1 / 30

Twelve years of Swift Education and Public Outreach

Twelve years of Swift Education and Public Outreach. Lynn Cominsky Sonoma State University. October 25, 2011. NASA Education Framework. New! Blue area is for strategic partners such as SSU E/PO.

argyle
Download Presentation

Twelve years of Swift Education and Public Outreach

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Twelve years of Swift Education and Public Outreach Lynn Cominsky Sonoma State University October 25, 2011

  2. NASA Education Framework • New! • Blue area is for strategic partners such as SSU E/PO Red area is designated recommendations for NASA Center Education offices and Office of Education

  3. Informal and Public Outreach • Multi-media experiences • Popular websites • High-leverage activities conducted by the Night Sky Network of amateur astronomers

  4. Multi-Media Experiences • Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity – now at the Goddard GeoDome! • Features Swift launch and animation • Also PBS NOVA show features Swift • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blackhole

  5. Swift Websites • E/PO site:http://swift.sonoma.edu • GRB SkyMap:http://grb.sonoma.edu • All bursts since August 2004 • MySpace: http://myspace.com/swiftsatellite • 210 friends • Not really active anymore • Facebook (now an organization, not a “person”) • Swift Newsletter:Last issue was 12/09 • CaféPress: http://cafepress.com/swiftsatellite

  6. Swift Websites Epo’s Chronicles • Continues weekly – approved! • Translated into French, Spanish and Italian • Special “eposodes” for 2011 featured Dark Matter • Calendars for 2010 featured IYA “Go Observe” objects • Calendars for 2011 featured high-energy astrophysics missions including Swift • About 1500 calendars distributed in 2010 and 2011 Alkina Epo

  7. 2010 Swift Special “Eposode”

  8. Supernova! Toolkit • NSN: Over 200 clubs nation-wide • Joint project with Suzaku, Fermi and XMM-Newton, developed by Astronomical Society of the Pacific

  9. Elementary & Secondary Education • Standards-aligned classroom materials • GEMS Guide: Invisible Universe • GRB Educator’s Guide • Newton’s Laws Poster Set • Swift Eyes Through Time • Educator Ambassadors • After-School Programs

  10. Classroom Materials for grades 7-12 • Approved by NASA and in wide distribution: • GEMS Guide –updated in 2010 • GRB Educator’s Guide • Newton’s Laws Posters • Swift Eyes Through Time (Penn State)

  11. Newton’s Laws • Over 7000 sets distributed to date

  12. Newton’s Laws • CSTA short course 10/24/11 24 different stations Which law?

  13. Educator Ambassadors Program • Swift supports 5 EAs • Rob Sparks (Arizona) • Rae McEntyre (Kentucky) • Bruce Hemp (Virginia) • Janet Moore (Illinois) • David Beier (Missouri) • Have reached over 13,670 students and teachers through over 235 lectures, mini-courses and workshops • Next EA training: July 23- 27, 2012 at SSU

  14. Multi-wavelength Universe professional development

  15. Higher Education • Authentic research experiences with high-school and college students through the Global Telescope Network • 38 partner institutions now (up from 29 two years ago) http://gtn.sonoma.edu – now NASA approved!

  16. GRB Skymap News • Website approved by NASA Product Review • Should we keep working on iPhone app now that Italians have released nice Swift app?

  17. E/PO Plans in 2009 • Revise GEMS guide (published pre-launch) - DONE • One new E/PO product – litho set? – not done • Continue Epo’s Chronicles – including more Swift-oriented content - DONE • Continue EA program with bi-yearly training - DONE • Continue after-school clubs & MESA partnership – DONE but now cancelled • Revise GRB site – get NASA Product Review approval - DONE • Do additional teacher workshops using Goddard GeoDome – including Black Hole show – not done • Develop Newton’s Laws short course - DONE

  18. E/PO Plans for 2012--2014 • Continue Epo’s Chronicles • Continue EA program with bi-yearly training – may have to cut back to 3 workshops per year per EA • Continue to support GRB site – should we keep trying to make iPhone app now that Italians have done one? • Supporting Astro4Girls initiative – EAs will also support – through special workshops in libraries • Support Multiwavelength Course when offered again • Support of increasing scientist involvement in E/PO by helping with AAS special session in January 2012 • Helping to develop higher education resources for Astro 101 teachers

  19. Swift PR Overview • Two scientific symposia at AAAS organized • 62 Press releases to date (launch and beyond) • 2011: 8 so far including 2 on the tidal disruption event – huge coverage! • 2010: 6 including 500th GRB special animation • 2009: 8 iincluding z=8.2 burst – biggest story in GSFC/ASD • 2008: 8 including “Supernova caught in Act” and “Naked Eye burst” • 2007: 9 including Rossi Prize release • 2006: 9 • 2005: 11 including first light of UVOT • 2004: 3 including launch and first light of BAT, XRT

  20. Recent PR Art by Simonnet Tidal Disruption Christmas Burst possible cover

  21. Press Releases • Aug 24, 2011 - Researchers Detail How A Distant Black Hole Devoured A Star • Jun 10, 2011 - Nearby Galaxy Boasts Two Monster Black Holes, Both Active • May 25, 2011 - Cosmic Explosion is New Candidate for Most Distant Object in the Universe • Apr 28, 2011 - NASA's Swift and Hubble Probe Asteroid Collision Debris • Apr 07, 2011 - Breakthrough Study Confirms Cause Of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

  22. Press Releases • Apr 07, 2011 - NASA Telescopes Join Forces to Observe Unprecedented Explosion • Jan 20, 2011 - Swift Survey Finds 'Missing' Active Galaxies • October 22, 2010 - Japanese and U.S. Space Telescopes Reveal Previously Unknown Brilliant X-Ray Explosion in Our Milky Way Galaxy • August 17, 2010 - Eclipsing Pulsar Promises Clues to Crushed Matter • July 14, 2010 - Record-Breaking X-ray Blast Briefly Blinds Space Observatory • May 26, 2010 - NASA's Swift Survey finds 'Smoking Gun' of Black Hole Activation • Apr 19, 2010 - NASA's Swift Catches 500th Gamma-ray Burst

  23. Press Releases • Jan 27, 2010 - Newborn Black Holes Boost Explosive Power of Supernovae • Dec 9, 2009 - Magnetic Power Revealed in Gamma-Ray Burst Jet • November 10, 2009 - Swift, XMM-Newton satellites tune into a middleweight black hole • September 16, 2009 - Swift Creates Best-Ever Ultraviolet Image of Andromeda Galaxy • June 8, 2009 - Keck Study Sheds New Light On ‘Dark’ Gamma-ray Bursts • April 28, 2009 - New Gamma-ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Distance Record • February 28, 2009 - NASA's Swift Spies Comet Lulin • February 10, 2009 - NASA's Swift, Fermi Probe Fireworks From a Flaring Gamma-Ray Star

  24. Press Releases • January 6, 2009: NASA's Swift Shows Active Galaxies Are Different Near And Far • September 19, 2008 - Swift Catches Farthest Gamma-Ray Burst • September 10, 2008- "Naked-Eye" Gamma-Ray Burst Was Aimed Squarely At Earth • May 21, 2008 – NASA’s Swift Satellite Catches First Supernova in the Act of Exploding • May 19, 2008 – The Mouse That Roared: Pipsqueak Star Unleashes Monster Flare • May 2, 2008 - Gehrels Elected Fellow of American Academy of Arts & Sciences • March 20, 2008 - Satellite Detects Naked-Eye Explosion Halfway Across Universe • February 26, 2008- Swift Satellite Catches a Galaxy Ablaze with Starbirth

  25. Press Releases • January 9, 2008 - Swift and Gemini Probe Mysterious Distant Explosion • December 18, 2007 - 'Shot in the Dark' Star Explosion Stuns Astronomers • October 30, 2007 - Swift helps shatter Black Hole Record • September 12, 2007 - NASA Astronomers Find Bizarre Planet-Mass Object Orbiting Neutron Star • July 30, 2007 - Japanese and NASA Satellites Unveil New Type of Active Galaxy • June 26, 2007 - NASA's Swift Sees Double Supernova in Galaxy • May 22, 2007 - Gamma-ray Bursts Active Longer Than Thought • March 15, 2007 - Robotic Telescope Unravels Mystery of Cosmic Blasts

  26. Press Releases • March 8, 2007 - Gamma-Ray Birth Cries Suggest Massive Magnetic Engines • January 16, 2007 - Top High-Energy Astronomy Prize Awarded for Swift Discoveries • December 20, 2006 - NASA Satellite Discovers New Kind of Black Hole Explosion • November 21, 2006 - Twin Star Explosions Fascinate Astronomers • November 6, 2006 - Monster Stellar Flare Seen by NASA Scientists Dwarfs All Others • October 5, 2006 - NASA Performs Headcount of Local Black Holes • October 5, 2006 - Scientists Determine The Nature Of Black Hole Jets

  27. Press Releases • October 4, 2006 - Mug Shots of Supernovas Reveal Two Key Findings • August 30, 2006 - Caught in the Act, Scientists Watch Supernova Explode • May 12, 2006 - X-rays Fly as Cracking Comet Streaks Across the Sky • February 24, 2006 - Scientists Detect New Kind of Cosmic Explosion • December 14, 2005 - Cosmic Explosion Could Be Black Hole Swallowing Neutron Star • October 5, 2005 - In A Flash Nasa Helps Solve 35-Year-Old Cosmic Mystery • September 12, 2005 - Most Distant Explosion Detected, Smashes Previous Record

  28. Press Releases • August 18, 2005 - NASA's Swift Satellite Finds Newborn Black Holes • May 11, 2005 - NASA Scientists Catch Unique Gamma-Ray Burst • April 5, 2005 - Swift Mission Nabs Its First Distance Measurement to Star Explosion • February 18, 2005 - NASA Observes One of Brightest Cosmic Explosions • February 15, 2005 - NASA's Newest Observatory Detects Record-Making Gamma Rays • February 01, 2005 - Swift Sees Pinwheel Galaxy, Satellite Fully Operational • January 21, 2005 - Swift Mission Images the Birth of a Black Hole • January 5, 2005 - NASA Swift Mission Turns on and Sees a Blast of Bursts

More Related