Carrollton SWENext

Lucy's World

High-Level Project Summary

We developed a (to scale) physical model of the asteroids and their orbits out of different types of clay to demonstrate the diversity of the asteroids that Lucy (who is not to scale) will see. We decided to make the asteroids out of clay because they accurately represent the characteristics of the asteroids. For example, we made Leucus, a D-type asteroid whose albedo reflects a more reddish hue, with a browner clay, while we constructed Eurybates, a C-type whose albedo reflects a grayish-blue color, with a gray clay. The asteroids to model follow a 1km = 1mm scale.

Link to Project "Demo"

https://www.loom.com/share/66632d58f6f04f1db146e27ea86a41c2

Link to Final Project

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HrJDk7S6Tu-TPMyH5RW014Bpog4513geW9zkGSpgZXc/edit?usp=sharing

Detailed Project Description

We created a physical diagram that shows Lucy’s path as she encounters and explores each asteroid in its corresponding orbital. We hope to simulate the accuracy of Lucy's mission through clay adaptations of each individual asteroid she will encounter. The diagram is to scale (1Km = 1mm) with the exception of Lucy, and the color, size, and texture of each clay asteroid are accurate to each of their individual types (C, D, or P-type asteroid).

Space Agency Data

In order to prepare for the project, we collected information on the types of asteroids that are in the Trojan asteroids. We used the NASA Space apps website and NASA.gov to learn more about the different asteroids Lucy will encounter. We were able to learn about their characteristics and individual orbits. The different diagrams we studied inspired us to create a real-life “diagram” of Lucy's path. Our diagram is in the perspective of Lucy and follows her predicted trajectory in which she encounters 8 asteroids.

Hackathon Journey

Each of the 6 members of our team thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. We had picked this challenge because of its artistic aspects that complemented our skill set. Through an examination of various asteroids and their characteristics, we explored NASA’s steps in further “surveying the diversity of the Trojan asteroids.” In accordance with our group’s specific talents, we chose a 3D artistic scale model over different mediums. Originally we sought to create a hanging display but due to weight restraints, we opted for a display of each asteroid’s orbital path. Our final model is a result of our team that is grateful for the resources provided by our SWENext Advisor Mrs. Perez and those available to us by our School MakerSpace.