This document provides an overview of astronomy and humanity's relationship to the cosmos. It discusses how ancient cultures looked to the stars for answers about existence and how astronomy was once a core subject in education. While it declined in the late 19th century, interest renewed due to events like Sputnik launching the Space Age. The document advocates for astronomy being reintegrated into education so people can develop an accurate cosmic perspective and live more peacefully.

2. May 20, 2014 | Hanh Tran & David Cerri

4. • Knowledge about the universe & our place within it
• Fundamental importance to human cultures since earliest
recorded history
• Many legends & myths may have been based off of this very
curiosity about our existence
• Since ancient times, humans learned to look up to the
skies in search of the truth
• Sought answers to questions as:
• Where did we come from?
• How did we get here?
• Are there others like us?
• What does our future hold?

5. • We are not the center of the universe
• We are not special
• We are here by chance
• Consider ourselves lucky to be right here, right now
• Our home is a “pale blue dot” in a “vast cosmic arena”
• If everyone had a basic knowledge of the universe, or
an accurate cosmic perspective, then perhaps:
• We would live more peacefully together
• We would overcome provincial differences
• The world would be a better place
“We’re living through the greatest age of discovery our civilization has
known.” –Brian Cox
Video Clip: Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot”

12. 1893
Boo…

13. • Grave turning point in history of Astronomy education
• Astronomy dropped from US education curriculum
• Committee of Ten Report: cause of decline in Astronomy courses
in secondary schools from 1894-1957
• Before this, Astronomy was considered a core subject
• Everyone was expected to know the basics of the universe just as the
basics of cell structure
• Russian Sputnik in Nov. 1957
• 1st artificial satellite launched
• Triggered the Space Age / Space Race
• Pushed the U.S. to improve science & math education
• Efforts by NASA & planetariums helped re-introduce Astronomy back
into schools in 1960’s & 1970’s, but still not enough

14. “It would be nice if more astronomy and physics were taught in school.
Astronomy of today is even more exciting than it was in 1893!”
String Theory
M Theory
SUPER

15. Director of Hayden Planetarium
Host of new Cosmos TV series on Fox
“Happy to have you aboard … p.s. I am on a federal committee right now to help call for
astro being a fundamental part of a school's curriculum. So the struggle continues.”
Dr. Tyson Pluto

16. “Being an astronomer, I'd be happy if astronomy
played a larger role in our school curricula.” –Dr. Kevin Marvel, CEO
“I agree with your thesis, as I'm sure most astronomers would …
Having taught astronomy at the high-school and college levels … I can
tell you that I think the U.S. education system is in a shambles.”
– Dr. Rick Fienberg
“Further back in time, Astronomy was often considered
part of basic learning, at least for academics.” – Dr. Steve Maran

23. Video Clip: Earthrise & Earthset

24. • American Astronaut
• First person to walk on
the moon
• July 20, 1969
• Apollo 11 Mission
Neil Armstrong, 08/05/1930 – 08/25/2012 Armstrong, Michael Collins & Buzz Aldrin

25. Video Clip: Evolution of the Moon

30. Video Clip:
”We are Star Stuff”
by Carl Sagan

32. X-ray

33. Infrared

34. Ultraviolet

35. Extreme Ultraviolet

36. Interactive Animation from National Geographic:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/sun-article.html

38. • Natural light display on
the sky in high latitudes
• Arctic & Antarctic regions
• Caused by collision of
energetic charged
particles with atoms in
the atmosphere
• Charged particles from solar
wind & magnetosphere
• Directed by Earth’s magnetic
field at polar regions
• Aurora Borealis
• Northern Lights
• Aurora Australis
• Southern lights
• Occur in magnetic poles
of other planets too!

41. Video Clip: Earth Time Lapse View from Space/Fly Over -Nasa, ISS

42.  demoted
Something to tell your kids:
“When I was your age, Pluto was a planet.”

43. Video Clip: Birth of the Solar System

44. • Universe sprang into existence 13.7 billion years ago
• Started as singularity, extremely hot & dense state
• Then expanded and cooled down
• Allowed energy to be converted into protons, neutrons & electrons
• Produced giant clouds of primordial elements
• Hydrogen & traces of Helium/Lithium
• Coalesced through gravity, forming stars & galaxies
• Heavier elements later produced by stars & supernovae
• No explosion, just expansion
• Universe continues to expand
rapidly today
Video Clip:
The Big Bang

48. • “We are star stuff” – “We are star dust”
• Hydrogen in our bodies made shortly after the Big Bang
• All other elements synthesized by stars & during supernovae
Video Clips: Star Stuff | The Most Astounding Fact | We are Star Dust

50. Mercury My
Venus Very
Earth Educated
Mars Mother
Jupiter Just
Saturn Served
Uranus Us
Neptune Noodles
(Pluto)

54. Interactive Animation from National Geographic:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system

55. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

56. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

66. Video Clip: How to Get to Mars

72. Jupiter has at least 67 moons!

75. • Size of our moon
• 100 km-deep ocean
• Salty liquid water
underneath the frozen
surface
• Possibility of harboring
microbial life
• NASA planning on
sending a planetary
orbiter to Europa
• Jupiter-orbiting Europa
Clipper mission

82. • Pluto demoted in 2006
• Highly Controversial
• Part of sea of other objects occupying same region of space
• International Astronomical Union (IAU) meeting
• Established 3 main categories of objects in Solar System
• Planets
• Dwarf Planets
• Small Solar System Bodies
“New category of trans-Neptunian objects”

85. Computer-generated image of Plutonian surface, with atmospheric haze, moon Charon and Sun

86. Interactive Animation from National Geographic:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/asteroids-comets-article.html

87. Video Clip: Asteroid Collision

88. Video Clip: Rendezvous with a Comet

89. Video Clip: You are Literally a Star Child (from How the Universe Works)

92. The Milky Way

107. Video Clip: Hubble eXtreme Deep Field - Farthest Ever View of the Universe

110. Many Clusters

111. Many Super Clusters

114. Video Clip:
The Known
Universe by
AMNH
Video Clip:
Millennium
Run Simulation

115. Animation: Scale of the Universe 2
Video Clip: Cosmic Voyage

119. Super String Theory / M-Theory, Dr. Edward Witten

122. • Space Simulators
• Space Engine
• Celestia
• Universe Sandbox
• Orbiter
• The Solar System - Explore Your Backyard
• Planetarium Software
• Stellarium
• Cartes du Ciel (SkyChart)
• Computer Aided Astronomy (C2A)
• WorldWide Telescope
• Home Planet
• Viewers
• Aladin
• Sky-Map
• Google Sky & Google Earth
Demos of Celestia, Space Engine, Universe Sandbox, The Solar System…

123. • DVD/Blu-ray Collections:
• Cosmos by Carl Sagan
• How the Universe Works
• Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
• Nova: Fabric of the Cosmos
• The Universe (6 Seasons)
• Youtube:
• “The Sagan Series”
• “Deep Astronomy” by Tony Darnell
• NASAexplorer, SpaceRip, Best0fScience, etc.
• “Cosmos” Sequel (2014)
• Airing on National Geographic & Fox

125. We are all on this little rock together, for only a short period of time…
– Peace - Compassion - Unity –
The Most Astounding Fact