Introduction to ESA science classroom activities

Rebecca Barnes

HE Space operations for ESA

11/07/2011

ESA Portal

www.esa.int

Space Science

Space Science

www.esa.int/esaSC/

Science and Technology In-depth

Science and Technology In-depth

http://sci.esa.int

Multimedia Archive

Science and Technology In-depth

http://sci.esa.int

Educational Support

Educational Support

Competition for secondary students

Mark this date: 15 September 2011

• Launch of competition for secondary students to explore the high-energy Universe

• 4 projects to choose from relating to Integral, ESA’s gamma-ray space observatory

• Prizes include chance for students to present project at 9th Integral Science workshop, Paris in October 2012

Integral

ESA’s International Gamma-Ray

Astrophysics Laboratory

• Launched 2002

• Observes some of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe.

• Maps gamma-ray sources across the galaxy

Competition projects

• Project 1: ObserveMake observations of the variable companion stars in high-energy binary systems.

• Project 2: ResearchResearch the Dynamic centre of the Milky Way, to determine which exotic high-energy sources are present.

• Project 3: DesignDesign a high-energy astronomy mission to investigate some of the most powerful phenomena in the Universe.

• Project 4: BuildBuild a scale-model of the Integral spacecraft using materials of your choice.

Competition milestones

Further details available on 15 September 2011 from ESA Education website

To be reminded when competition is launched send email to SciEdu@esa.int

Competition launch 15 September 2011

Competition closes31 March 2012

Winners announced31 May 2012

9th Integral science workshop15-19 October 2012

Educational Support

Teacher Notes

Hipparcos

The first space mission dedicated to

measuring the positions of stars

• Launched 1989

• Pinpointed more than 100 000 stars

• Measured positions, distances, motions, brightness and colours

Teachers Notes – Stellar Distances

Download data

Planet Games using ‘Nine Planets Mobile’

Planets Game – part 1

Your task:

Sort the Solar System

Place the Solar System objects into order, starting with the Sun at the centre.

Planets Game – part 2

Your task:

Using the information on the ESA web pages put the Solar System objects in order of density from highest to lowest.

Another useful web page for this data is

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov

Planets Game – part 2 answers

Object Mean Density (kgm-3)

Earth 5515

Mercury 5427

Venus 5243

Mars 3933

Pluto 1750

Neptune 1638

Sun 1408

Jupiter 1326

Uranus 1270

Saturn 687