Factsheet 18 – Why Is the Outback a Good Place for Astronomy?
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Factsheet 18 – Why is the Outback a good place for astronomy? Australian Curriculum Links Quirky fact : Year Subject Curriculum Links 5 Science ACSSU078, ACSHE081 Boodjamulla (Lawn 6 Science ACSHE098 Hill) National 7 Geography ACHGK045 Park is actually a Science ACSSU115, ACSHE119 meteorite crater! 8 Science ACSHE134 Background Information Stars are burning balls of gas that convert hydrogen to point of gravity. About 70 per cent of stars have helium through nuclear explosions. Our sun is a star. Stars a companion star. form in nebulae – interstellar clouds of dust, hydrogen gas Double stars – are two stars that appear together and plasma. Nebulae are star-forming regions where gas, in the sky but it is a ‘chance’ alignment. The stars dust and other materials ‘clump’ together to form larger may be many billions of kilometres apart. masses, which eventually become big enough to form stars. Nebula is the first stage of a star’s cycle. Stars are also different colours depending on their temperature. While all stars are extremely hot at the core, There are different types of nebulae, they include: their surface temperatures vary. Blue stars are extremely Diffuse nebulae – are extended and contain hot (12,000º – 40,000º Celsius), yellow stars like our sun no clear boundaries. are in the mid range (6,000º – 12,000º Celsius) and red stars are the coolest (1,000º – 5,000º Celsius). Emission nebulae – contain ionised gas (mostly ionised hydrogen) that produces spectral line emission. Reflection nebulae – do not produce visible light but reflect light from nearby stars. Dark nebulae – seen as dark clouds in front of more distant stars or in front of emission nebulae. Planetary nebulae – form from the gaseous shells ejected from low-mass stars when they transform into white dwarfs. Supernova remnants – form from ‘shells’ of gas when a star collapses in on itself. There are also different types of stars: Open or galactic star clusters – a group of a few to a few thousand stars formed from the same giant molecular cloud, and loosely gravitationally bound together. Globular star clusters – a spherical collection of tens of thousands of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite. These clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, giving them spherical shapes. Single stars – like our sun are in a minority. Most stars are doubles, triples or quadruples but to the human eye they appear as one star. Binary star systems – are two stars that have a relationship with one another, orbiting around a central Cosmos Centre, Charleville 86 Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets Inquiry Questions Subject Years Questions ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Geography 7 Why is the night sky so clear in the Outback? What South East Queensland Astronomical are some other liveability features of this region? Society Inc www.seqas.org/Documents/Begin.pdf Science 5/6 What can we learn about Earth Queensland Museum by studying the night sky? Inquiry Centre Phone: (07) 3840 7555 How do scientists collect and Email: [email protected] use astronomical data? www.qm.qld.gov.au Source: Earth and Space Program Create the solar system in your classroom. Australian Astronomy Find out quirky facts about planets in our www.astronomy.org.au solar system and how they got their names. NASA 7/8 What can we learn about Earth www.nasa.gov by studying the night sky? REFERENCES How do scientists collect and Sci-Tech Encyclopedia use astronomical data? www.answers.com/topic/star-cluster FURTHER INFORMATION Cosmos Centre and Observatory Points of interest Qantas Drive, Charleville QLD 4470 Cosmos Centre and Observatory, Charleville Phone: (07) 4654 7771 Charleville, in Outback Queensland, is the ideal place on the planet Email: [email protected] to observe the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way. The Cosmos Centre and www.cosmoscentre.com Observatory offers nightly guided tours of the night sky using powerful Meade telescopes. By day an interactive display area contains movie presentations and interactive displays, plus a sun filter to enable visitors to view the sun through the telescopes. The unique Cosmos Centre and Observatory in Charleville rolls off its entire roof to reveal 3 powerful 12 inch Meade telescopes, where you and your students will see distant stars and planets with your own eyes through magnificent telescopes. 112 204 Qantas Drive (off the Matilda Highway), 102 47 BLACKALL 12 SALVATOR Charleville, QLD 4470 114 ROSA KA KA 52 42 101 NATIONAL MUNDI Cost: Entry fee applies EMMET IDALIA PARK NATIONAL YARAKA NATIONAL PARK Hours: High Season (April – October) PARK 120 TAMBO 1.00pm to 10.00pm r MT MOFFA e r 209 v e NATIONAL PARK Low Season (November – March) i v R i 119 R 1.00pm to 9.00pm d o r e g a r Phone: (07) 4654 7771 r r W a e W Email: [email protected] v i AUGATHELLA R ADAVALE Website: www.cosmoscentre.com o 187 o 109 l Bilby Experience, Charleville l 84 91 u Land Management and Mulga Forest tours – B 85 87 MORVEN Thurlby Station, Charleville CHARLEVILLE 44 MITCHELL 22 QUILPIE 74 CHEEPIE 88 TREGOLE Myendetta Station, House of 100 Doors, Charleville NATIONAL MUNGALLALA 45 AMBY 37 PARK 48 COOLADDI 99 74 209 TOOMPINE WYANDRA 210 36 55 82 Townsville 98 Mt Isa 23 25 Rockhampton LongreachYOWAH CUNNAMULLA 13 177 BOLLON 131 68 AKE BINDEGOLLYCharleville EULO BRISBANE r r e v NATIONAL PARK e i v R i 122 119 DIRRANBANDI R e CURRAWINYA n Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets 87.