Astronomy for Science Literacy: A Program for Non-Science Majors

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This project addresses the problem of science literacy of the non-scientist. It will modify the curriculum and laboratory experiences involving the introductory astronomy course which is generally taken by nonscience majors as a way of satisfying a general education science requirement. It involves development of educational activities using computer simulations and image processing with commercial software. These activities include laboratories on naked eye phenomena involving the Voyager night sky simulation, planetary modeling involving the SimEarth simulation, and image processing involving NASA spacecraft planetary images and CCD images obtained locally. The Indoor Telescope, which is an extensive simulation of an astronomical research telescope that has been developed and used for the last eight years will be modified for more modern computers. Finally, a curriculum will be developed which will involve highly motivated nonscience majors in simple astronomical research using data obtained both with on-campus facilities and an Automatic Photoelectric Telescope located on Mt. Hopkins in southern Arizona. These innovations which will give nonscience students a greater opportunity to experience science as it is done have the potential of increasing the science literacy of these future leaders of society.