Observing the universe
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe what redshift is and how it is measured.
Key learning points
- Telescopes extended what was visible after their invention in the seventeenth century.
- Images detected by telescopes in space are not distorted by effects of the Earth’s atmosphere.
- A galaxy is a group of hundreds of billions of stars, and there are many galaxies spread across the universe.
- A visible spectrum of light emitted from stars or galaxies shows dark lines of frequencies of light.
- Red shift is the movement of hydrogen lines towards the red end of the visible spectrum.
Keywords
Space telescope - is a telescope positioned in space to avoid atmospheric interference and observe parts of the spectrum which cannot reach the Earth’s surface
Galaxy - is a collection of many millions or billions of stars held together by gravitational forces
Redshift - is the increase in the wavelength of light (and decrease in its frequency) cause by the movement of a star or galaxy away from us
Common misconception
Stars twinkle (change brightness rapidly).
Explore the ideas that Earth’s atmosphere is made of moving air that refracts light from stars in changing directions to distort the light coming from stars.
Teacher tip
This lesson goes beyond the syllabus in places in order to provide pupils with an understanding of redshift, which is necessary for understanding the big bang theory for the origin of the universe.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A star fuses hydrogen in its core. It is stable for long periods of time (often billions of years).
Q2.What type of star will the Sun change into next, after it stops fusing hydrogen in its core (in about 5 000 000 000 years)?
Q3.Sort the following stages of a star's life, for a star similar in size to the Sun, into the order in which they take place.
Q4.What is a giant exploding star called?
Q5.What is a neutron star that is formed from the core of a supernova?
Q6.What is a black hole that is formed from the core of a particularly large supernova?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following optical instruments can improve what we can see in space?
Q2.What makes a star appear to twinkle in the night sky?
Q3.What are the advantages of using a space telescope compared to a telescope on Earth?
Q4.How do Messier objects that can be seen with a telescope differ in appearance from stars?
Q5.What are absorption lines in a spectrum of light from a star?
Q6.What observation shows that redshift has occurred and that the wavelength of light from a distance galaxy has increased?
To help you plan your 11 physics lesson on: Observing the universe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 physics lesson on: Observing the universe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 physics lessons from the Gravity in space unit, dive into the full secondary physics curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.