Scientists have theorized about the merging of stars based on scientific theories and mathematical principles. For the first time, observation has confirmed these theories. Viewers share in the excitement of the discovery as they watch two stars merge a short 130 million years ago. The video, part of a larger playlist, explains the four major observations scientists used to verify the long-held theories.

Concepts

stars, gamma rays, telescopes, electromagnetic spectrum

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Have groups investigate in greater detail the blind spots on gravitational wave detectors
• Explain why the 1.5-second gap exists in the data

Classroom Considerations

• Watch the video without displaying the comments as some include content inappropriate for most classrooms

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Introduces a major recent scientific discovery
• Requires only a few minutes of class time

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4