Michael T. Fitzgerald

Space to Grow: LCOGT.net and Improving Science Engagement in Schools

Space to Grow is an Australian Research Council Grant that engages high school students in real science and supports their teachers in implementing inquiry-based approaches using astronomy as the focus. Currently, Grade 9–12 students and their science teachers from three educational jurisdictions in one Australian state are acquiring, and making scientific use of, observational data from the 2-m Faulkes Telescopes owned by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network. Data are being collected to investigate the impact of the project on students and teachers. Some investigations have led students to work with astronomers to publish their results in the astronomical literature.

A review of high school level astronomy student research projects over the last two decades.

Since the early 1990s with the arrival of a variety of new technologies, the capacity for authentic astronomical research at the high school level has skyrocketed. This potential, however, has not realized the bright-eyed hopes and dreams of the early pioneers who expected to revolutionise science education through the use of telescopes and other astronomical instrumentation in the classroom. In this paper, a general history and analysis of these attempts is presented. We define what we classify as an Astronomy Research in the Classroom (ARiC) project and note the major dimensions on which these projects differ before describing the 22 major student research projects active since the early 1990s. This is followed by a discussion of the major issues identified that affected the success of these projects and provide suggestions for similar attempts in the future.

Robotic telescopes in education

The power of robotic telescopes to transform science education has been voiced by multiple sources, since the 1980s. Since then, much technical progress has been made in robotic telescope provision to end users via a variety of different approaches. The educational transformation hoped for by the provision of this technology has, so far, yet to be achieved on a scale matching the technical advancements. In this paper, the history, definition, role and rationale of optical robotic telescopes with a focus on their use in education is provided. The current telescope access providers and educational projects and their broad uses in traditional schooling, undergraduate and outreach are then outlined. From this background, the current challenges to the field, which are numerous, are then presented. This review is concluded with a series of recommendations for current and future projects that are apparent and have emerged from the literature.

The planetary nebula Abell 48 and its [WN] nucleus

We have conducted a detailed multi-wavelength study of the peculiar nebula Abell 48 and its central star. We classify the nucleus as a helium-rich, hydr ogen-deficient star of type [WN4‐ 5]. The evidence for either a massive WN or a low-mass [WN] interpretation is critically examined, and we firmly conclude that Abell 48 is a planetary n ebula (PN) around an evolved low-mass star, rather than a Population I ejecta nebula. Importantly, the surrounding nebula has a morphology typical of PNe, and is not enriched in nitrogen, and thus not the ‘peeled atmosphere’ of a massive star. We estimate a distance of 1.6 k pc and a reddening, E(B V ) = 1.90 mag, the latter value clearly showing the nebula lies on the near side of the Galactic bar, and cannot be a massive WN star. The ionized mass (�0.3 M⊙) and electron density (700 cm −3 ) are typical of middle-aged PNe. The observed stellar spectrum was compared to a grid of models from the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) grid. The best fit temperature is 71 kK, and the atmospheric composition is dominated by helium with an upper limit on the hydrogen abundance of 10 per cent. Our results are in very good agreement with the recent study of Todt et al., who determined a hydrogen fraction of 10 per cent and an unusually large nitrogen fraction of �5 per cent. This fraction is higher than any other low-mass H-deficient star, and is not readily explained by current post-AGB models. We give a discussion of the implications of this discovery for the late-stage evolutio n of intermediate-mass stars. There is now tentative evidence for two distinct helium-dominated post-AGB lineages, separate to the helium and carbon dominated surface compositions produced by a late thermal pulse. Further theoretical work is needed to explain these recent discoveries.

K 1-6: An Asymmetric Planetary Nebula with a Binary Central Star

We present new imaging data and archival multiwavelength observations of the little-studied emission nebula K 1-6 and its central star. Narrow-band images in Hα (+[N II]) and [O III] taken with the Faulkes Telescope North reveal a stratified, asymmetric, elliptical nebula surrounding a central star which has the colours of a late G or early K-type subgiant or giant. GALEX ultraviolet images reveal a very hot subdwarf or white dwarf coincident in position with this star. The cooler, optically dominant star is strongly variable with a period of 21.312 ± 0.008 days, and is possibly a high-amplitude member of the RS CVn class, although an FK Com classification is also possible. Archival ROSAT data provide good evidence that the cool star has an active corona. We conclude that K 1-6 is most likely an old bona fide planetary nebula at a distance of ~1.0 kpc, interacting with the interstellar medium, and containing a binary or ternary central star. The observations and data analyses reported in this paper were conducted in conjunction with Year 11 high school students as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant science education project, denoted Space To Grow, conducted jointly by professional astronomers, educational researchers, teachers, and high-school students.

RR Lyrae Stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 6101

V- and I-band observations were taken over 9 months to study the RR Lyrae population in the metal-poor diffuse globular cluster NGC 6101. We identify one new variable, which is either a potential long-period red giant variable or eclipsing binary, and recover all previously identified RR Lyraes. One previously studied RR Lyrae is reclassified as an RRc type, while two period estimations have been significantly refined. We confirm that NGC 6101 is Oosterhoff type II with a high ratio of n(c)/n(ab + c) = 0.833 with a very long mean RRab period of 0.86 d. By using theoretical RR Lyrae period-luminosity-metallicity relations, we use our V- and I-band RR Lyrae data to gain an independent estimate of the reddening towards this cluster of E(B – V) = 0.15 ± 0.04 and derive a distance of 12.8 ± 0.8 kpc. The majority of the work in this study was undertaken by upper secondary school students involved in the Space to Grow astronomy education project in Australia.

Using Smartphone Camera Technology to Explore Stellar Parallax: Method, Results, and Reactions

Abstract The use of a smartphone, with both still and video capabilities, to develop the concepts surrounding stellarparallax is described. The hands-on activities generate useful discussion amongst high school students. Reactionsof both students and teachers are presented. 1. INTRODUCTION Stellar parallax is a concept that is dealt with infrequently in the high school classroom other than by qualitativeconsideration of stereoscopic parallax and argument by analogy, such as that outlined in Zeilik (1998). The mostcommon approach involves students being asked to view their finger held at arm’s length and first viewing itfrom one eye and then the other. They “see” their finger’s apparent movement against the background of theroom. Following this qualitative approach, the unit of distance used in astronomy is introduced from adefinitional point of view: “The parsec is the distance of an object at which the angle subtended by a baselineequal to the distance between the Earth and the Sun is one second of arc.” This description is quite abstract,however, and it is unlikely that students will really get a conceptual feel for the idea of a parsec as a distancemeasure from an abstract mathematical statement. As the parsec is the fundamental unit of distance inastronomy, it is important that students have some strong insight to what this unit actually means (Marin 2010).We assessed a sample of diagrams available on the internet using a Google Image search. The first 50 diagramspresented from the search term “Stellar Parallax” were examined. Out of the 50 diagrams, 18 showed thealternative conception that all stars in the night sky “wobble” in a straight line, a further 20 showed the specialcase, where the star is on the ecliptic equator where they actually do wobble in a straight line, and a further 7 hadmajor faults. Only five out of the 50 diagrams accurately represented the relationship between the Earth–Sunorbit and the parallactic ellipse in the sky. That is to say, of this sample of 50 diagrams, only 10% could beconsidered to be scientifically accurate and a complete conceptual representation of stellar parallax.The experimental determination of stellar parallax is seldom dealt with in the science classroom because theparallactic angle is so small. Students have little, if any, idea of how astronomers collect their data because theydo not normally conduct the experiment first successfully executed by Bessel in 1838 in measuring the parallax

Major outcomes of an authentic astronomy research experience professional development program: An analysis of 8 years of data from a teacher research program

The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP) partners small groups of educators with a research astronomer for a year-long authentic research project. This program aligns well with the characteristics of high-quality professional development (PD) programs and has worked with a total of 103 educators since 2005. In this paper, surveys were explored that were obtained from 74 different educators, at up to four waypoints during the course of 13 months, incorporating data from the class of 2010 through the class of 2017. This paper investigates how participating teachers describe their motivations for participating in NITARP as evidenced in these feedback forms. Analysis of self-reported data allows a mapping onto a continuum ranging from more inward-focused to more outward-focused; there is a shift from more inward-focused responses to more outward-focused responses. This insight into teacher motivations has implications for how the educators might be supported during their year with the program. This work provides a new way of parameterizing why educators participate in PD programs that require a considerable investment of time. NITARP, since it has many qualities of successful PD, serves as a model for similar PD programs in other STEM subjects. Likewise, the analysis method might also be useful to similarly evaluate other PD programs.

Physical parameters for RR Lyrae stars in the sdss filter system

We present a calibration of the metallicity and physical parameters (temperature, luminosity, gravity, mass, radius) for RR Lyrae stars using the ugriz SDSS photometric system. Our work is based on calculations of synthetic horizontal branches (HBs), fully taking into account evolutionary effects for a wide range in metallicities and HB morphologies. We provide analytical fits that are able to provide all quantities mentioned with very high (internal) precision, based solely on mean SDSS magnitudes and colors.

Call for Co-Operation in the Development of a Stack Exchange Site on Science Teacher Professional Development in Astronomy

We have proposed a Q&A/FAQ type of website at Stack Exchange that is focused on the pedagogical and pragmatic questions that teachers, teacher educators, and outreach educators encounter in astronomy education. The site will address the lack of centralized “professional development” opportunities. We seek keen astronomy educators and researchers to join our site and help create such an online community.