Eclipse from a different angle

Using Stellarium, travel to the sun (ctrl g) then change the time to 1976, 23 of October, the time of the solar eclipse. Lock on to Earth then advance to around 4pm, then watch the moon travel in front of the Earth.

Wonderful!

cegsa conference

This annual conference is a great opportunity for educators to get together and get new ideas and learn how others are implementing ICT across the curriculum. My first workshop focussed on web 2.0 tools... tag galaxy, bubbl.us, slideshare, glogster, dipity and dvolver. If you want to check out some more, try picnik (a web 2.0 photoshop) and or of course blogspot, wikispaces etc etc.

If you want the handout for the first workshop click here

The second workshop was very full and very enjoyable. A quick tour of some resources... images, powerpoints and videos, then we got down to the point end - Stellarium. We covered all the basics then finished with watching a lunar and solar eclipse. Find the handout here.

Afterwards I was kicking myself I should have shown everyone that you can go to other planets etc. Select the object (those red cross hairs) and then ctrl "G". You can then look at the Earth. If you go to the Sun (not as hot as you would expect) watch Australia come into view (sun rise) and spin out of view (sun set). Then advance a week at a time "]" to watch the tilt of the Earth change with the seasons.

For all those people in my workshops thank you for your participation... just make sure you take the word back to your schools and share your knowledge with your colleagues. Perhaps run your own session and a staff or faculty meeting. Feel free to use my worksheets, powerpoints etc and modify them how ever you want.

Science hack science videos

Try using Science Hack for science youtubes. The "space" category runs the gamut from a video about space toilets to massive solar storms.

Astronomy Images

From The Earth to the Universe provide images and text via its RSS feed. For those that don't know how to use RSS, I have made this powerpoint using their images and text. I have put some other great slideshows in the side bar to the left (scroll down).

Use it in the classroom to stimulate discussion about the Year of Astronomy.

400 Years Of The Telescope

View more documents from Cyberspaced Educator.

Glogs in the Cosmos

Glogster is a great online poster site. Students can make glogs on any topic... this is my take on the International Year of Astronomy. Right click to get the fullscreen option. Register your class today - free!

Stellarium

Stellarium http://www.stellarium.org/ is a FREE planetarium program, quick to download, quick to install, works on any computer. Enables you (and your students) to look at the night sky, pick out planets, stars, nebulas, galaxies. Go backward and forward in time, speed time up, slow it down, watch the phases of the moon, or watch Europa orbit Jupiter. Find the larger asteroids in the asteroid belt, or even look at Hubble's photos of distant heavenly bodies.

ISS IMAX Movie

Tom Cruise narrates this IMAX movie made about the International Space Station ... but apart from that it is good! Also available in HD.
Read my youtube blog on how to save youtubes.