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The Edge of Interstellar Space
12 students
What you'll learn
- One of the cutting edge areas of astronomy has to do with the where our solar system ends and where interstellar space begins. The Sun’s influence extends much further than we previously thought and we have just started to explore the outer edges of our home solar system with space probes launched in the 1970’s. What kind of objects are out that far from the Sun?
- Overview of the solar system
- Perspective on Size and Distance
- Out sun
- The boundaries of the solar system
- Astronomical units of measurements
- Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs)
- Scattered Disk Objects (SDOs)
- Dwarf Planets
- The Kuiper Belt
- How to define a planet
- The dwarf planet Sedna
- Eccentric orbits and the plane of the Solar System
- The dwarf planet Pluto
- The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
- The Asteroid Belt
- The dward planet Ceres
- Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)
- The dwarf planet Haumea
- The dwarf planet Eris
- Moons of the Outer Solar System
- The Oort Cloud
- Short- and long-term comets
- Absolute Zero
- The Interstellar Medium
- The Solar System's place in the Milky Way Galaxy
- Bow shock and bow waves
- The heliopause
- Termination shock
- The Voyager and Pioneer missions
- Test Questions and Activities
Explore related topics
Course content
11 sections • 11 lectures • 2h 33m total length
Requirements
- None
Description
One of the cutting-edge areas of astronomy have to do with the where our solar system ends and where interstellar space begins. The Sun’s influence extends much further than we previously thought, and we have just started to explore the outer edges of our home solar system with space probes launched in the 1970’s. What kind of objects are out that far from the Sun?
This Course includes the following great BONUS LESSONS:
What on Earth is Astronomy?
Mini-Lesson: Eclipses
Mini-Lesson: Meteor Showers
Mini-Lesson: Aurora
Project Artemis: America Returns to the Moon
The Edge of Interstellar Space
1. Objective
2. Warm-up activity
3. Overview of our Solar System
4. Perspectives on size and distance
5. Brief discussion of the Sun
6. The boundaries of the Solar System
7. Astronomical units of measurement
8. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)
9. Scattered-disk objects (SDOs)
10. Dwarf Planets
11. The Kuiper Belt
12. The definition of a planet
13. The dwarf planet Sedna
14. Eccentric orbits and the plane of the Solar System
15. The dwarf planet Pluto
16. The New Horizons mission to Pluto
17. The Asteroid Belt
18. The dwarf planet Ceres
19. Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)
20. Dwarf planet Haumea
21. Dwarf planet Eris
22. Moons of the outer Solar System
23. The Oort Cloud
24. Short- and long-period comets
25. Absolute zero
26. The interstellar medium
27. The Solar System’s place in the Milky Way Galaxy
28. Bow shock and bow waves
29. The heliopause
30. Termination shock
31. The Voyager and Pioneer missions
32. Test questions
33. Cross-curricular activities
My name is Tony Ceraso and I will be your instructor. I sometimes run the planetarium and have written curriculum for the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. I have also written curriculum for NASA’s school visitation program and teach on the college level in NJ.
My goal is for you to thoroughly enjoy this lesson. I love astronomy and I want nothing more out of our time together than for you to have a greater appreciation for the universe through the understanding of this material. Besides the lesson I’m going to preview for you now, the course includes warm up activities, test questions, and cross-curricular activities for you to download as a supplement.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone who want to know more about Astronomy