How Far Away is the Night Sky? - SMAP Live

Описание: Type Ia supernovae are some of the universe’s most powerful tools for measuring distance — and in this video, you’ll learn exactly why. Because these stellar explosions occur under nearly identical physical conditions, they act as highly reliable “standard candles,” reaching a consistent peak brightness across wavelengths. By comparing their intrinsic luminosity with how bright they appear from Earth, astronomers can determine how far away they are using the Phillips Relation.

Join Purdue PhysAstro graduate researchers Tess Hoover and Dillon Hasenour as they guide SMAP students through a hands-on exploration of a real Type Ia supernova. Students first perform a simple but eye-opening demonstration of the Inverse Square Law, then analyze supernova light data in breakout sessions to calculate its distance from Earth.

Perfect for: astronomy learners, educators, STEM outreach programs, and anyone curious about how scientists measure vast cosmic distances.

The written student procedure for Calculating Cosmic Distances used in this SMAP, along with Tess and Dillon's PowerPoint are free to download here, https://bit.ly/SMAPSelectedLessons.

Educators can sign up for future SMAP lessons and program announcements and updates here, https://bit.ly/SMAPteachers.

Thank you Tess and Dillon for this fantastic lesson, and Jonathan Sullivan-Wood for another one of his clever thumbnails.

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