COE - Gathering Information Lesson

 

Gathering Information

Scientists gather information about the solar system (and beyond) in a variety of ways. Sometimes, scientists send instruments out into space to collect data; other times, the data comes to us.

Analysis of Other Planets

NASA has sent spacecraft to study every planet in the solar system, including Pluto. Some of these robotic instrumentation packages have landed on our nearest neighbors, Venus and Mars, while others have flown past the planets and some of their moons. The data collected from these "flybys" and actual landings has provided scientists with a tremendous amount of information about the solar system and its history.

Analysis of Meteorites

Meteorites are rocky debris from space that have actually plunged through the atmosphere and impacted the surface of Earth. Chemical analysis of these rocks has provided scientists with clues about the solar system, as well as information about the interior of Earth.

 

Observations through Telescopes

Scientists use both land-based and orbiting telescopes to gather information about space, near and far. Different telescopes gather different types of information - some collect visible light, some collect radio waves, and others collect infrared or other wavelengths. The more that we understand the universe around us, the more confident scientists can be about our own place in it.

Geology

The scientists who study the composition of the Earth, including the landforms and the changes that they undergo, have been able to determine a great deal about the Earth's history.

Seismic Analysis

The vibrations generated by an earthquake travel not only across the surface of the Earth, but also through it. By tracking how quickly the waves pass through various points in the planet, scientists are able to calculate changes in density that would suggest that the Earth is made of multiple layers of material.

Earth's Magnetic Field

Earth's magnetic field not only protects us from deadly levels of radiation from the sun, but also indicates that there is a large mass of magnetic material somewhere responsible for generating the field. The most likely explanation for that mass is an iron core at the center of the Earth.

 

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