The Holonet Boards   » Leaving Orbit....   » Graysith I need your help!


Padme of Hidden Lake

posted 05-10-2006 05:37 PM    
Hey GS! I have a big question for you that is jsut driving me nuts. For our Sci-lit fair my grade level is doing Astronomy (because I like it and the gen ed teachers don't like science - crazy girls). Any way because it was my idea and I like the subject they have put me in charge of presenting the field of Astronomy to the kids on Friday - which is fine. I have a star projector and a blow up field of Orion, and myths about Orion and all sorts of other stuff to go with it. The problem is this: I would like to talk about Novas and Supernovas as I have some nice pictures of them and good material for kids to present them with but I don't think it will be enough to show these guys (6 and 7 year olds) the full impact of what a supernova is and can do. I remember in my student teaching my cooperating teacher used a great example to show this of the "double sun" or "guest star" recorded in Asia and Mexico a few centuries ago to show the brightness that a supernova can reach here. SHe then gave an example of a star that is believed to be the same size of the exploding star from that supernova that is now being predicted to meet the same fate in the relatively near future (relative to a star's lifespan that is). I remember her showing the kids where it was and how big and bright it was on the starfield now; then tellling them that depending on when it explodes it will either give us 24 hours of "daylight" or two suns for a few days to a few months (depending on our point in our orbit). THe problem comes in that I can't remember which star it is. I would like to use the same example - I think the kids would really get it but I don't know which one to point out and I have a bunch of really bright kids that will hold me to what I say. I was thinking it was in or near Orion, maybe. The stars that come to mind are Sirius, Betelguese, Rigel, or Alpha Centurii (I know this isn't near Orion but it popped into my head first for some reason).

Do you have any idea which of these stars it is (or if it is another - and which)?

I could just pick one based on size and brightness but I don't want to do that and I've made every search I can think of to find it.

Thanks a bunch for your help!


Graysith

posted 05-10-2006 07:48 PM    
The only star I can think of fitting the description you are giving would be Betelgeuse (BET-el-jooze) in the constellation Orion. It is a ginormous red supergiant star, variable no less, that is larger than the orbit of Venus. Being so massive (15x the mass of our sun) it is a candidate for going I believe supernova at some time in the "near" future (astronomically speaking) and being only 310 light years distant (versus in a neighboring galaxy, as Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud, our neighboring, actually "satellite" galaxy -- look this one up, comparative photos are common) -- anyway, being relatively "close" at only 310 light years it would probably provide us with a "second sun" before final collapse. Information I have found at the site below states it should shine with the luminosity of a crescent moon, and will be easily visible in daylight.

Go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse

for more information.

Hope this helps!!

[ 05-10-2006 08:04 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]


Padme of Hidden Lake

posted 05-10-2006 10:30 PM    
Thank you so much Graysith! That is perfect! I think the kids will really get a kick out of it. They were really excited when we did our acrostic space poems today.. Even if they couldn't think of any words to talk about it. But that's why we're here!

Thanks again!