Story of Light

Wavelengths

Goals

Learn about the electromagnetic spectrum and take a closer look at the visible light portion of the spectrum.

Build a robotic driving base and drawing attachment to investigate light waves in the Wavelength AR app.


Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.

A
Learn about the electromagnetic spectrum and take a closer look at the visible light portion of the spectrum.

A
Build a robotic driving base and drawing attachment to investigate light waves in the Wavelength AR app.

A
Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.

Materials

  • LEGO®  MINDSTORMS® EV3 robotics set
  • Tablet with LEGO® Programming app and Wavelength AR app
  • Ruler
  • Drawing Platform
  • Your own writing tool
  • LEGO®  MINDSTORMS® EV3 robotics set
  • Tablet with LEGO® Programming app and Wavelength AR app
  • Ruler
  • Drawing Platform
  • Your own writing tool

Mission Briefing

  1. Your mission is to build a robotic driving base and drawing attachment to investigate light waves in the Wavelength AR app.
  2. Open the EV3 Classroom app. Complete the “Moves and Turns” lesson in the Unit Plans and build the Driving Base from the “Build” menu as a starting point for your wave-drawing robot.
  3. Follow the instructions here to create the drawing attachment and connect it to the driving base. Place the two black connectors into the five hole beam under the numbers on the brick.
  4. Use the double number line below to visualize how long each color’s wave should be. This length is called the wavelength. Program your robot to create different waves as it drives across the drawing platform.
  5. Now it’s time to program your robot to draw waves. Test your program on scrap paper until you’re happy with the results.
  6. Once you have a wave you would like to analyze, draw the wave in the center of a marker page, running through the middle of the image.
  7. Open the Wavelength AR app and follow the instructions to analyze your wave. There are seven colors to find. Keep at it until you’ve found them all!
  8. Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.


Now that you’ve accomplished your goal, find out more about space careers in the exploring further section below.

  1. Your mission is to build a robotic driving base and drawing attachment to investigate light waves in the Wavelength AR app.
  2. Open the EV3 Classroom app. Complete the “Moves and Turns” lesson in the Unit Plans and build the Driving Base from the “Build” menu as a starting point for your wave-drawing robot.
  3. Follow the instructions here to create the drawing attachment and connect it to the driving base. Place the two black connectors into the five hole beam under the numbers on the brick.
  4. Use the double number line below to visualize how long each color’s wave should be. This length is called the wavelength. Program your robot to create different waves as it drives across the drawing platform.
  5. Now it’s time to program your robot to draw waves. Test your program on scrap paper until you’re happy with the results.
  6. Once you have a wave you would like to analyze, draw the wave in the center of a marker page, running through the middle of the image.
  7. Open the Wavelength AR app and follow the instructions to analyze your wave. There are seven colors to find. Keep at it until you’ve found them all!
  8. Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.


Now that you’ve accomplished your goal, find out more about space careers in the Exploring Further section below.

 

Exploring Further

Astrophysicists like Jason Kalirai will use the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, to look further into space than ever before. It will make observations of the first light—light that originated 13.7 billion years ago—which makes the JWST like a time machine. We will be able to learn about the formation of the first stars using this information. 

Light can tell us a lot about the different stars in space, including temperature, color, and composition. Scientists use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to categorize and chart this information. Use this interactive Hertsprung-Russell diagram to explore more. You can also check out NASA’s Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum to discover more about what we learn from stars. 

Now, let’s explore some light waves! 

Based on your investigations of light waves, think about the following: 

  • Describe the two stars that produced these light waves. What color would they appear, and which is hotter or colder?
  • Are there any patterns between the light waves and the color of the star? How can you represent that mathematically? You might need to look back on some of your robot’s drawings.

Astrophysicists like Jason Kalirai will use the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, to look further into space than ever before. It will make observations of the first light—light that originated 13.7 billion years ago—which makes the JWST like a time machine. We will be able to learn about the formation of the first stars using this information.

Light can tell us a lot about the different stars in space, including temperature, color, and composition. Scientists use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to categorize and chart this information. Use this interactive Hertsprung-Russell diagram to explore more. You can also check out NASA’s Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum to discover more about what we learn from stars.

Now, let’s explore some light waves!

Based on your investigations of light waves, think about the following:

  • Describe the two stars that produced these light waves. What color would they appear, and which is hotter or colder?
  • Are there any patterns between the light waves and the color of the star? How can you represent that mathematically? You might need to look back on some of your robot’s drawings.

Congratulations! You have successfully helped Team Mission: Stars model and analyze different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thanks for your help!

Infrared

Goals

Test a new infrared camera that NASA believes will detect light that has passed though nebulae and dust clouds.
A

Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.

A
Test a new infrared camera that NASA believes will detect light that has passed though nebulae and dust clouds.

A
Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.

Materials

  • Model telescope
  • Star field
  • Tablet
  • Samples
  • Model telescope
  • Star field
  • Tablet
  • Samples

Mission Briefing

  1. Power on the model telescope using the switch on the back.
  2. Try out the star field. Turn on the single LED first. Then the cluster of LEDs. The single LED is regular white light. The cluster consists of three Infrared LEDs which you will only be able to see through the camera. 
  3. Connect to the model telescope following these instructions. Once you do, you’ll still be able to see this webpage but you won’t be able to refresh or visit any other sites.
    •  Open the Mission Stars Telescope Camera page here.
    • Open your device’s wireless network settings and connect to the Mission Stars Telescope network. It may take up to a minute from the time you turn it on for the network to appear on your device. 
    • Go back to the telescope camera webpage.
  4. Place one of the samples into the groove of the star field.
  5. Test them all and share your findings with your friends, family or caregivers.
  6. After you’re done, disconnect from the Mission: Stars Telescope and reconnect to your preferred wireless network.
  7. Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.


  1. Power on the model telescope using the switch on the back.
  2. Try out the star field. Turn on the single LED first. Then the cluster of LEDs. The single LED is regular white light. The cluster consists of three Infrared LEDs which you will only be able to see through the camera. 
  3. Connect to the model telescope following these instructions. Once you do, you’ll still be able to see this webpage but you won’t be able to refresh or visit any other sites.
    •  Open the Mission Stars Telescope Camera page here.
    • Open your device’s wireless network settings and connect to the Mission Stars Telescope network. It may take up to a minute from the time you turn it on for the network to appear on your device. 
    • Go back to the telescope camera webpage.
  4. Place one of the samples into the groove of the star field.
  5. Test them all and share your findings with your friends, family or caregivers.
  6. After you’re done, disconnect from the Mission: Stars Telescope and reconnect to your preferred wireless network.
  7. Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Stars crew after you finish.


Exploring Further

Are you interested in learning more about the James Webb Space Telescope team? Take a look at their biographies here.  

You can explore information about the Webb Telescope here to learn more about current missions. Think about some of the following as you explore the website: 

  • How many different careers contribute to the James Webb Space Telescope? What are some of their titles? What do you think their main responsibilities are? 
  • Which career(s) on the JWST are most interesting to you as a potential future? 

Are you interested in learning more about the James Webb Space Telescope team? Take a look at their biographies here.  

You can explore information about the Webb Telescope here to learn more about current missions. Think about some of the following as you explore the website: 

  • How many different careers contribute to the James Webb Space Telescope? What are some of their titles? What do you think their main responsibilities are? 
  • Which career(s) on the JWST are most interesting to you as a potential future? 

Congratulations! You have successfully helped Team Mission: Stars test a new infrared camera. Thanks for your help!

THIS MATERIAL PRODUCED BY ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA IS BASED UPON WORK SUPPORTED BY NASA UNDER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AWARD NUMBER NNX16AM34G.

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