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Classroom Activities & Resources
These engaging, TEKS aligned activities create opportunity for K-12 students to explore astronomy, physics and chemistry in the classroom.
Everything has a shadow! Shadows illustrate how three-dimensional objects can be viewed in two dimensions. Younger students learn about the Sun’s relative motion in the sky as they experiment with shadows.
Students explore the Earth and Sun's postions in relation to the constellations of the ecliptic with a small model. They explore the motions of the Earth and inner planets in a larger classroom-size model. A very interactive and fun activity.
Does the Moon always look the same? Does it's surface look different at different times? Students explore these questions by making drawings of the moon at different times.
Using a long thin strip of paper, students first try to guess the relative distances between the Sun, solar system members, and Pluto. Afterwards the teacher instructs them to fold the paper in a special sequence to discover the proper spacing.
A reference sheet that provides information on how to create a demonstration using a basketball, volleyball, softballs, marbles, and other objects to demonstrate the relative sizes of the planets in our solar system.
Seeing the Invisible: Dust in the Universe Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer, Electromagnetic Radiation Grade Levels: K-5, 6-8, 9-12
Dust is all around us: at home, on Earth, and in space. Explore the properties of dust and the astronomical research of dust in space with these three grade-appropriate inquiry based activities from McDonald Observatory.
Planet Tours Subjects: Our Solar System Grade Levels: 6-8
In this creative activity, students learn about an object in our solar system and create a travel brochure or advertisement to attract future space tourists to their exotic destination. Engages students with both facts and imagination.
Students explore and compare planets in our solar system. Each student becomes the 'ambassador' for a planet and prepares by researching their planet, then meets with other ambassadors to form new mini-solar systems.
Rock Cycle Subjects: Our Solar System Grade Levels: 6-8
After learning about Earth's rock cycle and the basic characteristics of objects in the solar system, students can consider how to extend this concept to other worlds beyond Earth.
One of astronomy's first tools to measure the flow of time, a sundial is simply a stick that casts a shadow on a face marked with units of time. There are many types of sundials; an equatorial sundial is easy to make and teaches fundamental astronomical concepts.
What are the relative sizes and distances of objects in the solar system? Students create two 'mystery objects' out of play-dough to learn about scale models.
Reflective Solar Cooker Subjects: Our Solar System, Electromagnetic Radiation Grade Levels: 6-8
Students build a reflective solar cooker that uses the Sun's energy to cook marshmallows. This activity requires adult supervision.
Telescope Technology Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12
Large telescope designs have changed significantly over the last few decades, with an growing emphasis on using segmented mirrors. This activity series consists of 4 challenges that students complete to discover how and why astronomers design and use segmented mirror telescopes.
Sunspots Subjects: Our Solar System Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12
Sunspots are some of the most notable features of the Sun. Use a telescope to track the changes in position and shape of sunspots over time. This activity requires adult supervision.
Sunspots are much more than just tiny dark spots on the Sun. This activity covers the characteristics of sunspots and uses the concepts of scale to teach students to grasp the size of these dynamic magnetic events.
Exploring Black Holes Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology, Stars Grade Levels: 9-12
What is a black hole? How do astronomers find them? What's an event horizon? Take your students on a quest for these answers in these activities that use the Black Hole Encyclopedia.
Make Your Own Galaxy Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology Grade Levels: 9-12
What is a spiral galaxy? How are its components arranged? Do stars collide? Do galaxies collide? Help your students explore these concepts with this hands-on galaxy activity that uses simple calculations.
Journey Into Spectroscopy Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
A spectroscope is an observing instrument that reveals the color components of a light source. Students will construct their own spectroscope as they explore and observe spectra of familiar light sources. Extension activities expand their understanding of different kinds of spectra and sharpen their observing skills.
Color of Stars Subjects: Stars Grade Levels: 9-12
Students observe colors in the flame of a burning candle to explore connections between matter, light, color, and temperature — basic concepts of matter and energy. They elaborate on these basic concepts in a new context of astronomy and stars. The second half of the activity investigates star colors and relative sizes.
Super Gelatin Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
Can gelatin (like Jell-O) change the speed of light? Students investigate the refraction properties of gelatin to calculate its index of refraction and discover that as the light travels through the gelatin, its speed and wavelength also change. This activity offers students a challenge to find the index of refraction of an everyday, intriguing, translucent substance outside the standard listing of materials and refraction indexes.
Astro-Madness Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
In this activity, students learn about the different telescopes and instruments that are available at McDonald Observatory. They use this information to assist a group of scientists in deciding which of McDonald Observatory's resources will best suit their projects. Each "problem situation" requires critical thinking. We recommend following this activity with TAC.
Telescope Allocation Committee Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
This activity acquaints the students with the telescopes and instruments available at an astronomical observatory: McDonald Observatory. Students serve as members of the Telescope Allocation Committte (TAC) to review (sometimes amusing) research proposals from imaginary astronomers, and then write acceptance/rejection letters to the astronomers.
Delta, Delta, Delta Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
In this experiment, students construct an equilateral triangle using graph paper, pencil, protractor and a ruler. They also make a "laser triangle" using a laser pointer and front-silvered mirrors. Students can use the geometric properties of an equilateral triangle combined with their understanding of the Law of Reflection to decide how to place the mirrors at each vertex so that the "laser triangle" fits their equilateral triangle.
Hot Air Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
Students witness light refracting through air everyday. On hot days, "ripples" rise from the ground or roadways. Stars twinkle in the night sky. The Sun looks squashed on the horizon at sunrise and sunset. Students can explore the interaction between air and light through this "Hot Air" activity in order to understand more complicated everyday phenomena.
Mirror, Mirror Subjects: Tools of the Astronomer Grade Levels: 9-12
In this activity, students test the Law of Reflection based on experimental evidence. However, the back-silvered glass mirrors present a twist. As light travels from air into glass, it changes direction (refracts), reflects off the shiny metal back coating, then changes direction again upon emerging from the glass. The reflected ray may not match up with students' expectations, and offers them a challenge to work out what happened as the light traveled into and out of the mirror.
The Milky Way Subjects: Observing the Sky, Galaxies and Cosmology Grade Levels: 9-12
Stretching across the dark night sky, not easily visible when the Moon is in the sky, is a faint irregular glowing strip of light. For thousands of years peoples of various cultures tried to explain what they saw, sometimes using stories. In this activity students create their own stories about our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Galaxies contain billions of stars. Students apply the concepts of scale to grasp the distances between stars and galaxies to investigate the questions: Do galaxies collide? If so, do the stars within them collide?
Coma Cluster of Galaxies Subjects: Galaxies and Cosmology Grade Levels: 9-12
Students learn the basics of galaxy classification and grouping, then use Hubble Space Telescope images to discover the 'morphology-density effect' and make hypotheses about its causes.
For thousands of years astronomers tried to model the motion of objects in the sky using circles or combinations of cirlces. Then in 1609, Johannes Kepler proved that the shape of planetary orbits are actually ellipses. Learn to draw ellipses and calculate their basic properties using Kepler's three laws.
Multiwavelength Astronomy Subjects: Electromagnetic Radiation, Galaxies and Cosmology Grade Levels: 9-12
Students review basic concepts about the electromagnetic spectrum, and then do activites about false-color imaging, Wien’s law, and galactic astronomy. They will combine all of this knowledge to see how observing galaxies at different wavelengths enables astronomers to gather huge amounts of fascinating information about galactic structure and composition.
Lives of Stars Subjects: Stars Grade Levels: 9-12
This activity is an opportunity for students to learn about the fundamental characterisitcs of stars and their life cycles. Students perform a play as members take the role of several different stars. As the play progresses, students develop an understanding of the most fundamental concepts in stellar astronomy.
Navigating the Night Sky Subjects: Observing the Sky Grade Levels: 9-12
What is in the sky tonight? How do you know where and when to look for a certain star? This activity introduces star maps and star wheels as tools for learning about the night sky.
Waves Subjects: Electromagnetic Radiation Grade Levels: 9-12
A background lesson on the physics of waves. Students use slinkies to discover the properties of transverse and longitudinal waves. Next the teacher demonstrates wave superposition using sound editing free software and a musical instrument.
Interview With a White Dwarf Subjects: Stars Grade Levels: 9-12
This activity is an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and understanding of the gas law, conservation of energy, and forces to stellar evolution. Students perform as members of an interview with our Sun at the end of its star-life, in the white dwarf stage. Students follow the life story of this white dwarf via text, plots, and pictures. For each evolution stage, they review the properties of the star and calculate a few others.
Properties of White Dwarfs Subjects: Stars Grade Levels: 9-12
Astronomers determine the properties of white dwarfs based on observations using a telescope and light sensitive instruments. Students will follow many of the same steps astronomers do to find the basic properties of a white dwarf. During their investigation, students will draw on mathematics skills (algebra) and geometry concepts.
Age of the Milky Way Subjects: Stars Grade Levels: 9-12
A white dwarf is the final stage in the life of a star like the Sun that slowly cools down by radiating light. Knowing how the white dwarf’s temperature changes with time (cooling), astronomers can deduce the age of the white dwarf. By observing lots of white dwarfs and calculating their temperatures, astronomers can estimate the age of the Galaxy. Students learn about cooling curves by measuring the temperature decline in boiling water and extend those concepts to cooling white dwarfs.
Exploring Light: The Optics of Diffraction Subjects: Electromagnetic Radiation Grade Levels: 9-12
Astronomers use diffraction of light to disperse (or spread out) colors of light from astronomical light sources into a spectrum. The spectrum is then used to measure the physical characteristics of that source. This activity provides an opportunity for hands-on understanding of the phenomenon of diffraction of light.
A world of teaching Physics and Astronomy
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High School Astronomy Ideas – Less Lecture, More Engagement!
I’ve talked in previous posts about my hatred of lecturing . I end up doing all the work, while students sit passively. Sure, there are ways to make lectures more engaging. However, I discovered with a particularly challenging Astronomy class last year that lectures simply weren’t working. I stopped lecturing. I stopped pretty much all teacher-led instruction. What did I do instead? I created student-led, student-centered activities. I posted about student-centered instruction before, but now I want to share how I did it in my Astronomy class. Here are five high school Astronomy ideas, along with example lessons you can use in your Astronomy class.
Gallery Walks
Astronomy is definitely a very visually important subject. Looking at photographs is a major part of my class. However, instead of looking at pictures as a class and discussing them, break the discussions into smaller groups with a gallery walk. I call these Astronomy Art Galleries. They are one of my favorite and most engaging high school Astronomy ideas. I have done them virtually with Google Slides/PowerPoint and with physical pictures around the classroom.
Here are some easy topics to create your own Astronomy Art Gallery:
- Types of galaxies (shown above)
- Types of eclipses ( check out my free Teachers Pay Teachers lesson plan! )
- Moons in the Solar System
- Nebulae and supernovae
- Constellations
Station Rotations
Station rotations are not only engaging but a great way to cover a lot of content in a short amount of time. I tend to do four stations in a 50 minute class period (~7-8 minutes per station). There are eight total groups in my classroom, so I do mirrored stations.
I usually have at least one station where students are using a laptop or phone. Some types of stations you can include are:
- Watching a short video
- Playing a Quizlet game
- Coloring/labeling a diagram
- Using question dice
- Reviewing work with the teacher
- Reading a news article
- Completing practice questions/problems
I like to have one station with new information, one with review information, one with a video, and one with a group discussion. That’s not a perfect, works-in-every-lesson formula, but it is my skeleton I start with!
Questioning and Research
Students tend to be interested in Astronomy, even if they aren’t always engaged with every lesson. I like to give them the opportunity to ask questions. Then, we structure a research activity based on their research.
For this lesson on black holes , I asked students to write something they want to know about black holes. I used the Nearpod Collaborate tool so I could see who wrote what, but it was anonymous to other students. The next day, I brought out every book I own that mentions black holes, along with laptops. Students were tasked with trying to answer some of the questions they asked. The culminating assignment was to write a news article about black holes.
Simulations and Virtual Labs
Labs in Astronomy can be difficult, but there are many you can do. However, I often use simulations and virtual labs to do what we can’t in class. I’ve talked about PhET simulations many, many times, but a lot of teachers don’t know that they have a lot more than just Physics!
Some of the more Astronomy appropriate simulations PhET has are:
- Blackbody Spectrum
- Gravity and Orbits
- The Greenhouse Effect
- Lunar Lander
- My Solar System
In addition to PhET, I have also used simulations from UNL , eduMedia , Stellarium , and Celestia .
News Articles
I feel like every single day I find a news article about something we are learning about in Astronomy. There is always new information and celestial events going on! I use news articles all the time in my classroom. This is another one of the most engaging high school Astronomy ideas!
For example, I found a news article about Mars One, and another describing why it won’t work. Students read those two articles and debated whether we should go to Mars. Here is the lesson plan for that activity.
Some other topics you could use news articles with are:
- Comparing types of supernovae
- Meteor showers and what causes them
- Types of eclipses
- Discoveries from probes such as Juno and New Horizons
I hope these ideas have inspired you to rethink your classroom!
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Dina Cavicchia, creator of Cavic Physics, is a Physics teacher from Orlando, Florida. She has taught Physics for ten years. Her teaching experience includes AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, Honors and Standard level Physics, and Honors Astronomy. Her passions include all things space, science advocacy, and teaching science through collaborative learning. Connect with Dina on Twitter . Check out Dina’s Physics and Astronomy resources available on Teachers Pay Teachers .
- My Top AP Physics 1 Resources
- Setting Up Your High School Astronomy Curriculum
- Setting Up Your AP Physics 1 Curriculum – Revised for 2021
- Teaching Physics Online – One Year Retrospective
- Pacing for AP Physics 1: A Basic Timeline for 2021 and Beyond
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Earth Science: Astronomy
This collection of resources is designed to support the study of high school level astronomy. The collections that appear first support a specific topic within astronomy, such as the universe, galaxies and stars, Earth's motions, the solar system and the Earth's moon.
Instructional materials that support multiple topics within astronomy are listed under the collections; please scroll down to see them.
For additional materials, search by key words and look at the 8th grade sun, earth and moon system collection, also in WeTeachNYC.org.
Please note that the files in this collection cannot be downloaded from WeTeachNYC because they link out to an external site.
Included Resources
Astronomy: the universe.
These resources support teachers and students as they learn about the universe in high school Earth Science classes.
Astronomy: Galaxies and stars
These resources support teachers and students as they learn about galaxies and stars in high school Earth Science classes.
Astronomy: The solar system
These resources support teachers and students as they learn about the solar system in high school Earth Science classes.
Astronomy: Earth's motions
These resources support teachers and students as they learn about Earth's motions in high school Earth Science classes.
Astronomy: Earth's moon
These resources support teachers and students as they learn about the Earth's moon in high school Earth Science classes.
Hands on activities for astronomy, space and ...
Hands on activities for astron..., hands on activities for astronomy, space and planetary science.
A series of hands-on experiments to explore topics in astronomy. Science Snacks are tabletop exhibits or explorations of natural phenomena that teachers or students can make using common, inexpensive, readily available materials. Provided by the Exploratorium.
Astronomy resources for teachers- all topics
Astronomy resources for teache....
This comprehensive resource is created and shared by the Earth Science Department of the Hommocks school district in New York. This comprehensive site shares labs, animations, video reviews and handouts. This particular link directs to a page sharing resources that explore major concepts associated with the study of earth's motions, including the rotation and revolution of the Earth, its tilted orbit, the seasons, the apparent path of the Sun, Moon, and stars, and the changing appearance of shadows. Use the menu on the left side of the page to access resources on other topics in astronomy such as the universe, galaxies and stars, the solar system, and the Earth's moon.
33 astronomy labs
The New York State Teacher website shares these labs, all designed with the Earth Science Regents in mind.
Astronomy resources from Red Hook SD
Astronomy resources from red h....
A teacher from the Red Hook School District shares PowerPoints, labs and flipped class assignments which are all aligned to the Regents astronomy curriculum.
Astronomy review materials
Animations, short videos and other review materials for high school level astronomy students.
Astronomy transparencies
Prentice Hall shares transparencies on popular topics in astronomy such as the phases of the moon, seasons, eclipses, tides and more.
This collection is also included in these collections:
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Astronomy - 150 Motivating Activities for High School Students
Planets Activity : Astronomy Escape Room (Space Science: Solar System Game)
High School Astronomy and Earth Science - Activity : The Reason for the Seasons
Middle and High School Astronomy - Activity : Using The Solar Motion Demonstrator
High School Astronomy and Earth Science - Activity : The Lunar Phases
High School Astronomy and Earth Science - Activity : The Earth - Moon System
Solar & Lunar Eclipses Activity ( Astronomy Cootie Catcher) Solar Eclipse 2024
Space Astronomy Galaxy Types Activity Classify Objects in Universe
- Google Apps™
- Easel Activity
Electron Configuration Activity : High School Chemistry Escape Room Science Game
Solar System and Planets Activity : Cootie Catcher Astronomy Foldable Review Game
Space and Astronomy Activity BUNDLE NGSS MS-ESS1
Zodiac Constellations Activity (Cootie Catcher: Astronomy Foldable Review Game)
Giant Scatter Plot Activity : Life Cycle of a Star ( HS -ESS1-3)
Space Rocks Activity Science Escape Room Astronomy : Comets Meteors Asteroids etc
The Life Cycle of Stars Activity : Cootie Catcher Astronomy Foldable Review Game
Earth's Formation & Early Earth History Activity Bundle HS -ESS1-6
Kepler's Laws Activity : Astronomy Escape Room (Space Science Breakout Game)
Space and Astronomy Reading Text and Activity Health Risks in Space
Hertzsprung - Russell HR Diagram Activity : Astronomy Escape Room Breakout Game
Guess Who? | HR Diagram Stars Astronomy | Digital Google Activity | Fun
- Google Slides™
Astronomy Activities and Projects Unit
Design a Solar System Project Activity for Astronomy
Astronomy Lab Activity : Kepler's Laws
Astronomy PowerPoints, Notes, and Extension Activities - Growing Bundle
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Astronomy Activities
You'd be surprised by how much astronomy you can learn with a light source, some painter's tape, and a can of play doh. The following activities work well at home or in the classroom.
Using paper drinking cups, our pre-made patterns, and a push-pin, you can make your very own constellations!
© Dennis Brekke
Do you know the relative sizes of the moons in our solar system? Put yourself to the test with some Play-doh.
How much space is truly in space? How does the distance between things affect the ways we see things?
"Solar System" © 2005 NASA-JPL
How much of outer space is just space?
"Play-Doh" © 2006 Dennis Brekke
Do you know the relative sizes of the planets in our solar system? Put yourself to the test with some Play-doh.
"Blue Marble" © 2002 NASA Earth Observatory
Students will practice being Earth to learn about how our orbit affects what we see.
"Earth's Orbit" © 2015 NASA/JPL-CalTech
This interactive lesson will demonstrate the difference between "rotation" and "orbit."
"The Plane of the Ecliptic" © 2017 NASA
This interactive activity will demonstrate why some planets look like they are traveling backwards.
"Full Moon 2010" © Gregory H. Revera
Learn about the phases of the moon with this tactile activity!
"Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from the south" © 2006 Tauʻolunga
The Earth's tilt is the reason for the season!
"Star" © 2014 Tom Hall
You may know your zodiac sign, but do you know your birthday stars?
© Montesdioca
Track the sun's position to learn the cardinal directions.
Our Seasonal Sky Guides Created by Morrison Planetarium , these go-to resources cover important events occurring in our Universe. Skywatcher's Guide Planet Watch Highlights of the Season
Looking for ideas to spice up your science teaching? Our activity database features full-period lessons to integrate into your normal curriculum.
Slooh's Coverage of the 2024 Great American Eclipse!
"With Slooh's Online Telescope my students are finally able to 'do' astronomy in an authentic, hands-on way befitting of a science course."
Greg Schwanbeck Westwood High School
"slooh taught me lessons on celestial coordinates and astrophotography which will carry into my career goal as an astrophysicist.".
Michelle Park Freshman, Stanford
"i don't like online, kids spend too much time in front of screens, but slooh is the exception.".
Shawn Laatchs University of Maine
Contact Slooh
Slooh costs as low as $5.00 per student per year for schools with volume discounts for school districts. slooh can purchased directly or through our partnership with kiddom as a part of their core k6-12 science curriculum. , slooh integrates with your lms including powerschool, brightspace, canvas, schoology, and google classroom., let us show you how educators are using slooh to inspire their students. please fill out the form so we can help you get started with slooh. , we look forward to leading your students into space.
FOR HIGH SCHOOL ASTRONOMY TEACHERS
Best-in-class observational astronomy to engage and delight your students.
Slooh’s online telescopes and OpenStax aligned, gamified learning activities enable hands-on space exploration that will help your students build their own connection to the universe.
Introduction to exploring space with slooh, see how students using laptops, tablets or smartphones conduct space investigations..
With Slooh Quests, students learn core concepts and follow in the footsteps of famous discoverers before using advanced telescope features to pursue their own investigations.
Designed for High School Astronomy
Independent Study Programs
Slooh facilitates a variety of independent study programs in citizen science, workforce development, and science communications. Among many options, students can:
Create a portfolio of their work and learn to publish articles in science journals., form and manage an astronomy club to engage all students, teachers, and parents in your community., create a poster for your science fair and slooh's astronomy fair competition, learn to host live and recorded celestial star parties , learn from industry professionals to develop skills for the space workforce.
Student-led Space Explorers Club
High school students form and manage a school district-wide club as an independent study project to engage all students, teachers and parents in your community. It is like a school newspaper led by students and maintained from year to year under the supervision of a teacher/administrator. Slooh will mentor club leaders with younger students in apprenticeship roles as elementary and middle school representatives. With Slooh’s district license , all students, teachers and parents have access including:
Live star parties featuring amazing celestial events, independent study programs in citizen science, careers in space and science communications, classroom research projects and science fair poster creation, summer school offered directly to students on slooh.
Any teacher, even those without a background in science or astronomy, can easily lead space investigations with Slooh’s integrated support. We equip teachers with the knowledge and confidence to facilitate space exploration with learners of all ages.
Professional Development
On-demand resources, with a mix of articles and videos, your team will find the resources they need to master the platform independently., work with a member of slooh crew for 3 hours at your site to get up to 25 educators from orientation to adoption and beyond., live, virtual pd, for individuals and groups of up to 40, log in for 90 minutes with a member of slooh crew to navigate through the platform together..
Any teacher, even those without a background in science or astronomy, can easily lead space investigations with Slooh’s integrated support.
Slooh astronomers provide teacher support
Teacher training, get classrooms exploring quickly with short training videos, teacher support webinars, and professional development., teacher administration, learning activities include teacher guides, lesson plans, student assignment, formative and summative assessment., gamified learning, exploration badges and gravity points entice student-learning while making it easy for teachers to monitor student progress..
Learn to think like a scientific explorer.
Developmental Benefits
Follow your own path, guided and independent exploration to nurture individual interests and build confidence, ponder the cosmos, apply strength with technology to seek answers to questions students have about the universe, exposure to career options, gain exposure to stem fields within the aspirational context of space exploration, communication skills, create personalized infographic posters from astronomical observations for presentation to peers, authentic experience, access natural phenomena through real-time experimentation with support from astronomy professionals, cognitive development, form a positive connection with a new domain through decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking.
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Slooh is much more than online observatories. It is patented technology delivering the cosmos live and in full color. It is a curation of the 1,000 most wondrous stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies, comets and asteroids with their stories passed down since antiquity. It is a telescope reservation system that makes shared control with a global community more fun, social and educational, with advanced control for deeper investigation.
Australian observatory, launching in early 2024, slooh's new australian observatory will extend slooh's live coverage to 24 hours per day. the observatory, located a stone's throw from the world-class siding spring observatory, will house a new research-grade half meter telescope. , chile observatory, slooh’s southern hemisphere observatory, in partnership with the catholic university, features three telescopes offering complete coverage of the rich southern skies. , slooh is your interface to space, canary islands observatory, slooh’s flagship observatory features six telescopes and is situated at 9,000 feet at the institute of astrophysics of the canary islands, home to the largest optical telescope in the world. the time zone shift makes daytime astronomy possible in the united states. .
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Top 6 Astronomy Experiments and Activities You Don't Want to Miss
March 04, 2019 3 min read astronomy homeschool science science activities
A few years back we shared a series about how to teach the different areas of science at home, which you can find here:
- Teaching Biology at Home
- Teaching Earth Science at Home
- Teaching Astronomy at Home
- Teaching Chemistry at Home
- Teaching Physics at Home
The posts in the series have remained some of our most popular posts and so we thought we would help you all out by sharing our favorite experiments for each discipline!
So far, we have shared our top 10 biology experiments and our top 8 earth science activities . Today, we are going to share about astronomy . Most of these are science activities rather than experiments as we love to do lots of models to show things out in space. It helps to bring things that are way far out into the reality of our daily lives.
Without further ado, here are 6 astronomy experiments we don't want you to miss!
Top 6 Astronomy Experiments and Activities
1. The Life cycle of a Star
This activity is art meets science in space! You can create the life cycle of a star college as a poster or as a hanger mobile. Either way, your students will learn a lot about a star's birth, life, and death.
2. Solar System Model
From the sun to Neptune (or Pluto if you are a child of the '80s), a solar system model helps students to visualize the planets and the distance between them. You can create a model on several sheets of paper or scale things up and create a model on the wall up your stairs or in your school room!
3. Night Sky Spotting
One of our favorite things to do when studying astronomy is to stay up a bit late and head outside to spot some of the things we are studying in the night sky. It's a simple way to make your studies come to life! We shared five tips for stargazing way back the beginning of the Tips for Homeschool Science Show that will help you get started with night sky spotting.
4. Day vs. Night
A globe, a light, and a post-it will all help your students understand what causes daytime and nighttime on the Earth . This simple astronomy demonstration will bring to light (pun totally intended) the cause of the 24-hour, day-long cycle that we experience each day.
5. Moon Journal
Another thing we love to do for astronomy is to create a moon journal , where you observe and record the shape of the moon every night over a month. This project takes a bit of time to complete, but it is a great way for the students to see how the moon's shape appears to change night after night.
6. Constellation Cards
And finally, what list of astronomy activities would be complete without a few constellations. You can make cards with pinpricks for stars that you place at the front of a shoebox and shine a light through or you can create a geoboard of the constellations . But once your students know what to look for, they can try finding the constellations in the night sky when you are spotting!
Wrapping it Up
I hope that this gets your astronomy juices flowing! There are loads more options for space activities out there, but these are the six that we don't want you to miss.
If you want more earth science experiment and activity ideas, check out our Earth Science and Astronomy Pinterest board .
If you want it all pulled together for you, check out the following our homeschool science programs with easy-to-use plans for teaching earth science:
- For Preschool – Intro to Science and Summer's Lab
- For Elementary Students – Earth Science and Astronomy for the Grammar Stage , Earth Science and Astronomy Lapbooks , The Sassafras Science Adventures Volume 6: Astronomy
- For Middle School Students – Earth Science and Astronomy for the Logic Stage
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The new year is the perfect time to hit reset on our homeschool science plans. Click "Read More" to see the three negative thoughts we want to encourage you to ditch!
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A s the weather turns colder should you bother with continuing to do nature study? Click "Read More" to see our answer!
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November 06, 2023 2 min read
Science during the holidays, do you change your plans and keep them the same? These tips will help you make the decision!
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MIni-Lab Activities
Mini-lab activities.
Mini-lab activities have been designed for use by students with limited background in mathematics, and give students an option of using either an equation or a graphical approach. Basic familiarity with high school math, including simple trigonometry, is required for some. Some would be appropriate as homework assignments, while others are designed to be done as group activities in class. Some make use of online resources from other sites. Their continued availability is not guaranteed!
Sources for images, data, and activities are gratefully acknowledged in the individual files. All files are in Word format to allow easy editing to adapt the mini-labs to your classroom situation.
Astronomy fundamentals
- Size and Scale asks students to explore the sizes and distances of important objects in the Universe, and to rank objects according to distance, size, and mass.
- Where Are We? asks students to plot familiar astronomical objects on a projected Milky Way plane, and to map the Galaxy’s spiral arms.
- Parallax uses two photographs taken on the IU campus. Students compute the distance to the lamppost from the position of the photographer.
- Scientific Notation . This activity is adapted from the Institute for Energy and Environment Research, and helps students review and practice scientific notation.
- Barnard's Star . Students determine the proper motion of Barnard’s Star from two images taken 60 years apart.
- Essential Facts and Concepts (Word file) identifies specific facts, definitions, quantities, and relationships that will be used throughout the course and that students must memorize to provide a shared vocabulary.
The night sky
- Viewing the Sky (Word file) provides basic instruction in the use of a sky chart and some simple activities while viewing the sky.
- Visualizing the Earth and Moon in Space (Word file) allows students to practice visualizing the spatial relationships between the Earth, Moon and Sun.
- Morning/Evening Star (Word file) uses NASA’s Solar System Simulator to examine the positions of the Earth, Venus, and the Sun on specific dates to help students connect the positions of planets in the sky to their locations in the Solar System. You will have to revise with your own dates!
- Stellarium : Introduction to the Stellarium app for exploring the night sky.
- Electromagnetic Radiation (Word file) acquaints students with the concepts of frequency and wavelength and provides basic vocabulary for discussing light.
- Waves asks students to compute wavelength, speed, or frequency for sound waves, tsunami waves, light waves, and gravity waves.
- Light and Color . Students examine astronomical images using red and blue theatrical gels to understand how astronomers use filters to extract astronomical information. You can either use NASA lithographs or display images as Powerpoint slides.
- Old Faithful in the IR . Students examine optical and infrared images of the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park, both to gain experience with pseudo-color and to explore how pseudo-color can be used to convey information about physical conditions. Adapted from Cool Cosmos at IPAC.
- Infrared Camera . Students experiment with the infrared camera to explore how brightness in the infrared depends on temperature.
- Temperature . Students apply Wien’s Law to determine temperature and peak wavelength for familiar objects. The IR camera or thermometers can be used to find temperatures. A section on the temperature of the CMB is also included.
- Emission Spectra . Students view and draw the emission spectra of hydrogen, neon, and mercury using cathode lamps. This can also be done using web-based applets or spectra in a powerpoint presentation.
- Making a Color Image . Students can use the Astronomy in Color website to create color images from multi-wavelength data.
Solar System
- Kepler’s 1st and 2nd Laws : Students explore the shapes of orbits in the Solar System and what they mean for planets.
- Kepler’s 3rd Law : Students explore the relationship between semi-major axis and orbital period in the Solar System and what they mean for planets.
- Exploration : A short worksheet about NASA exploration of the Solar System. Needs updating!
- Impact Craters : Students look at impact craters on Earth and estimate the frequency of such impacts.
- Terrestrial Planets : Students compare the surfaces of the terrestrial planets. Needs updating with Messenger results!
- Saturn’s Moons : Students compare the surfaces of Saturn’s Moons.
- The Sun . Students view time lapse movies of the Sun to learn about the Solar Cycle.
Eclipse Activities for P-6 – Eclipse activities for primary through 6 th grade aligning with Common Core standards.
- Kepler I . Students use the Planetary Orbit Simulator at the University of Nebraska Lincoln to explore Kepler’s First Law.
- Kepler II . Students use the Planetary Orbit Simulator at the University of Nebraska Lincoln to explore Kepler’s Second Law.
- Kepler III . Students use the Planetary Orbit Simulator at the University of Nebraska Lincoln to explore Kepler’s Third Law.
- Gravity and Orbits . Students use the Planetary Orbit Simulator at the University of Nebraska Lincoln to learn how the velocity of a planet depends on distance from the central star.
- The Mass of Planet Kepler 22’s Host Star . Students use Kepler’s law to calculate the mass of the central star of the Kepler 22 system.
- Hohmann Orbit . Students use the Windows2Universe simulator to determine the parameters of a Hohmann orbit from Earth to Jupiter.
- Binary Stars . Students explore the orbits of binary stars using the Atlas of the Universe and Solstation websites to explore the orbits of binary stars to compare to planet orbits in our Solar System.
- Orbit Problems . Students solve a variety of simple orbit problems for black holes, neutron stars, and galaxies.
- The Orbit of the Sun . Students calculate the orbital period of the Sun around the Milky Way, the number of times the Sun has orbited, and the mass interior to the solar circle.
- Solar Energy (Word file). Students estimate the lifetime of the Sun. Students are given all the information needed to make this estimate including the mass of the Sun, the mass of hydrogen, the Earth’s semi-major axis, and the efficiency of the hydrogen to helium fusion. All of these numbers are given in simple terms appropriate to general education and the students are guided step by step through the mathematics to make the estimate.
- The Nearest and Brightest Stars (Word file) is an exercise in constructing and interpreting Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams. Students are given data on two stellar populations; the stars which are nearest to our own sun, and the stars which appear brightest when viewed from earth. The data in the tables includes information about each star’s distance, absolute and apparent magnitude, and temperature. Each group is asked to make plots of absolute magnitude as a function of temperature for each of these stellar populations. They are then required to identify the main sequence, as well as giant and white dwarf stars, on the resulting HR diagrams. The exercise concludes with a series of questions which analyze the HR diagram, compare brightness with distance, and determine differences between the two samples.
- 30 Doradus Star Forming Region . Students identify features in an image of the 30 Doradus star forming region.
- Molecular Clouds . Students use the physical parameters of molecular clouds to determine if the clouds are stable against gravitational collapse.
- Proplyds . Students identify proplyds in a Hubble image of the Orion star forming region.
- Star Formation Cartoon . Students create a cartoon showing the process and stages of star formation.
- Stellar Spectra (Word file) demonstrates to student show astronomers use absorption lines to sort stars into spectral classes. Each group is given an envelope containing 20 or more spectra spanning the breadth of the Harvard classification system. The students are asked to examine these spectra and0 sort them into as few groups as possible, while maintaining only groups with stars that look similar.
- Concept Map for Star Formation (PPT file) helps to organize the process of star formation into concrete steps. Students use a list of terms to fill in a concept map of star formation.
- Debris Disks . Students find debris disks around stars in IC 4556 using Spitzer data to find IR excesses at 24 microns.
- Finding Dusty Disks with Spitzer : Teacher Guide , Student Worksheet , PowerPoint , Black Body CurvesData .
- Investigating Dust in the Trifid Nebula (this one takes time!): Images available on request. Teacher Guide , Student Worksheet .
- Familiar Stars . Students explore the role of temperature, radius, and distance in the brightness of nearby stars.
- The HR Diagram . The HR Diagram. Students plot both the nearest stars and the brightest stars in the sky to produce an HR diagram.
- Jewelbox . Students measure the color and brightness of stars in the Jewelbox star cluster and plot them on an HR diagram to determine the cluster's age. This minilab is based on the NOAO Jewels of the Night activity.
- Exploring Star Clusters . Using the Star Cluster tool, students can estimate the brightness and temperature of stars in clusters and use these to determine cluster ages.
- Finding Novae in Andromeda . Students can use the NovaSearch tool to discover novae in the Andromeda galaxy and measure their brightness over time.
- Balloons are a great way to simulate both the initial mass function and the evolution of a star cluster. In a large class, students pick up a balloon from a bowl on their way into class. The bowl includes large blue and white balloons, medium yellow balloons, and small orange and red balloons, in numbers consistent with a cluster initial mass function. At the appropriate time in class, students blow up the balloons - the white, blue, orange, and red balloons are tied off, but the yellow balloons are not. Once the star cluster is “formed,” it is allowed to age. The blue, and then white, balloons are popped, the yellow ones are allowed to “fizzle,” and the orange and red ones hang around “forever.” I’ll usually show Rob Scharein’s HR Diagram Simulator while the cluster evolves, to guide students as to when to pop or fizzle their balloons. (Be sure to have students pick up and dispose of the balloon debris at the end of class!)
- Balloons are also a great way to simulate radiative and convective heat transfer when we learn about the interior of the Sun.
- Star Clusters . Students examine a set of cluster color magnitude diagrams to determine ages and distances.
- Nova Aquila 1999 Light Curve (Word file) asks students to plot a light curve for Nova Aquila 1999.
- Supernova Nucleosynthesis . Students identify emission lines of various elements in an x-ray spectrum of a supernova remnant.
- Crab Nebula . Students measure the expansion rate and age of the Crab Nebula.
- Chemical Evolution . Students consider what the composition of the universe would be if it contained only high mass or low mass stars.
- Interview . Students write a script of a talk radio interview with the Ring Nebula, Sirius B, the Cass A Supernova remnant, or the Cygnus X-1 black hole.
- Globular Clusters . Students plot the locations of globular clusters to find the center of the Milky Way.
- Determining Spiral Structure . Students plot the locations of H II regions to determine the location of a Galactic spiral arm.
- Milky Way Rotation Curve . Students use Kepler’s Law to estimate the orbital speeds of stars in the outer part of the Milky Way and compare their estimates with the observed rotation curve.
- Milky Way SMBH . Students estimate the mass of the Milky Way’s central black hole from the orbit of the cloud falling into the black hole.
- Galaxy Classification . Students draw, classify, and label galaxies shown in a Powerpoint slide. Choose your favorite galaxies!
- Cepheids in M100 . Students determine the distance to M100 by examining the light curves of Cepheids in that galaxy. This minilab is based on an exercise from ESO.
- Diameters of Spiral Galaxies . Students measure the diameters of spiral galaxies to determine the distances to these galaxies. This minilab uses a web tool at the University of Washington, originally developed by Ana Larson.
- SN Ia in M51 . Students examine images of a supernova in M51 to determine if it is Type Ia or Type II.
- The Magnitudes of SN Ia . Students examine the light curves of several SN Ia in galaxies of known distance to determine the absolute magnitude of SN Ia. This minilab is based on an original lab from Princeton. SN Ia Light Curves from Princeton
- The Hubble Law . Students measure the redshifts of Ca II lines in galaxy spectra to determine the Hubble constant. This minilab uses a web tool at the University of Washington and is based on a lab developed by Ana Larson.
- The Extragalactic Distance Scale and the Hubble Law (Word file) introduces students to the proportionality which exists between a galaxy's distance and recessional velocity. The students are given a data table containing the velocities and distances in megaparsecs to several clusters of galaxies, and asked to plot distance as a function of velocity. Once this has been accomplished and the linear relationship discovered, there are several questions involving the use of the graph to estimate the Hubble constant, recessional velocities, etc. The exercise concludes with an estimation of the age of the universe.
- The Age of the Universe . Students estimate the age of the universe based on their measurements of distance and velocity.
- Galaxy Evolution . Students examine images of galaxy clusters to determine the fraction of elliptical galaxies in clusters at different distances (this one needs more work)
- Supermassive Black Holes . Students determine the masses of SMBH in galaxies from measurements of velocity dispersion.
- Colliding Galaxies . Students use the GalCrash applet developed by Chris Mihos to learn about galaxy collisions and how they affect the evolution of galaxies.
- Galaxy Mergers . Students use the Cannibal applet developed by Chris Mihos to learn about galaxy mergers and how they affect the evolution of galaxies.
- Rotation Curve . Students measure the rotation curve of NGC 2742 to measure its dynamical mass, and also estimate its luminous mass to estimate the proportion of dark and luminous matter.
- Velocity Dispersion of the Coma Cluster . Students use a Java Applet developed by Chris Mihos at Case Western to determine the dynamical mass of the cluster.
- Coma Mass Budget . Students compare the dark mass and luminous mass in the Coma Cluster of Galaxies.
- What Is Redshift? . Students explore the relation between redshift, distance, and look-back time for distant galaxies.
- Cosmic Acceleration . Students examine data for high-redshift objects to discover the acceleration of the Universe.
- Large Scale Structure with the Hubble Deep Field (HDF). Students plot a histogram of redshifts in the Hubble Deep Field to look for large scale structure. This activity requires an image of the HDF developed at the University of Washington: ( hdf_z.gif ).
- Galaxy Voids . Students examine maps of galaxies to learn about the distribution of galaxies in space.
- CMB Temperatures . Students determine the “stretch factor” since the origin of the CMB radiation.
- Variations in the CMB . Students explore the distribution of sizes of warmer and cooler regions of the CMB.
- Big Bang Nucleosynthesis . Students flip pennies to determine the helium abundance produced in the Big Bang.
- Create-A-Universe . Students explore the impact of different assumptions and models on the age and size of the universe. This exercise uses a Java applet.
- Assumptions in Cosmology asks students to discuss and record what assumptions about the Universe seem appropriate and what the implications of those assumptions might be. Students also consider model universes that are/are not homogeneous and/or isotropic.
- Steady State vs. Big Bang Models asks students to compare what steady state and a big bang universes might look like and what observations might help us decide which model better describes our universe.
- 51 Peg’s Planet . Students examine the velocity curve of 51 Peg to learn about its planet.
- Planet Transits . Students use planet transit data to determine the properties of exoplanets.
- Habitable Zones . Students use the web-based Planet Temperature Calculator at IU to determine if exoplanets fall in their stars’ habitable zones.
- The Drake Formula . Students use the web-based Drake Formula Calculator at IUB to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations in the Galaxy.
- Planets around Other Stars (Word file) leads student to consider how planets are detected through radial velocity measurements and how the planets compare to those in our own solar system.
- How Common is Life in the Milky Way? (Word file) allows students to estimate how common life might be in our galaxy using the Drake equation.
- Simple Telescope asks students to measure the focal length and radius of curvature of a 16’ parabolic mirror using string, a yardstick, a white card, and a light source. Instructors at IU are welcome to borrow the set of four mirrors in my office.
- Funding Panel . Students review a set of proposals for new telescopes to recommend whether the proposed facility should be built. Students should consider scientific goals, location (space or ground), atmospheric transmission, angular resolution, and cost.
- Black Holes! (Word file) encourages students to think about what a black hole is and why they are difficult to detect. Students are given a graph of Schwarzchild Radius as a function of mass. A series of questions help students develop a sense of mass and scale.
- A page of suggested student projects is also available.
Exo-Folktales – Explore and categorize folk tales on an alien world to encourage creative writing with a science theme.
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Bottle Rocket Parachutes. Gingerbread House STEM Challenge. Make Your Own Lava Lamp. Embark on a cosmic journey with these astronomy science experiments. Explore how our solar system works and unravel the mysteries of the universe. Explore classic and cutting-edge high school science experiments in this collection of top-quality science ...
This activity provides an opportunity for hands-on understanding of the phenomenon of diffraction of light. These engaging, TEKS aligned activities create opportunity for K-12 students to explore astronomy, physics and chemistry in the classroom.Shadow Play | 183K pdfSubjects: Our Solar SystemGrade Levels: K-5Everything has a shadow!
Many of the resources here are excellent and can be adapted to fit your course and style. 5. VCPS Curriculum Map. Last, and probably the most important, is this Volusia County curriculum map. My school district does not have any set curriculum or guide for Astronomy. This made planning a bit difficult in the beginning.
The Classroom Astronomer magazine for high school astronomy Latin American Journal of Astronomy Education (in Spanish) ... Active Astronomy activities from the NASA SOFIA program on infrared radiation. SOFIA (Stratrospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is a 2.5-m telescope to be operated from a modified 747-airplane at 40,000 feet. ...
I created student-led, student-centered activities. I posted about student-centered instruction before, but now I want to share how I did it in my Astronomy class. Here are five high school Astronomy ideas, along with example lessons you can use in your Astronomy class. Gallery Walks. Astronomy is definitely a very visually important subject.
This curriculum guide uses hands-on activities to help students and teachers understand the significance of space-based astronomy—astronomical observations made from outer space. It is not intended to serve as a curriculum. Instead, teachers should select activities from this guide that support and extend existing study.The guide contains few
Earth Science: Astronomy. Grades 8 - 10 Science. This collection of resources is designed to support the study of high school level astronomy. The collections that appear first support a specific topic within astronomy, such as the universe, galaxies and stars, Earth's motions, the solar system and the Earth's moon.
The First Cartoon: Make Your Own Thaumatrope! Embark on a cosmic journey with these astronomy science experiments. Explore how our solar system works and unravel the mysteries of the universe. Explore classic and cutting-edge high school science experiments in this collection of top-quality science investigations.
Students join teenager Hannah on a trip through the solar system in this stellar musical about the planets, moons, asteroids and space. Students balance circular and gravitational forces to create a model of an object in orbit. In this lesson, students use their knowledge of moon phases to build a calendar they can use to find out when and ...
The Physics Lab. $3.00. PDF. This inquiry-based activity is applicable to Astronomy, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Physics middle and high school classes. The activity uses modeling clay or Play-Doh to model the relative sizes of the Earth and Moon. The relative distance between the two objects is also explored.
Browse astronomy science activities and lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. You'd be surprised by the astronomy you can learn with a light source, some painter's tape, and play doh. Jump to main content. NightLife is sold out! We hope to see you at a ...
The Sun resides on one of the spiral arms of the disk, 30,000 light-years from the thick hub of the galaxy. The actual center, with a black hole 3-4 million times the Sun's mass, is hidden by dust clouds in space. In this astronomy science fair project, you will use astronomical data to locate the center of this galaxy.
My Favorite Links: Imagine the Universe - A collection of lessons integrating math, chemistry, and other subjects for 6-12 students. Visit the Teacher's Corner page for more resources!; Exploring Planets in the Classroom - More than 25 hands-on science activities are provided in classroom-ready pages for both teachers and students for exploring Earth, the planets, geology, and space sciences.
High School Astronomy Programs Using Slooh Telescope | For Educators & Students. bottom of page. Observational astronomy programs are designed for high school astronomy students. You can assign to your students some or all of the following quest learning activities aligned here with the openstax astronomy textbook.
Recommended books with legends, information, and activities about stars and constellations, for a broad range of ages. Web sites on Constellations (K-adult) Recommended astronomy sites on stars and constellations, primarily geared for middle school up to adult audiences. Stars and Galaxies Powerpoint (Educators)
The STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) project offers distance learning modules and guided remote work prior to onsite internships at the University of Texas in Austin in July and August 2024. Participants conduct authentic research while working with scientists and engineers in their chosen areas. Housing, meals, and activities will be ...
This collection of lessons and web resources is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and students' families. For more than 60 years, NSF has significantly advanced the understanding of the universe as the federal steward for ground-based astronomy. From its first contract to build the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, NSF has funded ...
Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th. Students explore orbit transfers and, specifically, Hohmann transfers. They investigate the orbits of Earth and Mars by using cardboard and string. Students learn about the planets' orbits around the sun, and about a transfer orbit from one planet to the other.
Connect is a complete course platform that enables instructors to build deeper connections with their students through cohesive digital content and tools, creating engaging learning experiences. Connect for Astronomy and Physical Science provides a complete digital solution whether accessing online homework, interactive applications, labs ...
5. Moon Journal. Another thing we love to do for astronomy is to create a moon journal, where you observe and record the shape of the moon every night over a month. This project takes a bit of time to complete, but it is a great way for the students to see how the moon's shape appears to change night after night. 6.
Basic familiarity with high school math, including simple trigonometry, is required for some. Some would be appropriate as homework assignments, while others are designed to be done as group activities in class. Some make use of online resources from other sites. Their continued availability is not guaranteed!
1. Embark on a cosmic journey with these astronomy science experiments. Explore how our solar system works and unravel the mysteries of the universe. Explore classic and cutting-edge high school science experiments in this collection of top-quality science investigations.
Author: Dr. Christopher Palma, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University. This courseware module is offered as part of the Repository of Open and Affordable Materials at Penn State.. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.