AstronomyTeacher

This should complete the cycle of presentations.

Next step in lab:
Plot a graph of distance vs. time.
Convert times to decimal times; count days. Use Tri's Julian Date function?
From the graph, find radius of the orbit (in pixels) and the period of the orbit (in seconds).

Last lab step; convert radius to km, then apply Newton's form of Kepler's third law to find the mass of Saturn.

More presentations.
Next step in the lab: finish collecting data, type it into a spreadsheet.
Compute the distance vector r using the pythagorean theorem.

The story so far:
1. We derived Newton's form of Kepler's Third Law using the equations for gravity and centripetal force. Then we solved the equation for the mass of the parent body.

Kepler's Third law: P^2 = a^3.

Newton's form of Kepler's Third Law: P^2 = (4pi^2/GM) r^3
Note, r = a when the orbit is circular.

G = 6.67x10^-11.

2. We learned how to measure positions using the HOU software called "Image Processing." We opened pictures taken by Harlan Devore's class one at a time, then used the HOU function "axes" to get x and y coordinates for Saturn and Titan. Using Starry Night, we verified which star was which in the photograph, and identified Titan.

Students were instructed to make a table of x,y positions for both Saturn and Titan, and to record the UT date and time of each photograph.

Here is a link to some already published research: Untitled Document using these photos. The photos were taken by Cape Fear Natural Science academy students in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Our method of data analysis will be somewhat different, but the basic data gathering steps are the same.

New Scientist Breaking News - 'Pack ice' suggests frozen sea on Mars

Is Pluto a Planet?

Includes a photo of Clyde.

CNN.com - Pluto discovered 75 years ago, but what is it? - Feb 14, 2005

In New Zealand, of all places.

STUFF : NATIONAL NEWS - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website

This is the kind of stuff theoretical astrophysicists may work on. These guys might never actually look through a telescope.

PhysOrg: Simulations Show How Growing Black Holes Regulate Galaxy Formation

Goodbye Hubble, we barely knew ye

CBC News: NASA budget calls for Hubble's end