✏️ Space Telescopes and Space Probes (New Class!)
An online astronomy course for young learners, 11-14 years old, ready to explore our universe through a new lens.
Begins January 28
Thursdays | 3:30-5pm
In this new online course, Planetarium Director Steve Fentress will meet students on Zoom to do projects using real data from observatories and spacecraft such as Hubble, Chandra, the Mars Curiosity rover, and the Juno and Cassini outer-planet missions.
We will engage in a wide variety of projects and topics, including:
- Making full-color images, stitched panoramas, and short animations using the free online Photopea software.
- Learning how X-rays, infrared light, and gravitational waves help us find black holes and other solar systems.
- Learning to operate online simulators such as NASA’s Eyes and Celestrak.
- Experimenting with sonification (converting data into sound).
Each session is 90 minutes, with a half-hour individual work break in the middle. Activities will be planned so everything can be done in a web browser or on Zoom-- you won’t have to download any additional software if you don’t want to.
REGISTER TODAY!
Course Details
Who is this Course for:
-
Students around 11 to 14 years old
What you'll need
- Ability to participate digitally using Zoom
- An up-to-date web browser that can show interactive sites such as celestrak.com
Course Format
Each session will be divided into three 30 minute segments
- First half-hour: Everyone meets via Zoom for introductions and demonstrations by your instructor, leading to a short project to do right now
- Second half-hour: Everyone signs off to work on the short assignment
- Third half-hour: We reconvene to review the short assignment and introduce a more substantial project for the coming week
Still have questions? Reach out to us!
REGISTER FOR CLASSES
Course Fee: $90 for 8 sessions
Class Time: 8 Thursdays from 3:30-5pm (January 28 to March 25, skipping February 18)
We ask that all students arrive promptly at 3:30pm
Class Start Date: January 28, 2021
What's included:
- Eight 90-minute classes with Planetarium Director, Steve Fentress
- Access to the course webpage, which will include short demonstration videos, assignment recaps, and helpful links
- Weekly space projects
About Your Instructor
Steve Fentress, Director of the RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium
Steve Fentress has many years of experience designing Planetarium programs for school groups as well as hands-on and in-depth programs for homeschoolers and youth groups. He has written articles for space.com and Griffith Observer magazine. He stays up to date by participating in planetarium educators’ networks and online seminars. His book Sky to Space: Astronomy Beyond the Basics with Comparisons, Ratios, and Proportions is available from Amazon, but we will not be using it in this course.