WORLD FIRST MARSLINK MISSION
UPDATE - 2002
by Dr. Dana M. Barry
Dr. Dana M. Barry's World First MarsLink team has made much progress. Dr. Barry (of Clarkson University - U.S.A. & External Professor for Ansted University - Malaysia) has an international team with members from the U.S.A. and Malaysia. Her Mission is supported by NASA and Space Explorers, Inc. and sponsored by the Northern New York Section of the American Chemical Society.
Malaysia
The MarsLink team members in Malaysia are students at Ansted University and St. Xavier's Institution. They belong to an Astronomy Club, which is advised by Dr. Chong Hon Yew. Dr. Chong and the team members hold weekly star-gazing sessions at the University of the Sciences in Malaysia. They use telescopes to view and study the planets and the constellations. Some of the students, who have made their own telescopes (equipped with cameras), have taken beautiful photographs of the Moon and the planets.
The students in Malaysia also listen to presentations about the Solar System and Mars. They attend and prepare space-science exhibits and participate in telescope-making workshops. In addition, these students are very interested in space-art painting and astrophotography.
Baron Sir Professor Dr. Roger Haw, Founding Member of Ansted University, is a coordinator and the main contact person for the MarsLink team members in Malaysia. He provides continuous support and encourages the team to actively participate in MarsLink activities and projects.
U.S.A.
| The MarsLink team members at Norwood Norfolk Central School (in Norwood, New York) belong to a science club. They are highly motivated and individually analyze incoming data from Mars and carry out the activities available at the MarsLink website. The students record their results in notebooks and share them with others. Team advisers are the science teachers Mr. David Lennox and Mr. Darin Saiff. |
Dr. Dana Barry (center) assists students with MarsLink projects. |
| Team participants from St. Mary's School (in Canton, New York) carried out MarsLink projects with assistance from Dr. Dana Barry. See photos. (The School's new team adviser is Mr. B.J. Bell - a sixth grade teacher.) |
Students simulate impact crater formation on Mars. |
| These students analyzed charts and incoming data from Mars and performed activities provided at the MarsLink website. They also used marbles and flour to simulate impact craters on Mars. They determined the effect of drop height (of the marbles) on the size (diameter) and depth of the impact craters. In addition, the students used balloons and string to simulate the rotation and revolution of the planet Mars. (Red balloons represented Mars, yellow balloons represented the Sun, and blue ones were used for the planet Earth, which mainly consists of water.) |
Students simulate the rotation and revolution of the planet Mars. |
More from Dr. Barry.
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