Spring Term 2021 at OLLI
Assignments
• Before coming to class, watch Episodes 1 and 2 of Cosmic Distance Ladder.
• To help you begin to grasp the scale of the universe we will be exploring, watch this video:
Watching full screen at YouTube is best: https://youtu.be/0fKBhvDjuy0
• Read and think about this poem.
• Submit your questions, comments, and/or suggestions on these assignments in the form at the bottom of this (and every) page at That Star, How Far?
Questions to To Think About
• How many methods have you used to measure lengths or distances?
• Before you began this course, had you ever wondered how scientists know cosmic distances? When you were told that the sun is 93,000,000 miles away, that the nearest star is 4.3 light-years away (about 40 trillion miles), that the Milky Way is 106 thousand light-years across, and that the Andromeda Galaxy is 2.54 million light-years away, did you think, "How do scientists know?" (And what is a light-year, anyway?)
Additional Resources
• Want to get to know your way around the night sky? Look for SkySafari at the app store for your smartphone, pad, or computer (iOS, Android, or MacOS). The cheapest version is all you need. I will give a demonstration in class soon. (For Windows 10, Look for Starry Night at your app store. I find that smaller devices, such as smartphones or pads, are the most useful.)
• Poem: Louise Glück: Telescope
