Image 1 – A 25 cm printed 3D moon available for you and your institution. (Credit: Observatorio Astronomico of Universidad de Valencia)
With funding support from Europlanet and Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología(FECyT), Observatorio Astronomico of Universidad de Valencia, Spain, manufactured a set tactile moons to be tested by different target groups. If you are interested on receiving one of this 3D printed Moon models, just write a letter of interest, explaining how you would test the tactile moon and what kind of teaching and outreach activities would you develop for this project.
The final model and selected activities will be made freely available at the GTTP website for everyone to enjoy. The users’ feedback will help improve the design and release a final and fully tested tactile model.
Get a feel of the full moon
We all wished to reach for the Moon when we were children. How would it feel like if we could touch it? As we can only grasp it with our eyes and imagination, the Moon has been a source of inspiration for humanity since the dawn of mankind. But this sense of wonder is not available to all, and by not being able to see the Moon many are missing an important element of our experience as living beings on planet Earth.
So, Observatorio Astronomico of Universidad de Valencia team embarked on the journey of the construction of a tactile moon model for the blind, designed to convey in a tactile way the visual experience of observing the Moon.
The project started by designing a 3D computer model of the Moon, ready to be printed by a 3D printer. It allows you to touch the most visually prominent features in both lunar sides: mountain ranges, craters and maria. It is not intended to be a topographical map of our satellite, and only the main features have been represented to avoid too many details could be misleading.
Next to the features addressed, a flat rectangle containing a letter in Braille alphabet was placed. An accompanying document in Braille helps the user to identify the letter with the corresponding name of the lunar feature. Also, the polar caps have been marked with flat circles, and the North is marked with a cross, so the user can easily orientate the sphere.
Receive a free tactile moon
If you are interested on testing the Moon model, please send a letter of interest, explaining how you plan to test the tactile moon and what kind of activities you will be developing for the project and help extend the network of this project worldwide.
As only a small number of Moons are available, only the best proposals will be select.
Deadline: February 20th 2012
Contact:
Amelia Ortiz Gil
Observatorio Astronomico – Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
e-mail: amelia.ortiz@uv.es