One of the fundamental requirements for astronomy to work as a science is the need to accurately measure the distances to objects. Astronomers have developed a series of methods for measuring stellar and cosmic distances, which fit together and inform … Continue reading
Several weeks ago I wrote up a lesson plan as part of a contest sponsored by ORISE, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Winners of the contest would receive an all-expenses paid trip to the National Science Teachers … Continue reading
During fall semester, 2014, I taught the first half of a year-long astronomy course. This semester focused on constellations, cosmology, galaxies, and stars, whereas winter semester will focus on planetary science and the solar system. Because of my work … Continue reading
For the next ten or so posts, I will report on my experiences doing astronomical research at Brigham Young University this summer (2014). As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been selected to participate in a National Science … Continue reading
On New Year’s Eve last year I applied to the “What if?” Prize, a competition for teachers to submit lesson plans on astronomy or space science. I knew the odds were probably low given it was an international competition, but … Continue reading
Note: I am writing this almost two years after the fact. Life has been busy and events carry one onward, but for the next week I hope to do some catching up on this blog. Fortunately, I took good notes … Continue reading
During Week 4 of my Research Experience for Teachers at Brigham Young University I began to see the results of the photometry analyses I’ve done for M67, an open star cluster in Cancer. This is the fun part: I finally … Continue reading
