teachers, students, and the general public. The program approach would refine and continue a very successful outreach activity begun under HST Cycle 12 and 13 EPO grants that include teacher workshops and space exploration camps for students. New HST-based curriculum would be developed utilizing input from a senior teacher advisory group that is linked directly to underserved students and addresses national, state and local science standards as well as supplement basic materials for middle and high school science classes. The curriculum will be tested in teacher workshops and summer camps at the Dyer Observatory as a way to fine-tune and implant HST results into the classrooms of Tennessee. The curriculum will be inquiry-based and utilize a variety of hands-on, interactive activities that have been created at the observatory. The goal is to enhance student interest in astronomy as well as to build longer-term student involvement through observing opportunities at Dyer and participation in the new Corps of Explorers science group. In addition, exciting new HST results will be presented by HST scientists at the workshops, camps, and regular public nights at the Dyer.
Beyond Hubble's Tuning Fork
PI: Erica Ellingson, University of Colorado
CoI: Suzanne Traub-Metlay, Fiske Planetarium
Multimedia Development
Budget: $40,000
The program would create a one class-period educational module for teaching astronomy in a planetarium setting and curricular materials to provide in-class follow-up to reinforce key learning concepts. The primary focus would be to help develop critical thinking skills in grade 10-14 students, a group particularly prey to popular misconceptions and pseudoscience. The hope is that improving student’s scientific literacy and ability to analyze conflicting views would strengthen student decision-making skills while teaching basic galactic astronomy.As Hubble first explored with his “tuning fork” diagram, galaxies may be classified and sequenced in a variety of ways. Through interactive learning during the planetarium show, students are introduced to the properties and basic relationships of galaxies and related structures, via beautiful and compelling images of galaxies, from the Local Group to the Hubble Deep Field. By using the follow-up materials in class, students are required to develop their own approaches to classify and sequence galactic structures. In doing so, students must consider the nature of science and scientific inquiry, and examine what happens when different data sets and different scientists do not agree.Key production roles would be filled by future teacher who are undergraduates in the Colorado University STEM-TP program. The planetarium segment would be intereactive, using wireless student response systems that transform a passive classroom experience into an active one. Close cooperation between CU, Front Range Community College (FRCC), and an experienced high school astronomy teacher will insure the planetarium and classroom activities work well for the target audience and are widely used.
The Interactive Astronomer's Periodic Table
(iAPT)
PI: Donald York, University of Chicago
CoI: Marvin Nochowitz, Chicago Public Schools
Multimedia Development
Budget: $39,910
The Chicago WebDocent Project (CWD) proposes to develop an Internet-based Interactive Astronomer's Periodic Table (iAPT) for middle- and high school students. iAPT will present an alternate view of the periodic table so familiar to students for the study of chemistry to help them understand how space scientists study the elements. At a glance, students will see information from the table organized to show abundances of elements in the universe. By clicking on certain elements, students will be able to view a simulation of how they are formed in stars, derived from current research by HST program scientists. The simulation will be annotated with small interactive features to help explain how astronomers observe and analyze the origins of elements. Development of iAPT will be a collaboration of team scientists at the University of Chicago with science educators in the Chicago Public Schools, who will ensure that the project is aligned with national learning standards and is presented at the appropriate level for middle- and high-school students. iAPT will leverage CWD’s existing multi-media and curriculum projects: Content and interface elements from the iAPT website will be repurposed to show the elements of interest to space scientists. iAPT will also serve as a resource for CWD curriculum projects related to the origins of the elements that have been funded in previous HST cycles, and will include links to resources on the Hubblesite and Amazing Space websites to offer a rich companion piece to CWD’s science materials.
Evaluating Galaxy Cluster Discoveries in
a Planetarium for Large, Undergraduate Classes
PI: Megan Donahue, Michigan State University
CoI: David Branch, Abrams Planetarium
Curriculum Development
Budget: $7,343
The program will involve the installation and evaluation of an interactive planetarium show for undergraduate astronomy created by Fiske Planetarium at Colorado University (CU) in context with an inquiry-based, hands-on laboratory module to be developed by Michigan State University (MSU). Astronomy content will be developed for large, undergraduate laboratories that have few teaching assistants. The focus will be on the inspection and measurement of Hubble Space Telescope images of clusters of galaxies. This initial collaboration with Fiske Planetarium is hoped to be the first of a series of collaborations between Abrams Planetarium and the Physics and Astronomy Department at MSU and Fiske Planetarium and the Astrophysical and Planetary Science Department at CU.
Understanding Galaxies Through Their Electromagnetic
Radiation
PI: Arjun Dey, NOAO
CoI: Catharine Garmany, NOAO
Research Opportunity
Budget: $19,406
Science is an active process in which inquiry is central. The rich array of astronomical images from the HST is a proven way to excite students. The program will use this excitement to introduce both teachers and their students to an authentic research experience, using actual astronomical databases. The team will use the PI’s multi-wavelength images and spectra of Ly nebulae as a hook to excite students about investigating the differing appearance of objects along the electromagnetic spectrum. In addition to exploring other NASA databases such as GOODS and the HUDF, the program will introduce students to the NOAO Deep Wide-field. Working with a local high school, students will explore effective ways to design their own research questions and subsequently handle the data. Several data reduction programs will be tested that allows students to measure positions and flux in the data sets. Ultimately, this materials will be ported to a website currently maintained at NOAO and available to any teacher.
Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed
PI: Rogier Windhorst, Arizona State University
CoI: Seth Cohen, Arizona State University
Multimedia Development
Budget: $49,900
From decades of experience with teaching AST 100 courses, most 11--14th grade non-science majors appear to have a significant lack of understanding --- even after taking 100 level courses --- of the basic concepts of wavelength, electromagnetic spectrum, speed of light, expansion of the Universe, (Doppler) redshift, and look back in time. Through this program, the team will create a state-of-the-art web tool called “Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed” (AhaH) that uses the HST Cycle 14 Treasury project PEARS (Probing Evolution and Re-ionization through Spectra) data. AhaH will span the fully 3-dimentional PEARS database of the GOODS/HUDF galaxy distribution of redshifts, spanning nearly 90% of the history of the Universe.
The web tool AhaH will allow 11-14th grade students to interactively zoon in/out of this PEARS database, rotate, and accelerate/decelerate towards a specific target, and/or travel forward or backward in time. Hence, Students will be able to make a complete interactive journey through a real 3-D scale structure of the GOODS and HUDF galaxies, traveling back in time over nearly 90% of the history of the Universe. AhaH will help students learn and visually understand the above basic concepts of physics, and at the same time understand how galaxies change when traveling back in time, how their light is redshifted, and how they form and are clustered in the expanding space.
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