Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008aas...212.7804g&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #212, #78.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.262
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The NASA Kepler EPO team has created models and simulations of planetary systems (orreries) to use in demonstrating the transit technique of finding exoplanets. The first successful orrery, consisting of a 3-planet orrery with an electric lamp (model star) at the center, and a Vernier light sensor system connected to a laptop computer with real-time graphing software, was first on display at the Kepler booth in a 2006 AAS conference. That system was extended to a 4-planet model (one planet with a moon as well) and has been on display at many astronomy and teacher education conferences in the past few years. Construction of duplicate models costs about $60 for LEGO parts, plus $100 or so for light sensor hardware and software.
The LEGO orrery effort stemmed from successful work in creating a large museum-grade orrery that was used in the Planet-Finding portion of the "Alien Earths" exhibit, a collaboration of Space Science Institute, NSF, NASA Kepler mission EPO and other NASA EPO groups. Replication of that model would cost in the neighborhood of $25,000.
In recent months, Kepler EPO has worked on design of a more rudimentary, inexpensive orrery made of cardboard, paper plates, wine corks, and rubber bands. Work is also underway on a new plastic-geared orrery for use in classrooms with a Full Option Science System (FOSS) Planetary Science Unit for middle school. This presentation relays results and status of these new developments in planetary model systems.
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