Transmision #22 From Tycho (Samhain)

"Just before the death of flowers,

And before they are buried in the snow,

There comes a festival season,

When nature is all aglow."

Unknown

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Gibbous 99% of Full - Almost a full moon - many people think it is a full moon

Samhain - roughly translated summer's end - a harvest festival held on October 31 - November 1 to mark the end of the harvest. It ends the 'lighter half' of the season and ushers in the 'darker half'. There is a realtionship to the festival of the dead because many people see nature dying around them.

As the picture suggests, bonfires play a major role in this festival. Farmers would walk with their livestock between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual. It was a gaelic holiday and the Gaels believed that the border between this world and the 'otherworld' became thin on this day. The custom of wearing costumes was an attempt to copy the spirits and placate them. Today we call this Halloween - another commercialized holiday that has lost its meaning.

What does this have to do with the Moon - not much but it sure is scarier on a full moon (or close to full moon)

signing off

kb...

Transmission #21 From Tycho (Misconception revealed)

"Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search or pearls must dive below." - John Dryden

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Gibbous 97% of Full - cloudy tonight couldn't see the Moon

I completed the impact crater activity in my Science 10 class today. I related it to the kinetic energy topic we have been dealing with in class. I showed my class the impact crater Powerpoint we received in this course. The students were interested in the topic and had many questions about the Moon.

One student posed this question "Since the Moon has no atmosphere, if you walked around the Moon would you fall off?"

Shockingly an interesting correlation - does the atmosphere have any relationship to gravity? Well of course not - I was a little puzzled that they had made this connection especially being a Sr. high student. It just goes to show that it really doesn't matter how old you are many people still have many misconceptions about science and how things work. i guess that's why I signed up for this 'teaching' gig to bust the myths and misconceptions.
signing off
kb

Transmission #20 from Tycho (Wed)

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Gibbous 85% of Full

Transmission #19 from Tycho (Crater Formation)

"How's bout them holes in the moon.
When it orbits low, we can reach up to
harvest the cheese, and retrieve,
all our things back from them holes."

by That 1 Guy

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Gibbous 60% of Full. I saw the Moon again today as well as yesterday.

Impact craters can be divided into two categories: simple and complex. The formation of these craters is characterized by three distinct stages that include contact and compression, excavation and modification. The first stage is when the projectile makes contact with the ground surface to about half its diameter. The kinetic energy of this projectile is transferred to the surface and converted into shockwaves radiating outward into the planetary body. The projectile becomes compressed and some of the shockwaves make their way to the rear of the projectile. Once this happens it will be reflected as a rarefaction transforming the projectile into melt and vapour. The vapourized portion may expand out of the crater and the melt may be mixed into the breccias below.
The second stage, excavation, is characterized by the impact crater opening up. As some of the shockwaves travel upward their energy is converted into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy exceeds the mechanical strength of the target rocks and ejects fragments into the atmosphere. The movements of these rocks create a bowl-shaped depression called a transient crater. The area under the impact site has material that continues to be driven downward and outward.
The final stage is the modification stage. This stage begins when the transient crater has grown to its maximum size and the shockwaves no longer play a role in crater formation. The crater is modified by gravitational forces and rock mechanics. Once all of the remaining material falls and stops the stage is complete.

Complex crater formation follows the same stages as the simple crater but with some noted differences. This includes the uplift that occurs at the end of the excavation stage to begin the modification stage. This is characterized by the deep seated rocks beneath the center of the transient crater forming a central uplift. This process is accompanied by the peripheral material collapsing and draping the original uplifted rocks. As the modification stage ends a central uplift is present and surrounded by a terraced rim.

signing off

kb

Transmission #18 from Tycho (Common Heritage of Humankind)

"God himself says 'speaking through the voice of nature' inasmuch as it is not His will to have Nature supply every place with all the necessaries of life, He ordains that some nations excel in one art and others in another. ... So by the decree of divine justice it was brought about that one people should supply the needs of another.
Those therefore who deny this law, destroy this most praiseworthy bond of human fellowship, remove the opportunities for doing mutual service, in a word do violence to Nature herself. For do not the oceans, navigable in every direction, with which God has encompassed all the earth, and the regular and the occasional winds which blow now from one quarter and now from another offer sufficient proof that Nature has given to all peoples a right of access to all other peoples." - Hugo Grotius

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Crescent 40% of Full - the clouds are back in town

The quote above comes from the book Mare Liberum by Hugo Grotius a 17th century legal scholar. He was the first person I know of that described the Common Heritage principle to the Sea and I think it can be related now to the Moon. The Moon Treaty created in 1979 "is an international treaty that turns jurisdiction of all heavenly bodies (including the orbits around such bodies) over to the international community." This Common Heritage of Humankind has been discussed lately in our class discussions and one piece of this 'legislation' that caught my attention was that a small number of countries have signed and ratified this treaty. Therefore it really is a failure of international law and another failure of the UN since those countries that have not signed it do not abide by it.
Another piece of interest that stood out was that it "bans altering the environment of celestial bodies and requires that states must take measures to prevent accidental contamination." After the LCROSS impact mission blatantly violates this article I ask the question, is anyone bothered by this impact? What gives us the right to do this to the Moon? Should we have an international protection agency for the Moon? Lunar Protectors?
..I think so...
signing off...
kb

Transmission #17 from Tycho (Impacts)

On impacts
"the most fundamental process on the terrestial planet" - Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker

Phase of the Moon Today: 7:00pm Hip hip hooray, it is a beautiful night and I see the moon perfectly outside my balcony looks like a Waxing Crescent.

The more I learn and read about the Moon the more I appreciate it. I researched crater formation today and looked at why this process is important. Impact craters allow us to investigate the history of the planetary surface. It can be used as a clock for estimating ages of the surface, ie the more impacts the older the surface. It can provide information on the physical properties of near-surface rocks without having to retrieve samples. They can also be used as marker fossils as evidence/clues to other previous geological processes such as erosion, sedimentation or lava flooding.

There are two main types of crater formed on the lunar surface: Simple craters and Complex craters. The simple craters are characterised by a bowl-shaped depression on the planetary surface and is caused by a smaller projectile. As the projectile hits the surface geologic material is ejected into the air as the compression wave moves through the mantle. The ejecta is essentially excavated from the surface and falls back to the ground blanketing the surface in debris. The impact causes the bedrock to become fractured and the layer above to either melt or form breccia leaving behind a crater.

The complex crater results from greatrer impact energy due to a larger projectile. The rock debris crushed in the compression stage beneath a crater moves like a viscous fluid. This occurs due to the strong impact pressure wave passing through it. This 'fluidized' region allows the walls to fow or collapse inward toward the center of the cavity. The moving material converges in the midle and pushes the rocks up forming the central peak.

Pretty interesting stuff...

kb

Transmision #16 From Tycho (Lunar Prospector Magnetometer)

“Magnetism is one of the Six Fundamental Forces of the Universe, with the other five being Gravity, Duct Tape, Whining, Remote Control, and The Force That Pulls Dogs Toward The Groins Of Strangers.” - Dave Barry

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Crescent 23% of Full

This post discusses the Magnetometer Data from the Lunar Prospector mission. The mission was designed to measure the magnetic field surrounding the spacecraft as it orbited the Moon. It was positioned to detect disturbances in Earth's magnetic field due to the presence of the Moon. The data collected was to allow scientists to estimate the induced field generated in the Moon. They determined the amplitude of the field to be -2.4 x 10^22 Gauss-cm^3. This suggests that the lunar core represents only 1-3% of the Moon's total mass. This measurement helps support the giant impact hypothesis since if the Earth and Moon were formed together form the same material (i.e. co-accretion model) then the proportion of the cores should be the same - which they are not-Earth's 33%, Moon 1-3%.

My initial reaction to this article was that this would be an interesting article to discuss with my Physics 30 class. I am also trying to work on an exam question related to the induction of the Moon or the induced voltage that would be generated in the spacecraft's boom. According to Lenz's law the magnetic field on Earth should generate a voltage according to the equation V = lvB where V = voltage, l - length of boom (m), v - speed of boom (spacecraft) in field (m/s) and B = magnetic field strength of Earth. When I get it done I'll post it here.

signing off

kb

Transmision #15 From Tycho (Music and Learning)

"Music is the electric soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." - Ludwig van Beethoven

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Crescent 16% of Full; very eerie day today, foggy and misty all day, no moon observed

Beethoven is probably one of the most recognized composers of all time. His story is an interesting one in that he lost his hearing yet continued to compose, conduct and perform. And the quote above can really be applied to education and learning. We have been discussing various musical choices and songs to be used for science education. This spawned from an earlier discussion on 'space junk' which happened to make me recall a song by Jello Biafra and NOMEANSNO - The Sky is Falling and I Want My Mommy; a song about the possibility and inevitability of falling space junk (see Transmission #8). This discussion lead me to further probe the use of music in the classroom and how it can enhance learning.

According to Chris Brewer (1995) music enhances our learning and living. Most people are constantly engaged by music in their personal lives but why is it that when we go to work or school we shut this stimuli off?

We know that music achieves many of the following:

• establishes a positive state
• energizes students
• focuses concentration
• enhances creativity
• motivates
• engages

A teacher out of the UK, Caroline Molyneux saw the potential of music has embraced it her classroom and uses it to kick start her lessons and gets students engaged in their learning. Here is the article that describes her story: Using music in the science classroom.

What she accomplished was quite amazing. She began by playing a music selection along with the school's thought of the day. Soon the students were interested to hear the selection and in turn thinking about the thought of the day, something that didn't happen before. An otherwise boring start to the day from the student's standpoint became an exciting and eager event for the student.

She carried this practice to her science lessons and tried to find songs that linked the day's lesson with the particular song selection - it provided the needed attention grab to get students interested in the day's lesson. It also got the students thinking critically about the lesson and how the song fit.

After reading this article it inspired me to find songs for my class and try to incorporate them to engage students. Here are some songs that I found that may work in my high school science classes:

Artist/Song

Bad Religion - Big Bang - this song discusses the contrast between the Big Bang Theory and Big Crunch Theory - wold work well for Physics

Bad Religion - Kyoto Now - this song discusses the need for the Kyoto Agreement and how it will affect our lives - very applicable to many science classes

Crass - Nagasaki Nightmare - this song deals with the aftermath of the Nagasaki atomic bomb and its after effects

These are just a few I could think of. Below is a link to songs with Moon themes involved.

Here is a link to a website that has the lyrics to songs about the Moon: Moon songs and lyrics

signing off..

kb

Transmision #14 From Tycho (Fission)

"Too bad you can't buy a voodoo globe so you can make the Earht spin real fast and freak everybody out." - Jack Handy

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Crescent 9% of Full - cloudy yet again, it's getting quite disappointing not being able to see the Moon - I've taken it for granted

The Fission Theory: This theory proposes that the Moon was once part of the Earth and somehow separated from the Earth early in the history of the solar system. The present Pacific Ocean basin is the most popular site for the part of the Earth from which the Moon came. This theory was thought possible since the Moon's composition resembles that of the Earth's mantle and a rapidly spinning Earth could have cast off the Moon from its outer layers. However, the present-day Earth-Moon system should contain "fossil evidence" of this rapid spin and it does not. Also, this hypothesis does not have a natural explanation for the extra baking the lunar material has received.

The possiblity that the Earth was able to spin that fast to create the Moon is (I think) a physical impossibilty. I prefer the giant impact theory.

signing off ..

kb

Transmission #13 From Tycho (Misinformation)

"Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense." - Carl Sagan

Phase of the Moon Today: Waxing Crescent 3% - cloudy no Moon observing today

It is amazing to hear all the stories of students "taking the media as gospels." Why is it that students or anyone for that matter, don't question what they see, read or hear anymore? With so much information available at our fingertips (keyboard) ie. Internet it is disheartening to see this generation willing to accept all that mass media is pushing on us. Do students not understand that these corporate media conglomerates have their own agenda? I'm reminded about the old cliche: Knowledge is power, arm yourself - but we need to be careful as to where our knowledge comes from. Are the textbooks right? Who was the publisher and do they have an agenda of their own? How many rural schools have teachers that are not science majors teaching science? What if they are teaching it wrong? Where doe sthe cycle end? I think current teaching practices need to change - instead of "feeding" information to our students we need to force them to "find" this information on their own....force them to think...

Here is an interesting and humourous link to common misconceptions of students and people alike: Misconceptions

Signing Off...

kb

Class Moon activities - Week 3

Here are Week 3 Activities and their fit into science curicula.

Accretion
This activity would make an excellent fit in the Forces and Fields unit form Physics 30 as an introduction to electrical forces. The specific outcomes that address Activity B: ZAP Electrostatic Small Particle Accretion are below:
30–B1.2k explain electrical interactions in terms of the repulsion and attraction of charges
30–B1.3k compare the methods of transferring charge (conduction and induction)
30–B1.4k explain, qualitatively, the distribution of charge on the surfaces of conductors and insulators
Activity C: CRUNCH! Accretion of Chodrules and Chondrites would have a better fit in Physics 20 Unit B: Dynamics when discussing gravity and its effects on celestial bodies. The specific outcomes below would be addressed by this activity:
20–B2.1k identify the gravitational force as one of the fundamental forces in nature
20–B2.4k define the term “field” as a concept that replaces “action at a distance” and apply the concept to describe gravitational effects
20–B2.1sts explain that concepts, models and theories are often used in interpreting and explaining observations and in predicting future observations

Differentiation

The outcomes below were taken from Unit E of the Grade 7 science curriculum. You can compare the differentiation of the meteorites to that of Earth. This can be done using an inquiry approach, which would address the skills outcomes outlined below. Examples of questions students could ask are also provided.

STS Outcomes
Students will describe and demonstrate methods used in the scientific study of Earth and in observing and interpreting its component materials
· interpret models that show a layered structure for Earth’s interior; and describe, in general terms,
evidence for such models
· explain the need for common terminology and conventions in describing rocks and minerals, and
apply suitable terms and conventions in describing sample materials

Skill Outcomes (focus on scientific inquiry)
Students will ask questions about the relationships between and among observable variables, and plan investigations to address those questions
• identify questions to investigate (e.g., How are meteorites formed?)
• define and delimit questions to facilitate investigation (e.g., ask a question about a sample group of rocks from a specific region, or about a specific type of rock or rock formation)
• state a prediction and a hypothesis based on background information or an observed pattern of events
• formulate operational definitions of major variables and other aspects of their investigations (e.g., define hardness by reference to a set of mineral samples,

signing off..
kb

Transmission #12 From Tycho (Impact theory)

"Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin." Ivan Pavlov

Phase of the Moon today: Waxing Crescent 1% of Full - cloudy again :(

There are four theories on how the Moon formed. These include the Big Impact theory, capture theory, co-accretion theory and fusion theory. They all have their arguments for and against but if we look closely at the data, I think it is overwhelming in favour of the Impact theory. This theory has much support such as:

• it accounts for the large angular momentum of the Earth and Moon system



• explains the 23.5 degree tilt off the elliptical plane



• explains the reduced density of the Moon



• explains its tiny core



• explains the lack of volatile elements



• explains the presence of the magma ocean



• and of all the theories seems the most probable

It is the most widely accepted theory and the data seems to fit. I will continue to research these theories and report back in a later post.

Signing Off...

kb

Transmission #11 From Tycho (Illusions)

"I'm havin' illusions, I'm havin' illusions, drivin' me mad inside

I'm havin' illusions, I'm havin' illusions, @#$%^& me up in my mind."

-by Cypress Hill

Phase of the Moon Today: Waning Crescent 2%of Full - Hooray I actually saw the Moon this morning at 7:30 am clouds have lifted and it's warming up.

Here is a neat photo gallery of how the Moon's apparent size changes as it orbits the Earth . They are pictures taken from May 2005 - December 2006 of all the full moons during this period, really neat. We have been discussing Moon illusions and one that came up was how the Moon appears larger as it is when it is near the horizon. Why does this happen? It occurs because our brains are looking at it in relation to the background objects, giving it the illusion of looking bigger. If we elimintate the surroundings its apparent size reduces. See here: Illusion
This is an optical illusion I regularly discuss in Biology 30 class that relates to this phenomenon.

Signing Out..
KB

Transmission #10 from Tycho (Transylvanian Effect)

"I don't know if there are men on the moon, but if there are they must be using the Earth as their lunatic asylum." George Bernard Shaw

Phase of the Moon Today: Waning Crescent 2% of Full, cloudy again no visible moon :(

Many people believe that the phase of the Moon has an influence on human behaviour. The academic term for this is the transylvanian effect. Many health care profesionals claim that their work area is busier during this time and the patients have a noted change in behaviour. According to the article Madness and the Moon: The Lunar Cycle and Psychopathology this is not consistent with the evidence collected from various studies around the world. Of six studies on the relation of suicide and lunar cycles five failed to find a positive correlation between the two. I am a sceptic an ddo not believe that there is a connection, I believe it is just an old wives tale and the research seems to prove it.

Signing Off..
KB

Transmission #9 from Tycho (Hartmann)

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator." Mahatma Gandhi

Phase of the Moon today:Waning Crescent 6% of Full - cloud cover once again I haven't seen the Moon in a while.

Inluded in this post today is some of the artwork of William K. Hartmann - one of the most important moon scientists today. His research ivolves origins of planets and is one of the founders of the modern big impact theory - the theory of how Earth's Moon formed. Enjoy some of his art. To view some more follow the link: William K. Hartmann art

Transmission #8 from Tycho (Space Junk)

The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy (Falling Space Junk)

by Jello Biafra

Nuclear satellites
Thrown up in space
Will all burn out some day
Guess where they'll crash

We've been lucky so far
Every toy up there
Is another Chernobyl
Waiting to happen

Why?

Space shuttle blew up again
People drop dead
News says "DON'T WORRY"
Then the truth comes out

Since 1988
Every shuttle in space
Has carried 46
Pounds of plutonium

Why?
I don't know
I'm scared to care

Enough plutonium
That if it blows
The fallout cancer
Could kill 5 billion people

So now it's over
It's really over
Space junk in the street
Irradiated atmosphere

Fallout covers the earth
Greenhouse so hot we fry
Six months, maybe years
We all know we'll die

So - what matters now?
NOTHING matters now
Imagine what would happen
If everyone on earth
Realized this at once

Gonna go loot stores!
Piss anywhere!
Break into peoples houses
Play with their underwear
Strew all my prizes in the street
You can't take it with you
Nothing left to do
But go home
And bolt the doors

Why?

Let's curl up real close
And tell each other
All the things we still don't know
About our lives

Why?

Falling space junk in the streets
Radiation in the air
Nothing left that's safe to eat
The sky is melting
And I want my mommy.

Phase of the Moon today:Waning Crescent 13% of Full according to the internet, cloud cover again - checked 7pm, cold, -3 degrees

One of the discussions this week was regards to space junk orbiting the Earth. 120,000 pieces! Unbelievable. It reminded me of the song by NOMEANSNO with Jello Bifra seen above. What happens when this "junk" falls out of orbit and comes crashing down to Earth. Yes, I know most of the time it burns up in the atmosphere but what would happen if this didn't occur? Whose responsibilty is it too clean this up? Why do we destroy eveything we find?
Signing out
KB

Transmission #7 from Tycho (Origins)

"I'm sorry about the sun,

how could I know that you would burn?,

and I'm sorry about the moon,

how could I know that you'd disapprove,

and I'll never make the same mistake,

the next time I create the universe I'll make sure we communicate at length"

- from Better Off Dead by Brett Gurewitz

Phase of the Moon Today: Waning Crescent 21% of Full - according to the internet - unable to see the moon due to cloud cover, -5 today, snowing

After finding most of last week's activities not applicable to my classes I am excitited that the readings assigned this week "The Moon at its Core" by Linda Martel and "Origin of the Earth and Moon" by G. Jeffrey Taylor have many applications to the current Physics 30 curriculum. I am currently attempting to write a few questions pertaining to these articles.

Origin of the Earth and Moon article:

The article regarding the origin of the Moon may work well for a linear collision before the rotational efects take hold.

The Moon Core article:

The second article has applications for induction as the satellite travels through the magnetic field. It also has application Physics 20 when discussing the satellite orbital speed.

The two activities "assigned" this week also have some application in my classroom. The ZAP! activity can be used in Physics 30 as an introduction or application of electrostatics.

Signing Off..

KB

Transmission #6 from Tycho (Observations)

"Science is simply common sense at its best that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallcy in logic." Thomas Huxley

Phase of the Moon today: Waning Crescent 36% of Full - supposedly I didn't see the Moon today, too cloudy, snow is here and it's getting cold -5 today.

What I hate about lab activities is when students ask me the question: Is this supposed to happen? One of the main objectives in lab activities is to exercise their qualitative observational skills. They need to learn to use thee skills to formulate analysis and connections and realize that science doesn't always answer our questions.
We discussed in class today the sketching of the Moon phases and the use of the "internet" as opposed to going outside and observing the actual event. I have been guilty of not observing the Moon daily but have not been able to since the skies above have been filled with clouds due to the weather and snow moving in. From here on in I will note in my journal whether or not I used the internet to 'sketch' my Moon phase and what the weather was like outside - see above.

signing off
KB

Transmission #5 from Tycho (LCROSS)

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not "Eureka" but "That's funny..." - Isaac Asimov

Phase of the Moon Today: Third Quarter 45% of Full

The quote above is from the famous author Isaac Asimov who is best known for his science fiction books and articles. He wrote over 500 books in his lifetime the most popular belonging to the seven volume Foundation series. When I first heard of the LCROSS mission I thought this was something out of a science fiction novel. I did however think that it was extremely interesting and exciting and what great timing with me just starting my lunar geology course.

I woke up at 5:25am on Friday morning to watch NASA TV and catch the exciting culmination of the LCROSS impact. I wanted to try and watch the Moon outside but the weather has been lousy, so I watched the live feed from NASA. I have to admit, I should have stayed in bed. The images were not very dramatic and when the collision happened the screen went white. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but it was more than I saw. According to an article in the Edmonton Journal today, the debris plume that was thought to happen did not materialize and the "theatrics" that were expected failed to occur. When nothing happened to please the expectant audience I couldn't help but laugh a little ("that's funny") - although was a bit disappointed, no Eureka here.

Although the collision was a bust, NASA officials were confirming data collection from the satellite and it will be about 14 days before we get reports of what was found. What will be found? If they find more evidence for water does that mean a lunar base is viable/possible? It should be interesting, we'll just have to wait and see.

I showed the video (see link above) to my students in all my classes today. There was mixed reactions - "cool" , "that's it" , "why did they do that" it made for a great discussion and the interest was high. It's always great to use a current event to engage students - thanks YouTube!

Definitely a neat day in moon science.

Signing Off
KB

Class Moon activities - Week 2

As a part of our course we are discussing and evaluation lunar related activities. Below is an analysis of the activities so far and a link to them.



Activity – Sense(s) of Scale (100 yard Solar System/Oreos)
Grade 6 Sky Science Unit – Alberta Program of Studies
General Learning outcome
Students will:
6–7 Observe, describe and interpret the movement of objects in the sky; and identify pattern and order in these movements.
Specific Learning outcome
12. Understand that Earth, the Sun and the Moon are part of a solar system that occupies only a tiny part of the known universe.

Activity – Solar System Bracelet/Solar System Bracelet – Modified
Grade 9 Unit E: Space Exploration
General Outcome
Investigate and describe ways that human understanding of Earth and space has depended on technological development
Specific Outcome
describe, in general terms, the distribution of matter in star systems, galaxies, nebulae and the universe as a whole

This may be a little ‘elementary’ for grade 9 students but some may think it is neat. It’s a creative way to have them remember the order of the planets and the relative distances form each.

Activity – The Moon’s Density – What’s Inside
Grade 10 Applied Mathematics
General Outcome
Demonstrate an understanding of scale factors and their interrelationship with the dimensions of similar shapes and objects.
Specific Outcome
-Calculate the volume and surface area of a sphere, using formulas that are provided.

Activity – Beach/Basketball Planets and The Earth and Moon to Scale
Grade 10 Applied Mathematics
General Outcome
Demonstrate an understanding of scale factors and their interrelationship with the dimensions of similar shapes and objects.
Specific Outcome
1.6 Determine the relationships among linear scale factors, areas, surface areas and volumes of similar figures and objects.

These problems would work great at this level and provide the students with an interesting context in which to address the required outcome.

Activity – The Mass of the Moon
Physics 20 – Unit C Circular Motion
General Outcome
Students will explain that gravitational effects extend throughout the universe.
explain circular motion, using Newton’s laws of motion.
Specific Outcome
describe, qualitatively and quantitatively, Newton’s law of universal gravitation predict the mass of a celestial body from the orbital data of a satellite in uniform circular motion around the celestial body

This activity is not new to me and I have used this problem before and will continue to use it in the future. I would modify it by expecting my students to draw a free-body diagram when answering the problem.

Activity – Passport to the Moon
Science 9 – Unit E Space Exploration
General Outcome
Describe and interpret the science of optical and radio telescopes, space probes and remote sensing technologies
Specific Outcome
explain, in general terms, the operation of optical telescopes, including telescopes that are positioned in space environments

This activity could be used as an introduction activity that engaged the students interests in the technology available to study space related phenomena. It could be modified to use a telescope instead of a set of binoculars and their descriptive observations could be noted in a journal and shared with the class. A discussion can ensue that focuses on the technologies used and how our observations are better (usually) if the technology is improved.

Activity – Geometry of Golf Ball Phases and Eclipses and Golf Ball Phases and Embroidery hoop Eclipses
Science 9 – Unit E Space Exploration
General Outcome
Observe, describe and interpret the movement of objects in the sky; and identify pattern and order in these movements.
Specific Outcome
Recognize that the Moon’s phases are regular and predictable, and describe the cycle of its phases.
Illustrate the phases of the Moon in drawings and by using improvised models. An improvised model might involve such things as a table lamp and a sponge ball.

Transmission #4 from Tycho (Water)

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
LORAN EISELY, The Immense Journey, 1957

Phase of the Moon today: Waning Gibbous 78% Full

According to a Septemebr 25th article in the journal Science, evidence of water was discovered on the moon. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in conjunction with the Chandrayaan-1, India's first ever moon probe, detected wavelengths of light matching the hydrogen - oxygen bond.
The significance of such a find would make future lunar bases possible, acting as a potential source of drinking water and fuel. This comes in light of the upcoming LCROSS mission in which NASA is going to oliide a rocket and satellite into the Moon in order to analyze the plume debris it should be intereting I'm going to watch the live feed.
Here is a link to an article: It's Official:Water Found on the Moon

Signing off
KB

Weekly Question Sets

Every week we are assigned a few discussion/research questions to get us thinking about the moon and its properties. They are posted below and include my answers. They will be updated weekly:

Week 1 Question Set

Week 2 Question Set

Week 3 Question Set

Week 4 Question Set

Week 5 Question Set

Week 6 Question Set

Week 7 Question Set

Week 8 Question Set

Transmission #3 from Tycho (Eclipse)

"It's only during an eclipse that the Man in Moon has a place in the Sun." - unknown

Phase of the Moon Today: Waning Gibbous 87% Full

Here are some links provided to us to help explain why an eclipse does not happen every month:

Mr. Eclipse-this helps explain lunar eclipses and the geometry behind it

Mr. Eclipse2 - this link will help you understand solar eclipses and the geometry behind it

Some interesting facts regarding the lunar eclipse I was not aware of.

• a full moon can only happen during a full moon


• there are 3 types of eclipses, umbral, penumbral and total eclipse - it depends on the shadow type


• the reason we don't see a full moon every month is due to the angular tilt of the moon (5 degrees)


• The next total lunar eclipse is December 21, 2010 - coincidentally my birthday.

signing off from Tycho

KB

Lunar Vocabulary

I always tell my students that in order to fully understand a topic of study the first place you need to start is with vocabulary. So this is a list I have begun to further my understanding of lunar geology.

waning -to decrease in illumination from the full moon
waxing - to show a progressively larger illuminated area of the moon
libration - the orbital conditions that make it possible to see more than 50% of the moon
mare - large dark basaltic planes on the lunar surface
lunar eclipse - the blocking of the sun's rays by the Earth from reaching the moon
gibbous- more than half
penumbra - the zone where the Earth blocks part of the Sun's rays from reaching the moon
umbral - region where all direct sunlight is blocked by Earth
regolith - a layer of loose, heterogenous material covering rock
Updated October 17
chondrule-a roughly spherical aggregate of coarse crystals formed from the rapid cooling and solidification of a melt at about 1400 degrees celsius
chondrite - the most primitive type of rock available for study, 4.5 billion years old
solar nebula- the rotating flattened cloud of gas and dust from which the sun and the rest of the bodies in the solar system formed about 4.56 x 10^9 years ago
accretion-the increase in mass of a celestial object by the collection of surrounding interstellar gases and objects by gravity
achondrite-a stony meteorite that contains no chondrules
asteroid-any of the numerous small celestial bodies that revolve around the sun with orbits between Mars and Jupiter
silicate-any of the numerous compounds containing silicon, oxygen and one or more metals
magnetosphere - an asymmetrical region surrounding the Earth, extending form about one hundred to several thousand kilometers above the surface, in which charged particles are trapped and their behaviour is dominated by Earth's magnetic field
planetesimals - bodies ranging in size from metres to hundreds of kilometers in diameter that formed during the process that formed the planets by accretion
rarefaction - a decrease in density and pressure in a medium, caused by the passage of a soundwave
breccia-rock composed of sharp-angled fragments embedded in a fine grain matrix
impact basins - impact structures exceeding 300 km in diameter
ejecta - thick, continuous layer of ejected geological material
regolith - loose fragmented pulverized rock covering the lunar surface
central uplifts - mountains formed because of the huge increase and rapid decrease in pressure during the impact event - only occur in craters that are larger than 40 km diameter
rays - bright streaks starting from a crater and extending away for great distances
fire fountaining - a jet like eruption of lava that issues vertically from a volcanic vent or fissure
magma - molten rock, crystals and dissolved gases
volcanoes -
magma chambers -
dike - body of magma moving through a sheet-like, vertical or nearly vertical fracture
rift zones - regions of dike injections
vessicles - round holes formed in volcanic rocks due to gases such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide
pahoehoe flow -
a'a flow -





to be continued....

Transmission #2 from Tycho (Overview)

"What was most significant about the lunar voyage was not that men set foot on the Moon but that they set eye on Earth." Norman Cousins

Phase of the Moon for Today: Waning Gibbous 86% Full


Well it worked. I have to admit not too familiar with blogging, but some of my students do it all of the time. Since I was supposed to start my journal last week I think I'll review what I've discovered in the past week regarding the moon. I have been feverishly reading The Modern Moon: A Personal View by Charles A. Wood in preparation for this course and have learned many new and amazing things about the Moon.
These are as follows:

• the Moon takes approx. 28 days to orbit the Earth we call this a lunar cycle and I will experience approx 3 cycles over the duration of the course
• the current scientific theory about how the Moon formed is the giant impact hypothesis in which a rogue planet collided with early Earth breaking apart and as a result the Moon was formed - check out this cool picture
• most of the rocks on the moon were formed by volcanic processes
• the Moon has no dark side - it's called the far side
• the black areas on the moon are known as maria - Latin for seas as described by Galileo Galilei - the first telescopic observer of the Moon
• the Moon has 8 phases in order - New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent
• the conditions on the Moon are quite harsh, consisting of extreme temperature fluctuations, no atmosphere to protect from EMR and less gravity wreaking havoc on the body
• there are 3 current space missions observing the Moon but on October 9th, 2009 one of the missions (LCROSS) will come to an end as the satellite and rocket making up LCROSS will collide with the Moon - see NASA release here
• A lunar eclipse is due to Earth's shadow covering the Moon and can only happen on a Full Moon but the reason it doesn't happen every month is due to the Moon having a 5 degree tilt
• 59% of the Moon can be seen due to longitudinal, latitudinal and diurnal librations of Moon and Earth
• the Moon rotates once every 29.5 days which interestingly is the same time it take to orbit the Earth - therefore we only see one side of the Moon-Don't believe me check out this activity-Moon Rotation
• The Moon is responsible for the tides on Earth - the closer the Moon the higher the tide and the further away the lower the tide.
• Water has recently been discovered on the Moon
• October 4th, 2009 was the Chinese Mooncake Festival

Questions I have

Why don't we name the Moon?, Is there a purpose for colonizing the Moon?, What if the Moon didn't exist?

Signing off from Tycho

KB

Transmission #1 from Tycho

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" - Neil Armstrong

This is probably one of the most famous quotes of the 20th century marking one of the greatest feats of mankind, stepping foot on the Moon. Until recently I have never thought too much about the Moon, taking it for granted and admiring its beauty every once in a while. I know sometimes we see all of the Moon and sometimes we don't. How did it form? Why does it look the way it does? What is on the Moon? Why don't we go back? As I begin my exploration of the Moon, I'll transmit my thoughts, ideas, questions, queries, insights, facts and general observations and share it with the world. This is the beginning of my 'Moon Journal' for my current grad course. I though it would be a neat way for me to complete this course requirement and I hope you or someone enjoys it too.
Signing off from Tycho
KB