Alan Gould Lawrence Hall of Science University of California Berkeley

1. Update on NASA Kepler EPO Alan Gould Lawrence Hall of Science University of California Berkeley

2. What We Plan To Do... • Resources on Kepler website: • Animations • Activity: Exoplanet Transit Hunt • Uncle Al's Starwheels activity • Overview of Kepler Mission • Activity: Human Orrery • Activity: Transit Tracks

3. http://kepler.nasa.gov

4. Activity: Uncle Al's Kepler Starwheels

5. Grade Levels Good for grades 4 and up (must have map reading ability) Investigation for high school is in A Changing Cosmos, the latest version of Hands-On Universe for high school

6. Tonight...10 pm ... 2.2 What constellation just rose, almost due east? 2.3 What constellation is setting in the northwest? 2.4 What constellation is closest to the zenith (highest place in the sky; center of the map)? Rotate the Star Wheel FORWARD by 2 hours.

7. Tonight...Midnight... 2.6 What constellation is closest to the zenith? 2.7 What constellation is rising, almost due east? 2.8 What constellation is setting in the west? Rotate the Star Wheel FORWARD another 2 hours

8. Tomorrow morning...2 am. 2.10 What constellation is closest to the zenith? 2.11 What constellation is rising in the northeast? 2.12 What constellation is setting in the northwest? What star in the sky does not seem to change its position ever. 2.13 What constellation is near the zenith on New Year's Eve at 11 p.m.?

9. New Year’s Eve... 11 pm. 2.13 What constellation is near the zenith on New Year's Eve at 11 p.m.? 2.14 In what month is the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) highest in the sky at midnight? 2.15 About what time is Leo setting (in the northwest) on the summer solstice (about June 21)?

10. Big Dipper near zenith 2.14 In what month is the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) highest in the sky at midnight? 2.15 About what time is Leo setting (in the northwest) on the summer solstice (about June 21)?

11. Leo setting 2.15 About what time is Leo setting (in the northwest) on the summer solstice (about June 21)? When is the Kepler Target Field highest in the sky?

12. Kepler FOV near zenith... When is the Kepler Target Field highest in the sky?

13. kepler.nasa.gov - in Education... Download from Kepler website Southern hemisphere version at Hands-on Universe website (no Kepler FOV) Has 40 naked-eye stars with exoplanets....

15. Activity: Transit Tracks

16. Imagine you have a light sensor aimed at the star. What would the transit of a book look like if you made a graph of light intensity vs time? BRIGHTNESS 0 TIME 0

17. Like this? BRIGHTNESS 0 TIME 0

18. What would the transit of a planet look like if you made a graph of light intensity vs time? BRIGHTNESS TIME 0 0

19. Perhaps like this?Such graphs are called “light curves.” How would a planet’s size and orbit period affect the transit—light curve? BRIGHTNESS TIME 0 0

20. The light curve can lead to finding the SIZE of the planet and its DISTANCE from the star.Why would those characteristics be important?

21. Is there a relationship between the planet’s period and how far it is from the star?

23. Simulated Data

24. Example: Star A

25. Simulated Data

26. Example: Star A A 0.2

28. Example: Star A A 0.2 .36

29. Simulated Data

30. Example: Star A A 0.2 .36 0.81

31. Example: Star A A 0.2 .36 0.81 0.9 9

32. Looking for Earth-size planet Remember: 0.01% drop in brightness? 1 year period?

33. Worksheet for Algebra (grades8-10?)

34. Derivation of Planet Size

35. LEGO Transit Model Data display--laptop Detector Star Orrery--planets

36. http://kepler.nasa.gov

37. Update on NASA Kepler EPO Alan Gould <agould@berkeley.edu> 510-643-5082 Lawrence Hall of Science University of California Berkeley