Tech celebration: Travelling to Mars (and Tempe) virtually, doing science for real

Mr. Winters and a student astronomer measure attributes
of the geology of Mars, using satellite image data.

This week, a shout, or a whoop, goes out to Mike Winters and his intrepid astronomers, who are pursuing real research projects using real data from a real planet, and collaborating with a real researcher -- though they are doing most of the work virtually.

Students identified variables, constructed research protocols, and created proposals, with the always gentle guidance of Mr. Winters.

Then they presented them to a real scientist, live.

Leon Manfred is a real, live planetary geologist, whose own research has been to determine volcanic history on Mars.  He  works at the Mars Spaceflight Facility at ASU, and is the instructor for the Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP).  He's working with our students because Mike applied for and was granted MSIP status.

Screenshot of the virtual conference.  Leon Manfredi (top left)
remotely outlined areas that might be chaotic terrain.

Students presented their proposals to Leon, who was in Tempe, via virtual web-conferencing software; they were able to show slides of their proposals, screenshots of the tools and data they plan to use, and field questions from him to make the research even stronger -- by reducing or controlling variables, narrowing the focus, and choosing specific measurement techniques.  

The astronomy students responded thoughtfully, with tact and poise, via the webcam of Mr. Winters' laptop.

Students search the surface of Mars for "chaotic terrain."

Now the students actually get to dig into real data -- terabytes of information downloaded from the JMARS program, which is a Geographical Information System loaded with images and data taken by satellites currently orbiting Mars.  They are using the JMARS software to find and measure the channels, or the chaotic areas, that they chose to study.

Student teams enter data directly into a shared Google Form
embedded on Mr. Winters' website.

It's a lot of work:  they are compiling hundreds of points of data using a Google Docs form, and will use Excel to analyze the data and prepare graphs to demonstrate visually the relationships they find.

Students toggle between layers of data
to isolate relevant information.

There has even been some excitement and peril:  on Friday, before a big data deadline, a satellite circling Mars went silent, essentially stranding our students for hours, unable to access the information they needed.

Preliminary data on the relationship between
block height and elevation in chaotic terrain.

The students are working for the right to control a real Mars satellite -- if their projects are completed, and deemed to have merit; they will be able to direct the satellite to take a photo of Mars, at a spot of their choosing; NASA will then print a huge photograph of the location and send it here to memorialize their achievement.

So, here's to our astronomers, and their real, live teacher, and using the same technology that professionals use -- for the same purpose that professionals use it: to collaborate with experts and colleagues at a distance, and to extract important information from a complex world, even one that is not our own.