1. Travel to a black hole

2. Having the space experience: would you go?
Imagine . . .
you are offered a free trip on one of the new Virgin Galactic spaceplanes to the Space Station –
Would you go?
What would you see?

3. Earthrise One of the first views of planet Earth taken from the vantage point of space Apollo 8 24 December 1968

4. Read the article: travel to a black hole

5. What exactly is a black hole?

6. 3 types of black holes Stellar – 3 to 10 times the mass of our Sun
Supermassive – millions or billions of times the mass of our Sun
Intermediate – to 1000 times the mass of our Sun

7. MILKY WAY MONSTER
Most astronomers agree that there may be a supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy

8. Activity 1: A Short Story
Write a short story about the first journey to a black hole.
Plan it first.
Include a mixture of scientifically accurate information as well as pure fiction – but make sure YOU know which is which! (let your imagination go!)
At the end, make a list of the things in your story that were not scientifically accurate with the knowledge scientists have today. Say which of these things do you think scientists will find answers to in the future and which do you think are pure fiction and impossible to accomplish.

9. Activity 2: What’s it like ‘living’ in space?
Choose ONE possible effect of living in space and prepare to give a 5-10 minute talk about it. (can use ppt / poster presentation / etc)
space motion sickness
fluid shift - fluid shifts from the lower to upper body – giving a puffy feeling especially in the face and hands
cardiovascular de-conditioning
decrease in red blood cell mass
mineral losses and bone loss in the lower extremities
temporary loss of sense of balance
a significant increase in the urinary excretion of calcium
significant nitrogen and phosphorus loss, presumably associated with muscle tissue loss (atrophy)
muscle loss - especially in the legs

10. Activity 3: A Space Travel Brochure
Design a space tourism brochure, offering information on:
How you will travel.
Departure and return dates.
What your accommodation, living conditions and meals will be like.
What you should pack to wear.
Sightseeing – describe at least 5 ‘sights’ in detail.
Health warning – what are the possible health risks?
Cost.
The brochure should be attractively presented (show off all your computer skills!), including photos and accurate information.

11. Plenary
How realistic is travel to space for everyday people? Why/Why not? What is needs to be considered for staying in space for any length of time? How realistic is travel to a black hole? Why/Why not? What would make travel to black holes possible – or is such a trip impossible? Why?