Starstruck: The Fine Art of Astrophotography
Lesson 4: Kleine Ina Nachtmusik








What do you see in this image?
Describe its details.
Can you identify what this object is? Explain its texture,
shape, and color.
From what angle or perspective
are we viewing the moon from?
How is the surface of the moon
different from Earth’s surface?
Explain.
What are some things that
Alan Friedman, Kleine Ina Nachtmusik, Archival inkjet print, 17
X 22 inches
would be different if you were
to visit the moon’s surface? How
could you tell?
What do you think the dark areas on the moon represent?
Could you survive on the moon? Why or why not?
How does this image make you feel about the moon? Would you want to visit it?
Why or why not?
The Photograph
This photograph features a close up of our moon’s surface in a very interesting location. The above image is of the Ina Caldera location, very near to the Sea of Tranquility, where humans’ first footprints are still present today. The lunar surface material,
as we know today, is a stark contrast what our ancestors thought the moon was
made of. When the Apollo astronauts brought samples of moon rocks back, the truth
was revealed. The moon is a lot like that of earth. It has been blasted by asteroids to
create craters and as a result, lunar lava oozed out to cover up some of the impact
scars. When walking on this other world, astronauts experienced an out of this world
experience: a lower gravitational pull than that of earth. Due to the difference in
mass on the moon, gravity is lower, and this can be seen in the mission’s footage during its many moonwalks. To see this and have an out of this world experience, simply
take a telescope outside and look at the moon’s surface. It is amazing how the world
changes when you see it with your own two eyes.
Download a copy of these activities on
Learn with the Michener: www.Learn.MichenerArtMuseum.org
Starstruck: The Fine Art of Astrophotography
Alan Friedman, Kleine Ina Nachtmusik, Archival inkjet print, 17 X 22 inches
The Photographer
Alan Friedman Earned a B.F.A in studio art from the State University of New York at
Buffalo, and lives in the Buffalo area, where he is an artist, award winning greeting
card designer, and President of Great Arrow Graphics. His solar system images are
featured frequently on NASA’s popular websites Spaceweather.com and APOD, and
in exhibitions, including the touring show for the International Year of Astronomy:
From the Earth to the Universe His techniques for planetary imaging have been the
subject of interviews on MSNBC’s TODAY show, articles in Sky & Telescope and a column at Space.com.
Download a copy of these activities on
Learn with the Michener: www.Learn.MichenerArtMuseum.org
K-12 Activities for Your School Visit and Classroom
Language Arts/Science/Math/Visual Arts
Pre-Visit Activities:





Watch Apollo astronauts “walk on the moon”. How is their movement different than here on
earth?
Go over powers of ten with students. Discuss how numbers can be conveyed using exponents to show very large quantities and very small values using scientific notation. Use
The Scale of the Universe website as supplement: http://htwins.net/scale2/
How would the conditions on the moon be different from here on Earth? What would be some
things you would need to bring to the moon in order to survive?
What would it be like to walk on another planet? Look up three different planets and explain
how you could move around on each of them. Would what you use to move around on each be
similar or different?
The photographer named his photograph, Kleine Ina Nachtmusik which is a musical composition written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Listen to this work as you look at the image. Does
this change your perception or feeling that you had about the photograph?
Gallery Activities:






What other artists have taken photographs of the moon in the exhibition? Compare the surface
of Friedman’s moon to the other moon’s surfaces in the exhibit.
Can you find a work in the permanent collection galleries that has a similar texture to the
moon’s surface? Locate it and write down their similarities.
What planet or moon would you like to explore and why? Find a work showing this moon/
planet and write a short essay describing your exploration and what you would do to prepare
for your travels.
Moonlight creates shadows on the surface of a landscape. Find a night scene showing moonlight in the permanent collection galleries. What colors do you see? How has the artist created
these shadows?
For younger students, Read Owl Moon or Goodnight Moon as you look at this photograph.
Discuss the photograph and how it relates to the story.
Write a short story in response to viewing Friedman’s work. Using your imagination, who would
live on the moon? What kind of life would their be?
Post-Visit Activities:







Discuss the sizes of objects located in our solar system in relation to the moon by showing their
respective sizes side by side. Make a model of this using Styrofoam and wire.
What is the distance in travel from the earth to the moon? How long would it take you to get
there?
Can you name/draw the eight phases of the moon? Create a visual presentation of these
phases.
Would you name this image after a work by Mozart? Why or why not? If you could select
another piece of music to name it after, what would it be?
Create a drawing or a painting at night that includes the moon in your composition. What else
will you include? What will your colors be like?
What other work has the photographer Alan Friedman done? Research the artist and find out
more about him.
Mythology surrounding the moon is found in many cultures. Look up three different cultures
and their stories/myths about the moon. How are they similar? Different?
PA State Standards in Science and technology: 3.2.4.A, 3.2.4.B, 3.2.12.A, 3.2.12.B, 3.4.4.D, 3.4.12.D;
PA Common Core for Mathematics: CC.2.4.5.A.1, CC.2.4.5.A.2, CC.2.4.5.B.1, CC.2.4.5.B.2; PA State
Standards in the Arts and Humanities: 9.1.5.A, 9.1.12.A, 9.1.5.B, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.5.J, 9.1.12.J, 9.1.5.K,
9.1.12.K, 3.7.12.A;
Download a copy of these activities on
Learn with the Michener: www.Learn.MichenerArtMuseum.org
Planet Hopping
Grades: 4-7
Unit: Measurement, Data, and Probability
Interdisciplinary: Mathematics/Science
Objectives: TSW collect data based off of classmate’s jumps
TSW predict which planet will have highest/lowest jump
TSW manipulate data to set up and average jump for the class
TSW solve for each planet and/or dwarf planets in our Solar System
Materials: calculators, meter stick, and spheres of various sizes, planet size PowerPoint presentation
PA State Standards in Science and technology: 3.2.4.A, 3.2.4.B, 3.2.12.A, 3.2.12.B,
3.4.4.D, 3.4.12.D
PA Common Core for Mathematics: CC.2.4.5.A.1, CC.2.4.5.A.2, CC.2.4.5.B.1,
CC.2.4.5.B.2
Procedure: (AS) After discussing the work of Alan Friedman, collect data by measuring five student jumps (vertically, or across the room) following Part A of the activity
sheet. Ask students how to form an average jump from the data that you have gathered. Solve the average class jump together, using calculators, to ensure every student is familiar with the process. (P) Students will solve for each planet jump height
individually or in groups. This can be done by using the class jump average, or
students can gather their own data and create a different group average. (C) Go
over various answers from the “biggest” jump planets and the “smallest” planet
jumps from various groups. Ask why the jump was the biggest, and why the planet
had the smallest jump. (This is due to mass. The larger the mass, the higher the
gravitational pull. Thus, the largest planet, Jupiter, will have the smallest leap, and
the smallest planet/dwarf planet will have the highest.) Lastly, show a PowerPoint
presentation or video that compares the sizes of the planets along side of one another. The final slide should be of the Sun. With the size of the Sun, the largest object in the solar system, ask the students how much they would weigh on these
planets. Students should then continue with the second side of the activity sheet
Part B, discussing weight vs. gravity.
Assessment/Evaluation:
 Student participation in class discussions.
 Successful completion of Planet Hopping and Gravity worksheets.
 Assessment of skills attained through a quiz or test on averages, multiplication of
decimals, and division of decimals.
Download a copy of these activities on
Learn with the Michener: www.Learn.MichenerArtMuseum.org
Planet Hopping Activity Sheet
Exploring the Universe
Name: ____________________
Gravity:
Mass:
Weight:
Part A: How high can you jump on another planet?
The more mass a planet has, the more gravity it has. Let’s take an average of how high students in your class can jump. Let’s use 5 Different Students jump heights.
Jump
1
Jump 2 Jump 3 Jump 4 Jump 5 AVERAGE
Prediction: What planet would you be able to jump the highest on? __________________
Why?
Location
Moon
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Ceres
(dwarf planet)
Average Jump on
Gravity
Earth
0.17
÷
0.38
÷
0.86
÷
0.38
÷
2.87
÷
1.32
÷
0.93
÷
1.23
÷
÷
0.03
Height
jumped
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
“ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND”
Download a copy of these activities on
Learn with the Michener: www.Learn.MichenerArtMuseum.org
Planet Hopping Activity Sheet
Part B: Solar System Weights
How much would you weigh on other planets and the moon? The more mass a planet has,
the more gravity it has.
Location
Weight on Earth
Gravity
Calculated weight
Moon
X
0.17
=
Mercury
X
0.38
=
Venus
X
0.86
=
Mars
X
0.38
=
Jupiter
X
2.87
=
Saturn
X
1.32
=
Uranus
X
0.93
=
Neptune
X
1.23
=
Sun
X
27
=
Follow up Questions:
1. On what planet did you weigh the most? _________________________________________
2. Why did you weigh the most on that planet?______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. On what planet did you weigh the least? _________________________________________
4. Why did you weigh the least on that planet? ______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Download a copy of these activities on
Learn with the Michener: www.Learn.MichenerArtMuseum.org