Introduction
Have you ever looked at the stars at night? Of course, everyone has, but have you really seen them like I can see them in the New Mexico sky? We have over 300 days of sunshine a year, very few large population centers to create light pollution, and our high elevation reduces some of the interference of Earth's atmosphere; thus, we can see stars! When I moved to New Mexico in 1990, I was immediately drawn to the night sky. It wasn't a reaction of a science teacher; it was a feeling that is hard to describe. I felt wonder and awe; I felt relaxed and at peace; I felt alone yet not alone. New Mexico is a wonderful place for astronomers and stargazers. We have Sunspot, New Mexico where you will find the National Solar Observatory and nearby Apache Point Observatory. Down the mountains in Alamogordo is the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Further west is the National Radio Astronomy Observatory where at the Very Large Array (VLA) scientists "listen" for space conversation. That is also where many of the scenes in the movie Contact with actress Jodie Foster, a graduate of Yale, were filmed. We boast Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto, and Alan Hale, who co-found the Hale/Bopp comet. The space shuttle landed once at White Sands Missile Range and the runway is still used as a backup/emergency landing site for current shuttle missions. Last, and definitely least, we have Roswell, home of the International UFO Museum and Research Center.
How could I not have at least some interest in Astronomy, and shouldn't my students have the opportunity to study about Astronomy and Space Science? The answer is yes, but what about Astronomy and Space Science is of interest to my students? What is relevant to my students? What do I know enough about to teach my students? Will this unit fit into my curriculum and if so, how?
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