Learning!by!Doing!

GUDRUN!WOLFSCHMIDT!

Learning!by!Doing! Science!Education!at!the!Hamburg!Observatory!

! In! my! contribution! I! would! like! to! offer! three! different! examples:! the! activities! of! the! association! “Förderverein! Hamburger! Sternwarte”,! science! education! in! the! “astronomy! workshop”,! and! the! teaching! of! the! history! of! science!and!technology!for!university!students.! Introduction:!Hamburg!Observatory! The!“new”!Hamburg!Observatory!in!Bergedorf!was!built!in!1912!and!was!one! of!the!most!modern!and!largest!observatories!in!Europe.1!It!is!an!impressive! ensemble!of!architecture!in!the!neoJbaroque!style,!with!large!telescopes!and! instruments!in!an!astronomy!park!that!covers!a!rather!large!amount!of!land! (70!hectares,!0.7!km2).!The!observatory!was!named!an!architectural!heritage! site! in! Hamburg! in! 1996,! and! has! been! nominated! as! a! national! monument! since!2008.!The!Hamburg!Observatory’s!unique!space!offers!a!good!place!for! learning,! not! only! for! historians! of! astronomy! but! also! for! educators! who! wish!to!present!astronomy!and!its!history!to!students!or!to!the!larger!public.! Since! some! domes! and! telescopes! are! no! longer! needed! for! research,! the! observatory!provides!a!great!opportunity!for!high!school!education!and!other! public!outreach!activities.! 1.!Förderverein!Hamburger!Sternwarte!e.V.! Doing! so,! however,! presents! an! enormous! practical! challenge,! because! this! site!–!20!km!from!the!centre!of!Hamburg!–!is!very!valuable!!This!observatory! of!modern!type!includes!offices!and!residential!buildings!that!stand!separate! from! the! observation! facilities,! the! domes! with! the! telescopes.! Moreover,! upkeep! is! expensive! and! there! is! naturally! pressure! on! the! university! to! abandon!the!site!for!more!cheaper!and!more!modern!quarters.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1!An!earlier!observatory!existed!in!1802!and!1825.!For!the!history!of!Hamburg!Observatory!

see!Schramm!2010.! !

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Learning!by!Doing!–!Science!Education!at!the!Hamburg!Observatory!

Because! of! the! danger! this! situation! presents! for! Hamburg’s! historical! heritage,! an! association,! called! the! “Förderverein! Hamburger! Sternwarte! e.V.”!(FHS),!was!founded!in!1998.2!Besides!raising!money!for!the!restoration! of! buildings! and! instruments,! this! association! is! active! in! promoting! the! public!understanding!of!science!through!lectures!on!topics!such!astrophysics,! cultural!history!and!history!of!science!in!general!and!history!of!astronomy!in! particular.3! !

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Figure$1a,$b.!Large!Refractor!Building!and!Sun!of!the!Planet!walk! !(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

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1.1$Public$Outreach$Activities$ In! cooperation! with! the! Hamburg! Observatory,! the! Institute! for! History! of! Science! and! Technology! and! other! partners! the! “Förderverein”! offers! many! successful! activities,! such! as! public! lectures,! guided! tours,! late! nights! at! the! museums,! open! house! presentations,! day! of! monument! protection! (Tag! des! offenen! Denkmals),! Lyric! Moonlit! Night,! Astro! Art! (exhibition! art! &! astronomy),!exhibitions,!planet!walks,!and!models!of!the!Hamburg!time!ball! (Zeitball).! In! addition! in! the! association! there! is! a! group! of! active! amateur! astronomers! who! offer! J! together! with! the! “Gesellschaft! für! volkstümliche! Astronomie!Hamburg!e.V.”!(GvA)!–!public!star!gazing!events!and,!since!spring! 1999,!in!the!winter!there!are!public!observations!called!“Fernsicht”.4! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2!The!members!are!engaged!citizens,!historians!and!historians!of!science!or!art,!professional!

and! amateur! astronomers.! According! to! the! articles! of! the! association! the! “Förderverein”! http://www.astronomieparkJhamburg.de!(October!20,!2012)!serves!for!public!outreach!and! restoration! activities.! The! “Förderverein”! like! a! public! observatory! has! access! to! some! telescopes!which!are!no!longer!used!for!teaching,!research!or!testing!instruments.! 3!These!activities!should!provide!some!money!for!conservation!of!the!ensemble,!but!mostly! serve! to! keep! the! observatory! restoration! issue! in! the! public! eye! while! we! try! to! find! additional!public!and!private!sources!of!finance.! 4! The! star! gazing! activities! support! each! event! like! the! annual! all! evening! at! the! museums,! the! Venus! transit! or! the! solar! eclipse! (1999)! and! are! organized! by! Dr.! Matthias! Hünsch! or! Rüdiger!Heins,!FHS.!

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Figure$2a,$b.!Guided!Tour!in!the!Large!Refractor!R!Star!Gazing!at!the!1RmRReflector! (Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

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Most!topics!are!intended!for!public!understanding!of!science,!but!sometimes! activities!are!offered!for!children!or!students.!I!will!give!two!examples:! First,!an!activity,!that!is!done!with!students!of!different!ages,!is!making! sun!dials!and!explaining!how!to!use!them;!this!has!been!done!several!times! when!the!museums!opened!their!doors!for!the!public!at!nighttime!or!during! the! Day! of! the! Open! House.! The! easiest! way! to! make! sundials! by! cutting! gluing!pieces!of!cardboard.!But!it!is!also!possible!to!construct!them!with!ruler! and! compass,! according! to! the! method! suggested! by! the! famous! painter! Albrecht!Dürer!(1471–1528).!In!1525,!he!sketched!a!now!classic!drawing!of!a! detailed! method! for! the! construction! of! equatorial,! horizontal! and! vertical! sundials!using!compass!and!straightedge!that!appeared!in!his!Vnderweysung! der! messung! (Instructions! on! Measurement).5! This! method! can! be! taught! nowadays,! as! well! as! one! for! making! ring! dials! and! cylindrical! dials.! My! personal!collection!of!various!types!of!sundials!allows!students!to!experience! and!understand!how!to!use!them.!By!using!instruments!such!as!these!one!can! also! explain! more! about! how! the! old! variable! hours! (horae! inequales)! disappeared! and! the! new! hours! of! equal! lengths! (mean! time)! were! introduced.!One!can!also!see!the!difference!between!the!two!on!astronomical! clocks.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5! Dürer,! Albrecht:! Vnderweysung! der! messung! /! mit! dem! zirckel! vn! richtscheyt! /! in! Linien!

ebnen!unnd!gantzen!corporen.!Nuremberg!1525.!Reprint:!Nördlingen:!Verlag!Dr.!Alfons!Uhl! 1983.! Cf.! Wolfschmidt! 1990,! p.!66.! See! also:! http://www.jgiesen.de/HorVerSundial! /index.html!(November!10,!2012).!

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Figure$3a,$b.!Construction!of!Sundials!after!Dürer!(1525)! (above:!vertical!sundial,!middle:!equatorial!sundial,!below:!horizontal!sundial);! Making!Sundials!during!a!Day!of!the!Open!House! !(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

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Second,!another!activity!is!timekeeping.!Timekeeping!was!an!important!task! for!astronomers,!which!is!why!educators!in!the!filed!take!its!measurement!as! a! starting! point.! In! Hamburg! we! explain! how! astronomers! determined! the! time! with! the! meridian! circle! and! how! they! transferred! it! to! the! time! ball,! which! was! in! service! from! 1876! to! 1934.! Here! one! can! also! explain! the! development! of! transfer! systems,! as! the! time! was! initially! distributed! by! cable! and,! beginning! in! 1912! by! wireless! technology.! The! time! ball! in! the! observatory!is!a!mock!up!that!was!built,!by!the!“Förderverein”!and!financed! by! a! sponsor.6! In! addition,! in! the! library! and! the! archive! one! can! read! publications! and! observation! journals! of! the! astronomers! who! documented! whether! their! instruments! worked! properly! and! whether! the! time! for! navigation!and!for!the!city’s!public!clocks!was!correct.! 2.!Science!Education!in!the!Astronomy!Workshop!(AWHS)! One! project! initiated! by! the! “Förderverein”,! is! to! support! the! use! of! the! observatory’s!facilities!for!teaching!astronomy!to!school!children!of!all!ages.! Hamburg’s! Ministry! of! Education! (Behörde! für! Schule! und! Berufsbildung,! BSB)! has! agreed! to! send! students! to! the! observatory! for! practical! work,! in! order! to! include! more! astronomy! in! the! curriculum.! Even! more! important,! they! have! funded! a! halfJtime! position! for! an! astronomer! to! be! the! teacher! and!organizer;!the!position!is!held!by!Dr.!Uwe!Wolter,!a!former!PhD!student! of! Hamburg! Observatory,! and! teacher! at! a! secondary! school! (Gymnasium).!

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6!The!sponsor!was!the!Hamburger!Sparkasse!in!Bergedorf.!For!more!information!about!the! time!ball!see!Machoczek!(2011).! !

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The!courses!are!led!by!PhD!students!and!by!members!of!the!“Förderverein”! who!are!also!secondary!school!teachers.! The!project!started!in!close!cooperation!with!Hamburg!Observatory!as! “SehJStern”! (literally:! seeJstar).! Activities,! such! as! astrophotography,! CCD! imaging!and!computer!image!processing!were!part!of!the!program!and!took! place! in! the! Lippert! building.! Now! the! project! is! called! “Astronomy! Workshop”!and!takes!place!in!the!Solar!Physics!Building,!where!once!stood!a! horizontal! solar! telescope.! This! building! has! been! renovated! and! is! now! (since!2010)!a!modern!seminar!room.!! The! aim! of! this! programme! is! to! allow! the! student! to! learn! by! doing;! historical! experiments! and! analysis! of! data! are! done! with! old! and! modern! materials,! such! as! historical! publications,! photographic! plates,! CCDs! or! data! from!the!internet,!and!also!from!astronomical!satellites.!! !

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Figure$4.$“Astronomy!Workshop”!in!the!Solar!Physics!Building,!to!the!left!1RmRBuilding! and!Mire!(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

2.1$The$Idea$behind$the$Astronomy$Workshop$(AWHS)$ The! Astronomy! Workshop! is! available! to! all! students! from! schools! in! Hamburg!and!the!surrounding!areas:7! • Astronomy!and!astrophysics!are!taught!in!the!class.! • Through!the!workshop!students!are!exposed!to!astronomy!as!a!topic! of!university!research!and!are!put!in!contact!with!astronomers.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7!Astronomy!Workshop!of!Hamburg!Observatory:!http://www.schulJastronomie.de/!!

(November!10,!2012)!

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Learning!by!Doing!–!Science!Education!at!the!Hamburg!Observatory! The!history!of!astronomy!is!included!and!this!is!especially!effective!in! the! historical! atmosphere! that! the! Hamburg! observatory! provides.! Close! contact! with! historical! objects! and! instruments! intensifies! the! experience.!German!has!a!word!that!is!particularly!appropriate!in!this! respect,! “begreifbar,”! which! is! literally! translated! as! “graspable,”! and! connotes!that!one!can!comprehend!by!touching!and!doing.!

2.2$Topics$of$the$Workshops$ Eight! different! courses! are! offered! for! students! from! grades! 3! to! 13.! They! occur!in!the!morning,!afternoon!or!in!the!evening,!depending!on!the!topic!and! whether!nightJtime!observation!is!necessary.!The!length!of!the!course!is!half! a!day!in!the!morning!or!up!to!three!hours!in!the!evening.! The! courses! start! with! an! introductory! lecture! that! covers! historical! and! contemporary! developments.! Then,! the! practical! work! starts.! Some! examples!are!presented,!e.g.,!historical!experiments!and!analysis!of!data!for! the!Sun,!Moon,!Jupiter,!stars!and!spectra,!along!with!modern!material,!such!as! data!from!astronomical!satellites!(e.g.,!SOHO).! The! demonstration! also! includes! interactive! Java! animations,! e.g.,! phases! of! the! inner! planets,! retrograde! motion,! Kepler’s! Laws,! HR! diagram! simulation,! which! gives! insight! into! stellar! evolution,! planetary! cratering! simulation,! solar! eclipses,! proper! motion! of! stars,! stellar! parallax,! galaxy! crashes,!and!Doppler!effects,!all!of!which!are!essential!tools!in!many!fields!of! astronomy.8! 2.2.1$Topic$1:$The$Sun$(grades$9$to$13)$ This! course! covers! the! Sun,! its! history,! structure,! development,! energy! production! (fusion! and! solar! neutrinos)! and! its! diverse! and! changing! features,! such! as! sunspots,! flares,! and! prominences! (or! the! hot! corona).! Methods!of!solar!observation!are!also!discussed;!a!highlight!–!if!the!weather! allows! –! is! direct! solar! observation! with! a! telescope! that! uses! projection! to! draw!sunspots.!Also!the!direct!observation!of!the!Sun!is!done!with!a!red!filter,! in! order! to! highlight! the! prominences! (eruptions! and! loops)! and! the! chromosphere!(surface!activities!and!active!regions).! Sunspots,! first! recorded! by! Christoph! Scheiner! (1575–1650)! in! detail,! are!discussed!(Rosa!Ursina,!1630).!Then!the!further!development!of!sunspot! theory!in!connection!with!the!solar!rotation!in!the!19th!century!is!mentioned,! especially!through!the!work!of!Richard!Christopher!Carrington!(1826–1875).! Measuring! the! motion! of! the! sunspots! from! day! to! day! gives! the! solar! rotation! period! and! the! inclination! of! the! axis.! This! can! be! seen! not! only! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8!Here!are!some!links!to!astronomy!Java!applets!for!the!virtual!laboratory:!http://jersey.! uoregon.edu/vlab/,!http://www.astro.ubc.ca/~scharein/applets!(October!20,!2012).!!

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through!the!old!records!of!Scheiner!but!also!by!searching!in!the!internet!for! solar! images! taken! through! different! filters,! such! as! Calcium! II,! HJalpha,! continuum!and!magnetogrammes.!The!first!task!is!to!measure!solar!rotation! using! work! sheets! and! photos.! Sunspots! with! magnetic! fields! in! white! light! and! bright! features! in! the! chromosphere! in! UV! waveJlengths! can! be! compared;!magnetic!activity!and!active!regions!can!be!matched.!In!addition! the! motion! of! a! coronal! mass! ejection! can! be! measured! by! using! real! data! from!the!SOHO!(Solar!and!Heliospheric!Observatory)!satellite.9! !

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Figure$5a,b.!Observation!of!the!Sun!by!projection!and!with!a!filter!in!the!Lippert! Telescope!(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt!and!Susanne!M.!Hoffmann)!

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2.2.2$Topic$2:$Modern$Astrophysics$(grades$9$to$13)$ This! course! offers! a! thematic! overview! from! early! history! up! to! recent! astronomical! research.! Topics! are! the! formation! of! planetary! systems,! the! structure!of!the!Milky!Way!and!the!universe,!and!the!evolution!of!stars.!“It!is! not!too!much!to!hope!that!in!the!not!too!distant!future!we!shall!be!competent!to! understand! as! simple! a! thing! as! a! star”! (Arthur! Eddington! (1882J1944),! 1926).!Data!for!the!astrophysics!course!can!be!obtained!from!publications!in! the!library!or!from!researching!in!the!internet!(data!mining).! The! course! starts! with! simple! things! such! as! orientation! in! the! sky,! making! and! using! a! rotatable! celestial! chart! (practical! exercises! and! work! sheet),!gaining!familiarity!with!the!constellations!(observations!with!the!eye! or!with!the!telescope!depending!on!the!weather).! First! example:! Computer! animation! of! galaxies:! The! starting! point! is! Edwin! Powell! Hubble! (1889–1953)! with! the! introduction! of! the! word! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9!SOHO:!http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/classroom/for_students.html!(20.!October!2012).!

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“galaxies”! instead! of! “nebulae”;! the! spiral! structure! of! galaxies! was! already! detected! visually! and! photographically! in! the! 19th! century.! With! modern! methods!of!presentation!we!can!experience!the!formation!of!the!spiral!arms! in! the! Milky! Way;! mapping! the! emission! of! the! 21cm! hydrogen! line! in! the! galactic! plane! shows! how! the! gas,! moving! in! spiral! arms,! will! appear! in! the! diagram! of! galactic! longitude! and! radial! velocity.! The! user! can! change! the! parameters!of!the!arms!like!density,!pitch!and!radial!velocity!and!hence!see! the!effects!in!the!map,!in!the!galactic!plane.10!! Second! example:! Eclipsing! Binaries:! (Algol,! β! Lyrae! and! W! UMa! systems).! Direct! and! indirect! observation! of! celestial! bodies! with! a! photometer!shows!the!change!of!light!intensity!over!time;!these!light!curves! of! binaries! (with! occultation! and! transit)! can! be! simulated! and! interpreted! (computer!work!and!work!sheet).!The!simulation!shows!an!eclipsing!binary! system.11!The!earth!is!located!a!long!distance!away!in!the!plane!of!the!orbit.! The! upper! left! panel! shows! the! view! as! seen! from! earth! –! the! two! stars! orbiting! each! other.! The! upper! right! panel! shows! the! resulting! light! curve.! Parameters!of!the!two!stars!are!mass,!radius!and!temperature;!properties!of! the!system!are!the!separation!(in!solar!radii),!the!eccentricity!of!the!orbit!and! the!inclination.!With!two!sliders!one!can!change!the!temperatures!of!the!stars! (indicated! by! blue,! yellow! and! red! colours)! and! the! speed! of! the! orbit.! By! clicking! on! the! star! and! dragging! the! mouse! one! can! change! the! radius! of! either! star.12! One! can! understand! the! relationship! between! the! parameters,! that!the!primary!eclipse,!the!deeper!minimum,!occurs,!when!the!blue!star!is! occulted! by! the! yellow! star,! because! the! blue! hotter! star! emits! more! light! intensity!than!the!yellow!star.! 2.2.3$Topic$3:$Spectroscopy$(grades$11$to$13)$ Basic! parameters! of! stars! like! luminosity,! temperature,! size! (radius),! mass! and! chemical! composition! can! be! discussed! and! shown! how! they! are! determined.! First! Example:! The! observed! spectrum! of! the! airglow,! taken! with! the! 3.5JmJtelescope! at! the! GermanJSpanish! Observatory! on! the! Calar! Alto,! depicts!a!typical!observed!optical!spectrum!of!the!night!sky;!this!must!always! be! subtracted! from! the! raw! observations! of! a! star,! nebula! or! galaxy! before! one!gets!the!true!spectrum.13!Clicking!the!mouse!will!display!the!wavelength! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10!Formation!of!spiral!arms!of!galaxies:!http://astro.uJstrasbg.fr/~koppen/MWGspirals/!(20.!

October!2012).! 11! Eclipsing! Binaries:! http://astro.unl.edu/naap/ebs/animations/ebs.html! (20.! October! 2012).! 12! Cf.! http://astro.unl.edu/naap/ebs/animations/ebs.html! or! http://www.astro.ubc.ca/! ~scharein/applets/Sim/ebinary/Help.html!(20.!October!2012).! 13! Data! taken! by! Joachim! Köppen! Kiel,! Strasbourg,! Illkirch,! Oct.! 97:! http://astro.uJ strasbg.fr/~koppen/apindex.html#ASTRO!(20.!October!2012).!

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of! its! position.! The! spectrum! contains! many! emission! lines! from! atoms! and! molecules!that!are!excited!by!various!processes.!You!can!compare!with!tables! to!find!out!the!composition.! Second! Example:! Spectroscopic! binaries:! One! can! choose! the! masses,! orbital! separation,! orbital! eccentricity,! the! inclination! angle! to! our! line! of! sight,! and! the! angle! of! the! nodes! of! an! orbiting! star! pair.! Then! one! gets! the! observed!velocities!of!the!two!stars!and!the!Doppler!shifted!spectral!lines.14! Third! Example:! Discovery! of! extraJsolar! planets! by! analyzing! the! light! curves.15! !

Figure$6.!Spectroscopic!binary! (http://astro.ph.unimelb.edu.au/software/binary/binary.htm)!

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2.2.4$Topic$4:$Gravitation$(grades$11$to$13)$ This! course! shows! how! gravitation! forms! motions! and! structures! in! the! universe.!Starting!with!Kepler's!Laws,!the!collision!of!galaxies!or!the!effect!of! gravitational!lenses!can!be!discussed.!Experiments:! 1.! On! Galilei’s! tracks:! Who! discovered! the! moons! of! Jupiter! earlier,! Simon!Marius!(29.12.1609)!or!Galileo!Galilei!(07.01.1610)?! Here!one!can!explain!about!the!calendar!reform!of!1582!made!by!Gregor!XIII.! (1502–1585),! the! Julian! and! Gregorian! calendar:! 29.12.1609! jul.! =! 08.01.1610! greg.! (Simon! Marius! (1573J1624! jul./1625! greg.),! published! as! “Mundus!Iovialis”,!1614)!and!7.01.1610!greg.!=!28.12.1609!jul.!(Galileo!Galilei! (1564J1642),!published!as!“Sidereus!Nuncius”,!1610).! 2.! Determination! of! the! mass! of! Jupiter! using! the! Kepler! orbits! of! the! four!moons!discovered!by!Galilei!(work!sheet).16! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 14!Orbiting!binary!stars:!http://astro.ph.unimelb.edu.au/software/binary/binary.htm!!

(20.!October!2012).! 15!Extrasolar!planets:!http://www.perseus.gr/AstroJPhotometry.htm!(20.!October!2012).!

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3.!Modern!research:!Computer!simulation!of!collisions!of!galaxies!(work! sheet)! –! Galaxy! Crash! with! different! tasks! to! explore! interesting! physics! of! colliding! galaxies:! tidal! tails,! merger! dynamics,! real! interacting! galaxies,! galaxy!evolution,!dark!halos.17!! 2.2.5$Topic$5:$Telescopes$(grades$7$to$9)$ Telescopes! are! windows! to! the! universe.! In! this! workshop! the! function! of! telescopes! is! explained! and! demonstrated! (Snell’s! law,! experiments! with! lenses!and!mirrors)!and,!in!addition,!the!observatory’s!telescopes!can!be!used! if! the! weather! allows! it.! The! development! of! observation! technology! is! discussed:! visual,! photographical,! photoelectric! photometry,! CCD! and! modern! astrophysical! instruments.! Especially! the! telescopes! of! Hamburg! Observatory!are!presented.18! !

Figure$7.!Radio!telescope!of!Hamburg!Observatory!(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 16!Kepler!orbits:!http://www.saratogaskies.com/image.pl?i=110!(20.!October!2012).! 17! Collisions! of! galaxies:! http://burro.cwru.edu/JavaLab/GalCrashWeb/labIntro.html! (20.! October!2012)!J!you!can!choose!the!mass,!pericenter!distance,!galaxy!orientation!angles!and! number!of!stars.! 18!Hünsch:!Telescopes!of!Hamburg!Observatory,!2009.!!

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Activity:!Like!Galilei!it!is!possible!to!measure!the!height!of!lunar!mountains! with! the! help! of! the! shadow! length! by! using! historical! drawings! or! photographs.19!! There!is!also!a!small!3JmJradio!telescope!available!in!the!observatory!as! an!educational!tool!for!solar,!galactic!and!extragalactic!observations!(21cm!or! 1420!MHz! of! neutral! hydrogen).! It! is! used! for! the! student! practical! training! and!for!school!courses!during!the!holidays.20! 2.2.6$Our$Solar$System$(kids:$grades$3$to$6)$ A!journey!(rallye)!through!the!planetary!system!from!Mercury!to!Neptune!or! Pluto!is!offered.!In!addition!some!exotic!members!of!the!solar!system,!such!as! comets!and!asteroids,!are!presented.! Activity:!Making!a!scaled!model!of!the!inner!solar!system.!Then!a!paper! chase! in! the! observatory! park! and! in! the! domes! is! offered! concerning! the! astronomy,!the!telescopes!and!the!history.! 3.! Teaching! History! of! Science! –! Research,! Scientific! Instruments,! Documentation!and!Restoration! Finally,!the!observatory!also!supports!the!teaching!of!the!history!of!science.! One!example!is!our!cosmology!exhibit!(e.g.!using!a!glass!lens!as!gravitational! lens! and! understanding! the! principle! of! how! to! get! an! Einstein! cross! or! an! Einstein!ring!from!a!distant!light!source).! In! guided! tours! through! the! observatory! and! the! Schmidt! museum! – commemorating! the! invention! of! the! Schmidt! telescope21! –! we! teach! the! history! of! Schmidt’s! workshop! and! display! the! instruments! used,! e.g.! a! lens! grinding!machine.! !

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Figure$8a,$b.!Exhibition!development!of!the!world!view!R!Model!for!the!demonstration! of!planetary!loops!(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

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(November! 10,! 2012);! Height! of! lunar! mountains:! http://stupendous.rit.edu/! classes/phys236/moon_mount/moon_mount.html!(20.!Oktober!2012).! 20! Radio! telescope:! http://www.hs.uniJhamburg.de/DE/Ins/KRT3/index.html! (November! 10,!2012).! 21!Dufner!2002.!!

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Several!exhibitions!that!used!historical!instruments!and!models!have!already! been! completed,22! These! include! “Change! of! the! world! view! –! Antiquity,! Copernicus!to!Newton”,!“Development!of!cosmology!from!18th!to!20th!century”,! “Heinrich! Hertz! and! the! history! of! communication”! (astronomy! in! new! wavelengths),! “Stars! show! the! way! –! development! of! navigation”,! “From! abacus! to! computer! –! history! of! computing”! (planned).! Exhibitions! can! enhance!scientific!understanding,!especially!with!interdisciplinary!topics!like! “Colours! in! culture! and! science”.23! Here! one! could! include! the! history! of! spectroscopy,!the!use!of!colours!in!chemistry!and!technology,!and!finally!the! importance!of!colours!in!art.!With!replicas!and!models!made!by!the!students,! e.g.! made! by! Friedhelm! Beichler,! they! learn! how! to! use! astronomical! or! navigation!instruments!like!a!sextant,!an!astrolabe!or!an!armillary!sphere.! !

Figure$9.!Models!of!astronomical!and!navigation!instruments,!made!by!Beichler,!e.g.! sundial,!nocturnal,!crossRstaff,!compass,!sextant,!orrery!(Photo:!Gudrun!Wolfschmidt)!

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Another!project!is!the!documentation!of!instruments!and!of!archive!material! of!the!observatory,!e.g.!from!the!solar!eclipse!expeditions.!As!a!first!step!we! are!compiling!an!inventory!and!creating!a!database!of!the!existing!telescopes!

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22!Published!catalogues,!ed!by!Wolfschmidt:!Hertz!(2007),!Wolfschmidt:!Navigation!(2009).! 23!Wolfschmidt:!Farben!(2011).!

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and!instruments!that!are!still!in!use!or!can!be!found!in!the!basement.24!It!was! already! started! for! some! instrument! groups! like! clocks! during! a! practical! course.!This!project!of!a!database!of!the!scientific!instruments!and!models!in! Hamburg! Observatory! is! paid! by! the! ministry! of! culture.! Then! the! project! should! be! extended! to! the! earlier! instrumentation,! which! was! lost,! using! archive!material!and!printed!documents!preserved!in!the!state!archives!and! in!the!observatory.!In!addition!a!scanning!project!of!the!photographic!plates! of!the!last!100!years,!paid!by!the!German!Research!Organisation!(DFG),!was! started!by!Detlev!Groote!in!2011;!this!is!useful!for!the!history!of!astronomy! as!well!as!for!modern!research.25!! 4.!Conclusion:!Grasp!it!and!you!will!comprehend!it!! This!student!lab,!the!Astronomy!Workshop!in!Hamburg!Observatory,!with!its! collection! of! historical! instruments! is! a! valuable! outside! the! classroom! learning! place.! Through! the! handsJon! experiments! or! first! hand! experience! students!are!more!motivated,!they!have!fun!by!practical!work.! Grasp! it! and! you! will! comprehend! it!! The! aims! of! this! extraJcurricular! place!of!learning!in!the!Hamburg!Observatory!are!learning!by!doing,!that!is,! with! hands! on! experience! and! doing! science! as! real! astronomers,! using! historical! instruments! and! models! and! also! online! materials! for! modern! analysis;!in!addition!students!can!make!contact!with!the!astronomers!of!the! university.! Further! aims! of! the! “Förderverein”! are! the! promotion! of! public! understanding! of! science! through! the! school! project! besides! lectures,! star! gazing!or!exhibitions.! All! these! activities,! financed! by! the! ministry! of! education! and! the! ministry!of!culture,!are!in!connection!to!the!planned!application!for!UNESCO! World!Cultural!Heritage,!in!more!opening!up!the!observatory!for!the!public.! One!has!to!keep!in!mind!that!the!observatory!which!is!a!university!institution! dedicated! to! research,! financed! by! the! ministry! of! science! and! research! (Behörde!für!Wissenschaft!und!Forschung).! A! transnational! serial! application! for! UNESCO! World! Heritage! with! La! Plata! Observatory! is! planned;26! the! text! for! the! German! tentative! list! is! just! ready!and!published.!Hamburg!Observatory!is!an!ensemble!of!buildings!in!a! park!and!it!shows!the!change!of!the!research!field:!transition!from!classical! astronomy!to!modern!astrophysics;!this!is!also!to!be!seen!in!the!change!of!the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 24!

Web! page! of! the! collections! of! Hamburg! Observatory,! compiled! by! G.! Wolfschmidt:! http://www.math.uniJhamburg.de/spag/ign/events/Sammlungen_HS.htm! (November! 10,! 2012).! 25! Digitization! project! of! photographic! plates! of! Hamburg! Observatory:! http://plateJ archive.hs.uniJhamburg.de/index.php/en/!(November!10,!2012).! 26!Wolfschmidt:!Astronomical!Observatories,!2009.!

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instrumentation! from! 19th! to! 20th! century! (meridian! circle,! refractor,! heliometer!on!one!side!–!astrograph,!reflector,!Schmidt!telescope!and!several! astrophysical! instruments! or! solar! physics! on! the! other! side).! The! UNESCO! criteria!are:! J! Authenticity! of! the! impressive! architecture! (well! preserved)! and! in! original!use,!that!means!astronomers!are!still!working!there,!and!integrity!in! preservation!and!restoration!of!the!buildings!and!instruments.! J!Good!site!management,!that!includes!opening!the!observatory!for!the! public! and! this! includes! the! Astronomy! Workshop! for! students! but! also! the! activities!of!the!“Förderverein”!and!the!visitor!center!with!restaurant!(open! during! the! weekends).! The! public! understanding! of! science! is! promoted! by! the! interaction! between! culture,! science! and! technology! with! the! help! of! history!and!handsJon!experience.! In!this!way!we!hope!to!be!successful!with!the!application!for!UNESCO,! La!Plata!in!Argentina!together!with!Hamburg!Observatory.! 5.!References! Dufner,! Barbara! 2002.! Den! Himmel! fest! im! Blick.! Eine! wissenschaftliche! Biografie! über!den!AstroJOptiker!Bernhard!Schmidt.!J!Stuttgart:!Franz!Steiner.! Hünsch,! Matthias! 2009.! The! Telescopes! of! Hamburg! Observatory! –! History! and! Present!Situation.!In:!Wolfschmidt:!Astronomical!Observatories,!p.!275J284.!! See!also!the!Web!page:!Hamburger!Sternwarte!–!Überblick!(JanJUwe!Ness):! Gebäude! &! Teleskope:! http://www.hs.uniJhamburg.de/DE/Oef/! Stw/gebtel.pdf!(29.!Okt.!2012).!! Machoczek,!Detlev!2011.!Der!Hamburger!Zeitball!J!Ein!Zeitsignal!für!die!Schifffahrt.! In:! Wolfschmidt,! Gudrun! (Hg.):! Hamburgs! Geschichte! einmal! anders! J! Entwicklung! der! Naturwissenschaften,! Medizin! und! Technik,! Teil! 3.! Hamburg:! tredition! science! (Nuncius! Hamburgensis! J! Beiträge! zur! Geschichte!der!Naturwissenschaften;!Band!20),!S.!78/79J89.! Schramm,! Jochen! 2010.! Sterne! über! Hamburg.! J! Hamburg:! KulturJ! und! Geschichtskontor!1996,!neu!bearbeitet!und!erweitert!2010.! Wolfschmidt,! Gudrun! 1990.! Astronomie! in! Vertretungsstunden.! Hrsg.! von! der! Referendarvertretung! im! Bayerischen! Philologenverband.! München! (Beiträge! zur! Gymnasialpädagogik! Band! 17,! Gymnasialpädagogische! Reihe)! (67!Seiten).! Wolfschmidt,! Gudrun! (ed.)! 2007.! Von! Hertz! zum! Handy! J! Entwicklung! der! Kommunikation.! Ausstellung! zum! 150.! Geburtstag! von! Heinrich! Hertz! (1857J1894).! Norderstedt:! Books! on! Demand! (Nuncius! Hamburgensis,! Beiträge!zur!Geschichte!der!Naturwissenschaften;!Band!6).! Wolfschmidt,! Gudrun! 2009.! ,,Sterne! weisen! den! Weg''! J! Geschichte! der! Navigation.! Katalog! zur! Ausstellung! in! Hamburg! und! Nürnberg.! Norderstedt:! Books! on! Demand!(Nuncius!Hamburgensis;!Band!15).! Wolfschmidt,!Gudrun!(ed.)!2009.!Cultural!Heritage!of!Astronomical!Observatories!–! From! Classical! Astronomy! to! Modern! Astrophysics.! Proceedings! of!

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International!ICOMOS!Symposium!in!Hamburg,!October!14–17,!2008.!Berlin:! hendrik! BäßlerJVerlag! (International! Council! on! Monuments! and! Sites,! Monuments!and!Sites!XVIII).! Wolfschmidt,!Gudrun!(Hg.)!2011.!Farbe!in!Kulturgeschichte!und!Naturwissenschaft.! Katalog!zur!Ausstellung!in!Hamburg!2010!zum!50jährigen!Jubiläum!des!IGN.! Hamburg:! tredition! (Nuncius! Hamburgensis,! Beiträge! zur! Geschichte! der! Naturwissenschaften;!Band!18).!