Twisted Universe: Using Math to Understand Space

It's fun to learn abut space, but sometimes it can be hard to understand how we know things and why they happen. For example, how do we know we live in a spiral galaxy? How do we know how hot stars are?  Why do black holes form? How did meteorites help our solar system form?  In order to answer these questions astronomers need to be able to use math! Math is an exact science that allows us to understand the universe and our part of it. Join me in our exploration of the universe and discover why and how so many wonderful things happen!

Learners will participate in the following activities:
~ Watch a slideshow about the day's topic
~ Listen as I explain how math helps us understand the topic
~ Watch short video clips to help understand the math concept and how it helps us understand space (occasionally)
~ Discuss the space topic of the session and ask questions to help understand the topic
~ Draw a picture or diagram to show understanding of the lesson
~ In some classes we will conduct calculations based on formulas from astronomy
~ In some classes we will create artistic representations of the concept in addition to diagrams

Topics will include the following:


August
~ Distance in Space: Calculate distance in light years (understand time and distance conversions, understand and write numbers in scientific notation, understand distances in space) (Aug. 4-10)
~ Lengths of days on planets (understand that math formulas can help us find reasons for spins of planets, understand synchronous rotation of moons) (Aug. 11-17)
~  Define habitable zones of stars (draw diagrams of shifting zones around stars, calculate changing zone sizes)  (Aug. 18-24)

September 2024
~ Sizes of Planets: Draw scaled models of the inner planets of our solar system (9/8-9/14)
~ More Sizes of Planets: Draw scaled models of the outer planets of our solar system (9/15-9/21)
~ Roundness of Objects: Define round and examine sizes of objects that lead to roundness (9/22-9/28)

October 2024
~ Solar System Formation: learn how solar systems for and calculate time passage using large numbers (9/29-10/5)
~ Star Brightness: learn the star brightness scale and understand negative numbers (10/6-10/12)
NO CLASS 10/13-10/19
~ Telescopes: understand how telescopes work and calculate magnifications (10/20-10/26)
~ Galaxy Shapes: learn the shapes of galaxies, create a bar graph, and calculate fractions (10/27-11/2)

November 2024
~ Exoplanets and Ratios: Use fractions to calculate the sizes of exoplanets in the Kepler star system (11/3-11/9)
~ Van Allen Belts: Use graphing and percentages to draw and describe the Van Allen Belts (11/10-11/16)
~ Density: Calculate the densities of planets and understand what density means (11/17-11/23)
NO CLASS 11/24-11/30

December 2024
~ Planetary Alignment: Use common multiples to calculate how often planets align in solar systems (12/1-12/7)
~ Drake Equation (write out the parts of the Drake Equation, learn about variables and what they stand for, calculate the potential number of planets with intelligent life) (12/8-12/14)
~ Locations and movements of asteroids (angles and formulas that help us understand asteroid movements)  (12/15-12/21)
NO CLASS 12/22-1/4

January 2025
~ Comets (Makeup of comets and calculating their trajectories) (1/5-1/11)
~ Electromagnetic Fields (Understand EM fields and waves, draw Aurora Borealis) (1/12-1/18)
~ Our Solar System (calculate distance in AUs, use a ruler to measure, draw a model of our solar system) (1/19-1/25)
~ The Milky Way Galaxy (graph in the coordinate plane to understand the shape of our galaxy) (1/26-2/1)

February 2025
~ Life Cycle of Stars (diagram the life cycle of stars, understand scientific notation, calculate solar masses) (2/2-2/8)
~ Black Holes (what are black holes, how does a star turn into one of these, draw diagrams of black holes) (2/9-2/15)
~ Size and Distance to Earth's Moon (calculate ratios, draw a scaled diagram) (2/16-2/22)
~  Moon's Phases  draw a diagram of the moon's phases, use a protractor to measure angles) (2/23-3/1)

March 2025
~ Sizes and Interesting Phenomenon About Other Moons in Our Solar System (understand ratios and use them to complete calculations, calculate centripetal force) (3/2-3/8)
~ Colors and Temperatures of Stars (exponential calculations, equations created to find temperatures based on variables) (3/9-3/15)
~ Calculating Time (distance between planets and length of time to travel there) (3/16-3/22) 
~ Neutrons Stars (what are neutron stars , how does a star turn into one of these, calculate and compare density, draw atoms) (3/23-3/29)

April 2025
NO CLASS 3/30-4/5
~ Orbits of inner planets and lengths of years (calculate distance traveled by each planet, gravitational pull's impact on planets' orbits) (4/6-4/12)
~ Orbits of outer planets and lengths of years (calculate distance traveled by each planet, gravitational pull's impact on planets' orbits) (4/13-4/19)
~ Scaled Sizes: Compare the size of the Earth to other objects in the universe (create a scale, calculate the scaled sizes of objects, create a model to represent the scaled sizes, compare sizes of scaled objects) (4/20-4/26)
~ Distance in Space: Calculate distance in light years (understand time and distance conversions, understand and write numbers in scientific notation, understand distances in space) (4/27-5/3)

May 2025
~ Lengths of days on planets (understand that math formulas can help us find reasons for spins of planets, understand synchronous rotation of moons) (5/4-5/10)
~  Define habitable zones of stars (draw diagrams of shifting zones around stars, calculate changing zone sizes)  (5/11-5/17)