The NASA Kepler Vision: 2009-2012. The NASA search for habitable planets. Register your school/class on this page TODAY - it is FREE. If you want to be a mentor or volunteer also register.
An educational program to involve 3,000 schools (1,000 in the USA) in the tracking and exploration of the Kepler telescope data to discover earth-like planets in the close Milky Way proximity. The pilot project BLOG is a good easy way to keep in touch.
Close your eyes and imagine it is 1492 and schools in Spain are planning to follow the exploits of Columbus and his three ships the "Nina", "Pinta" and the "Santa Maria" as they sail into the Caribbean. Imagine there are cameras on the front of each ship and that back in Spain, school children have the ability to "see" the video stream and follow Columbus's excitement as new islands are discovered.
Now move forward to 2009-2015 and imagine a new era of exploration - this time in search of planets in our own close galaxy. Welcome to the Kepler Mission. NASA's Kepler spacecraft has begun its search for other Earth-like worlds. The mission, which launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on March 6, 2009 will spend the next three-and-a-half years staring at more than 100,000 stars in our own Galaxy looking for telltale signs of planets. The Kepler System has the unique ability to find planets as small as Earth that orbit sun-like stars at distances where planet temperatures are suitable for possible lakes and oceans.
Hold your hand up to the sky and this is the size of the Kepler field of view -- a 100-square-degree portion of the sky, equivalent to two side-by-side dips of the Big Dipper. The region contains an estimated 4.5 million stars, more than 100,000 of which were selected as ideal candidates for planet hunting.
Imagine 1,000 school classrooms in the USA and Canada each watching 100 stars. 1 star per student. Finally Imagine each school collaborating with 3 other schools in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
NASA's Kepler objective is to find earth like planets “similar” to our own where life “might” be found. myKepler's objective is to assemble global teams of interested students to participate in this exciting adventure.
What is Kepler Mission? – A NASA telescope launched in March 2009 to discover habitable planets in the close Milky Way proximity.
What is myKepler ? – An educational program to involve 3,000 schools (1,000 in the USA) in the tracking and exploration of the Kepler telescope data to discover earth-like planets in the close Milky Way proximity.
Register to Participate? – Any teachers of any disciplines in any global location are welcome to register to join the global myKepler network. This is a non-profit initiative designed to bring the Kepler Project into your classroom.
myKepler is distinct and independent from the NASA Kepler mission. Our plan is to encourage 3,000 schools internationally to collaborate around the Kepler Mission. We will be establishing the school teams in September 2010.
Register using the LOGIN Box top left
W. E. (Bill) Smith ITI International Technology Integration, 854 Pandora Ave., Victoria, BC Canada V8W 1P4 Phone: 1-250-595-8282/386-9926 Fax: 1-250-386-9926
Email :
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URL : http://www.mykepler.com
