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C. R. Weehler, J. M. Herrera (Luther Burbank High School, San Antonio, TX), A. R. Maranto, M. T. Greer, J. V. Preis, P. D. Weston (Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH), L. M. Rebull (SSC/JPL/Caltech, Pasadena, CA), T. E. Roelofsen (Bassick High School, Bridgeport, CT), B. Sepulveda, A. S. Hughes, N. D. Sharma (Lincoln High School, Stockton, CA), T. S. Spuck, D. H. Bowser II, B. R. Ehrhart (Oil City Area Senior High School, Oil City, PA)
The Spitzer Space Telescope Teacher Program is a collaboration between the Spitzer Science Center and National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Through the program, twelve teachers were selected to submit observing proposals for time on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The Young Stars in IC 2118 Project was one of those selected and awarded 62 minutes of Director’s discretionary observing time to study a small region of IC 2118 (the Witch Head Nebula), a star forming region of small-mass stars embedded in their natal cloud. The five teachers involved in this project met at the Spitzer Science Center in August and September 2005 to analyze the data received from IRAC and MIPS observations. Six high school students were included in these visits, and several more are working on data analysis at their home schools. We are making tri-color images to identify structure in the ISM, Spectral Energy Distributions to identify cluster members and color plots to determine their stage of development, thereby estimating their ages. We are working toward adapting lessons that can use software that is readily available in public schools to do the data analysis. As teachers develop lesson plans for these activities, they will apply them in their science classes and provide professional development on infrared astronomy and the use of astronomical data to other teachers through in-service training around the country. The team is being mentored by Dr. Luisa Rebull from the Spitzer Science Center. Please see our companion poster, Spuck et al., on our science results using these data.
If you would like more information about this abstract, please follow the link to http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic\_classroom/teacher\_research/1-IC2118/. This link was provided by the author. When you follow it, you will leave the Web site for this meeting; to return, you should use the Back comand on your browser.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: cweehler@saisd.net
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.