Sunday, October 22, 2017

Éducation : Google Maps : exploitons les planètes !






Google Maps Planètes

Le service de cartographie de Google part à la conquête de l'espace depuis le 18 octobre 2017.

Il nous propose d'explorer le système solaire. Il suffit de dézoomer en vue satellite, jusqu'à quitter la Terre.

Le service de cartographie de Google avait annoncé, le 16 octobre, la mise en place d'une nouvelle option permettant de scruter le système solaire.  





Artist's rendering shows NASA's Cassini spacecraft above Saturn's northern hemisphere, heading toward its first dive between Saturn and its rings on April 26, 2017
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Il y a vingt ans, le vaisseau spatial Cassini partait de Cap Canaveral pour découvrir les secrets de Saturne et de ses nombreuses lunes. Pendant sa mission, Cassini a enregistré et envoyé près d'un demi-million de photos sur Terre, permettant aux scientifiques de reconstruire ces mondes lointains dans des détails sans précédent. 

On peut maintenant visiter ces lieux, ainsi que de nombreuses autres planètes et lunes, dans Google Maps directement à partir de notre ordinateur. Pour plus de plaisir, Google nous conseille de zoomer de la Terre jusqu'à ce que nous sommes dans l'espace! Wow!

La nouvelle fonctionnalité a été développée à partir des photos de la NASA et de l’ESA, l’Agence spatiale européenne, notamment celles capturées par Cassini-Huygens, la sonde partie explorer Saturne en 1997. 

Selon le blog Googlel’entreprise a aussi eu recours aux talents de l’artiste Björn Jónsson, spécialisé dans les représentations en infographie 3D de l’espace.







Éducation: 

Grâce à Google Maps, les étudiants peuvent voyager dans l'espace sans bouger de leur table en classe. 
A l'aide de Google Maps, ils vont pouvoir explorer virtuellement notre système solaire. Pour les promener dans l’espace via l’appli, il leur suffit de dézoomer en vue satellite jusqu’à ce qu'ils se retrouveront hors de l’orbite terrestre. 
Une fois là haut, les élèves découvriront la terre depuis de l’espace mais aussi les planètes voisines, comme Mars, Vénus, Pluton ou la Lune !




Il y a 16 objets célestes en tout. En zoomant, ils peuvent même obtenir le nom des différents cratères présents à leur surface.
Google Maps leur proposent la liste des 16 mondes dans le menu déroulant à gauche. Ceux ci comprennent Mercure, Mars, Vénus, la Station Spatiale Internationale, la Lune, Cérès, Io, Europe, Ganymède, Mimas, Encelade, Dioné, Rhéa, Titan, Japet et Pluton.




Thomas Pesquet/ ESA
https://www.nasa.gov/
Dans ces endroits hors de portée pour les étudiants/utilisateurs lambda mais accessibles via les services de Google, par exemple, rappelez-leur Thomas Pesquet qui nous a permis de rêvé de voyager dans l’espace et de visiter des mondes inconnus. 

Selon quelques spécialistes certaines planètes manquent à l’appel et le niveau de détail varie selon ce que l’on observe.

L’écrivaine scientifique Emily Lakdawalla a également repéré quelques erreurs de placement. Elle a immédiatement fait remonter à Google.

En tout cas, pas de doute que Google a de bonnes idées et compte, dans les années à venir, améliorer son application

Disciplines: Sciences; Histoire-Géo; Education civique; 

Niveaux apprentissage: CE2; collège; lycée, autres

A chaque enseignant de faire profiter les élèves de cette magnifique appli. Et d'adapter les activités à chque niveau d'enseignement.

G-Souto

22.10.2017
Copyright © 2017G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
Creative Commons License
Édducation : Google Maps : exploitons les planètes ! bG-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Sources:
Google blog/Maps/ NASA

Friday, October 20, 2017

Schools : Here comes the Orionid meteor shower !





étoiles filantes 
© Luna Joulia

Bonne nouvelle! Depuis cette nuit, le 20 octobre et jusqu’au 7 novembre, une pluie de météores permettra d’observer nombre d’étoiles filantes, avec un pic maximum dans la nuit du 20 au 21 octobre. Préparez vos vœux!

Eh! Oui! La magie des étoiles filantes nous touche de très près. On aime faire nos voeux et les envoyer directement à chaque étoile filante qu'on voit!

Les amoureux d’étoiles faites attention à vos voeux. Moi aussi, si j'ai la chance de faire les miens.
On est ravis d’apprendre que ce soir, la nuit du 20 au 21 octobre, on pourra avoir ce plaisir habituellement estival. On continue en anglais?



Orionid meteor shower/ Falling stars

Love shooting stars? Then you’ll love the Orionid Meteor Shower, the second meteor shower of October, which peaks October 21-22 each year.
One of the best sky shows of the year, will peak between Oct. 20 and 22, when the Orionid meteor shower reaches its best viewing. 

They’ll probably be most prolific in the few hours before dawn on October 21, but we can try watching before dawn on October 22, too.


An image of Halley's Comet taken in 1986
The meteors that streak across the sky are some of the fastest and brightest among meteor showers, because the Earth is hitting a stream of particles almost head on.
The particles come from Comet 1P/Halley, better known as Halley’s Comet. This famous comet swings by Earth every 75 to 76 years, and as the icy comet makes its way around the sun, it leaves behind a trail of comet crumbs. At certain times of the year, Earth's orbit around the sun crosses paths with the debris. 


Tonight, could we watch meteors in the annual Orionid shower
Scientists say that we have a good chance, even though this morning before dawn might have presented the peak numbers. 
We can watch pieces of Halley's Comet during the Eta Aquarids (in May) and the Orionid meteor shower (in October and November), NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke said. 
The comet last visited Earth in 1986 and will return next in 2061.







Orionids:
The Orionids are named after the direction from which they appear to radiate, which is near the constellation Orion (The Hunter). 
The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. 

If the meteors originate from Comet Halley, why are they called the Orionids? 

The answer is that meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate. The radiant point for the Orionids is in the direction of the constellation Orion the Hunter. Hence the name Orionids.







via EarthSky

Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast - they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into the Earth's atmosphere. 

Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) which last for several seconds to minutes. 

Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.

The Orionids are also framed by some of the brightest stars and planets in the night sky, which lend a spectacular backdrop for theses showy meteors.

Skywatchers in 2017 will not have moonlight to contend with, as the first-quarter moon will have set long before the meteors put on their best show. 
If you miss the peak, the show is also visible between Oct. 15 and 29, as long as the moon isn't washing the meteors out.
Sometimes the shower peaks at 80 meteors an hour; at others it is closer to 20 or 30. Cooke predicted that in 2017, the peak would be at the smaller end of the scale, echoing the peaks of 2016 and years before.






Orionid meteors will be visible from anywhere on Earth and can be seen anywhere across the sky. 
If you find the shape of Orion the Hunter, the meteor shower's radiant (or point of origin) will be near Orion's sword, slightly north of his left shoulder (the star Betelgeuse). 
But don't stare straight at this spot, Cooke said, "because meteors close to the radiant have short trails and are harder to see — so you want to look away from Orion." 



World light polluttion 2017
As it's the case with most night time sky watching events, light pollution can hinder your view of the Orionid meteor shower. If possible, get far away from city lights (which can hinder the show). 
Typically, Orionid meteors are dim and hard to see from urban locations, so you should find a dark (and safe) rural location to get the best views of Orionid activity. 


The best time to observe any meteor shower is during the early morning hours (local daylight time), with the numbers of meteors increasing until morning twilight interferes.

Go out and let your eyes adjust to the dark for about 20 minutes. Bundle up against the cold if necessary. Lie back and use only your eyes to watch the sky. Binoculars and telescopes won't improve the view, because they are designed to see more stationary objects in the sky.


meteor showers infographic
credits: Nasa Meteor American Society
https://www.space.com/
Education:
Most of us are excited about Orionid shower. Science students too. Do you remember the Summer Solstice 2016 & ‘Strawberry (June 2016)? Or Catch Some Falling Stars, the Quadrantids (January 2016). Don't miss Eta Aquarid meteor shower (May 2016), Here comes the 2nd Supermoon, the Mega Beaver moon (November 2016), Stay up & watch the Total Eclipse ! (August 2017). Wow what a sky! And so many educational resources.

It's school time to teachers and students. So, prepare your students to sky watching and ask them to do some good shots, or videos with smartphones, or tablets to discuss the theme tomorrow or next lesson. May be compare it with the Perseid meteor shower of last year?

The science curriculum will be enhanced with the help of this incredible event.
Meteor showers aren’t just one-night events. In fact, they can last for several days
Do you want a better science lesson ? Enjoy the show!
Hoping to be lucky! The sky is bright. Could I send my wishes tonight?  

Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.”  
G-Souto 
20.10.2017

update: 21.2019
Copyright © 2019G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®


Creative Commons License
Schools : Here comes the Orionid meteor showers ! bG-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sources: Space.com/ NASA/ EarthSky

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Vocational Schools : Karlheinz Stockhausen : A Pioneer in Electronic Music !







Karlheinz Stockhausen
credits: Arnold Newman / Getty Images


"Karlheinz Stockhausen, the German avant-garde composer, nearly achieved the status of a pop icon.

His lectures, mesmerizing in their mixture of scientific detail and visionary speculation, drew composers, professors, misfits, and rock stars."

Alex Rossy, Supersonic, The New Yorker





Karlheinz Stockhausen in the WDR Electronic Music Studio in 1991

As you know Google regularly replaces its logo on its search engine with special Doodles, a kind of celebrations anniversaries. 

  • Google Doodles:

Last August, Google celebrated Hip Hop music as we remember.


This Wednesday, 18 October, 
Google celebrates once more the music. Electronic music. I love music all genres of music as you know. 


Electronica seems like a fairly recent phenomenon, but in fact much of the musical genre's roots can be traced back a venerable 66 years.

So the Doodle celebrates the 66th anniversary of the Studio for Electronic Music. Wow! Are you feeling the beat? Well, our students will do it if they discover the doodle.




Google doodle celebrating the Studio for Electronic Music
artist: Berlin-based illustrator Henning Wagenbreth

Today's doodle was created by Berlin-based illustrator Henning Wagenbreth.

"The concept for a studio to create electronic music was birthed by composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert, who for years had brainstormed the technical requirements of the challenge," 
Google 

WDR Electronic Music Studio, 
Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer & Herbert Eimert, Germany, 1951
https://120years.net/
  • Some facts:
The Studio for Electronic Music known as the first modern music studio became a haven for innovative musicians and producers around the world. 
It was here that electronically synthesized sounds were mixed to create an entirely new genre of music that so many have come to love.



The Studio for Electronic Music (Studio für elektronische Musik des Westdeutschen Rundfunkswas established at the West German Broadcasting facility in Cologne, Germany. 
It was the first of its kind in the world, and its history reflects the development of electronic music in the second half of the 20th century.
The concept for a studio to create electronic music was birthed by composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert, who for years had brainstormed the technical requirements of the challenge. 
The Electronic Music Studio at Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) was founded by the composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert (the studios first director) and was based on Meyer-Eppler’s ideas outlined in his 1949 book ‘Elektronische Klangerzeugung: Elektronische Musik und Synthetische Sprache’. 


SchaefferStudio54 
http://120years.net/

This thesis defined the ongoing theoretical character of the studio as being based around electronically synthesised sound – in sharp contrast to Schaeffer’s musique concrète acoustic approach at GRN in Paris.
Artists in the studio created breakthrough beats, editing and mixing sounds using new types of equipment and technical composition. Composers and producers came from far and wide as the studio became a breeding ground for musical innovation.
The studio was fertile ground for breakthroughs in music and sound until its closure in 2000.


Stockhausen by the custom Synthi 100 at the WDR Studio in the 1970s

  • Stockhausen:
The most important electronic composer is Karlheinz Stockhausen. He died in 2007.
Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. 
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007), a former student of Messiaen, had spent time in 1952 at the Radiodiffusion Française studio in Paris, learning techniques of musique concrète


12th International Vacation Courses for New Music 
Seminar: Karlheinz Stockhausen/July 1957

He became part of the Darmstadt group, espousing serial music, and began to work at the WDR studio in 1953. 
His first piece, Studie I (1953) was created by additive synthesis, confining his audio source to sine wave oscillators. He devised specific relationships between frequencies, duration, amplitude, amplitude envelope shapes. Through splicing and bouncing tracks, Stockhausen explored new levels of timbral control, being able to control the presence of different partials.
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a seminal figure in post-1945 modernism and one of the most experimental and progressive composers of the 20th century. 
He redefined notions of what types of sound could be deemed acceptable in composition and took a pioneering approach with his use of electronics in art music. 
A critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"


Stockhausen conducting in 1980 
superimposed on a page from Stop

Education:
This Google doodle on Electronic music will be perfect to include the theme into your lessons in Vocational schools: Music & Electronics.
The message to maximize young learners potential as creators. It means to motivate students that speak a different music language, opening the door of music to build new understanding platforms between vocational school - Music schools - and young musicians' interests and creativity. 

The 'attitude' of educators is improving skills music learning. Students are brilliant creators if educators can understand their mind and genius and natural skills.

So, think using the Doodle, a digital resource by preparing an interesting music lessonElectronic music crosses culture crosses over all generations and magnetize young people more and more.

"Celebrating the diversity of thought and imagination that built this studio and transformed the possibilities of music."

G-Souto
18.10.2017
Copyright © 2017G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Creative Commons License
Vocational Schools : A Pioneer in Electronic Music ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


Sources:
Biography: Karlheinz Stockhausen 
WDR Electronic Music Studio, Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer & Herbert Eimert, Germany, 1951