Smithfield NASA scientist brings astronomy to McCabe

05/12/2021

SMITHFIELD – From the far reaches of the universe to the screens of McCabe Elementary School, Kimberly Arcand, NASA visualization scientist and Smithfield resident, spent an afternoon last Thursday explaining black holes, space investigations and the explosion of stars for 5th grade students.

Teacher Sandra Lenore invited Arcand to speak to the class as part of her integrated astronomy reading unit, where students read both fiction and non-fiction books.

“What could be better than talking to a real astronomer,” Lenore said.

Arcand, from Smithfield, said she wanted to be an astronaut since she was little and now works as a visualization scientist and emerging technology manager for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, whose Headquarters is at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Little things like insects caught Arcand’s attention as a child, and she started working with a microscope. She finally started working with NASA in 1998, and microscopes became telescopes.

“I found out during my undergrad at the University of Rhode Island that I wanted to get into computer science. It got me to work with ticks to code the universe, ”Arcand said.

Using a background in molecular biology and computer science, she combined her skills to become a pioneer in astronomical data visualization, 3D printing models, virtual reality applications. She is the author of several books, including fiction, non-fiction and children’s books.

Last Thursday, Arcand explained his work of collecting data from explosive stars, finding black holes, and researching different stars and various life cycles.

Astronomy is largely the study of light, she told the students, although using different methods to measure light can yield different information.

“When you see the universe in many types of light, you have a much better idea of ​​what’s going on,” she said.

Compiling various pieces of data shows a more complete picture, Arcand said.

“Getting to know the stars helps us learn more about ourselves, about life and what it takes to make life outside our planet”

She reminded the students that the death of a star is also the rebirth of something new, new types of stars, planets, and people.

“It means we have stardust in us. The calcium in our bones comes from the stars, ”she said.

In this sense, she said, geology is important for the study of stars.

As a scientist, Arcand said his training was not based solely on science. She said math and physics are an integral part of her field, as well as computer science, technology and the arts of the English language to explain theories to scientists and non-experts.

Arcand answered a series of student questions, ranging from topics such as the process of star evolution, the Northern Lights on our planet and more, black holes, the start of the galaxy, and the possibility of life extraterrestrial.

His neighbor, Oliver Rowlinson, 5th year, asked how SpaceX founder Elon Musk plans to get to Mars. She said the SpaceX team takes a large team of long and hard working engineers, scientists and other employees to accomplish the mission to Mars.

Mathematically, Arcand said, one of the “gazillion” planets could harbor life, but scientists are unsure whether humans are sooner or later in the universe’s timeline for life, or what kind of spark is. necessary for it to begin.

“There could be huge parties elsewhere and we are too far away to hear them,” she said.

There are many more questions to ask, she told the students.

“This is something your generation will start to have answers to, and I’m very excited to find out anyway,” she said.