Measuring the Diameter of the Sun and the Moon
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You can measure the diameter of the Sun (and Moon) with a pinhole and a ruler! All you need to know is some simple geometry and the average distance between the Earth and Sun (or Moon). An easy way...
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Counting Sunspots on an Image of the Sun
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How Soon After Sunset Does the Sky Become Dark?
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Here's an astronomy project idea from Dr. James Pierce, a professor in the Astronomy Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato: "Determine the length of twilight at different times of the year...
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How Much Mass Is Needed to Make a Body Round?
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Use your Internet sleuthing skills to learn about solar system objects. Create a table of measurements of moons and asteroids in order to determine if there is a size threshold for roundness. A...
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The Milky Way and Beyond: Globular Clusters
Globular clusters, compact groups of about a million stars that move around together in galaxies, are among the oldest objects found in the universe. Since they are found most galaxies and since they've been around for so long, globular clusters have a lot to tell us about what the universe looks like now and how it got that way. Is our Milky Way Galaxy just like all the other galaxies out there? What are galaxies made of? What can we learn about the universe from looking at galaxies? This project uses statistical analysis of real data to investigate these questions and explore the properties of globular clusters.
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Lunar Crater Counting
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Get good photographs of the Moon showing
lots of craters and count how many craters you find in a range of diameter classes. One useful source is the
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Why Does the Moon Appear Larger at Some Times?
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Some claim the Moon appears larger when near the horizon. Make a series of observations of the Moon, measuring the Moon's angular diameter each time. You should also note the Moon's altitude above...
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Sunspot Cycles
Sunspot activity has been monitored continuously since about 1700. The historical data shows that sunspot activity rises and falls in a roughly 11-year cycle. This project shows you how you can use both graphical and statistical analysis to look for patterns in cyclical data.
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Correlation of Coronal Mass Ejections with the Solar Sunspot Cycle
Scientists have known for hundreds of years that sunspot activity waxes and wanes over a cycle that lasts approximately 11 years. In the 1970's, scientists discovered that the sun periodically blasts electrified gases into space, in huge outbursts called 'coronal mass ejections,' or CMEs. This project asks the question: do CMEs follow the solar sunspot cycle?
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Using a Digital Camera to Measure Skyglow
This is a great project for someone that is interested in both stargazing and photography.
Bright city lights and even the light of the full moon obscure the dimmest stars, which can make identifying constellations more difficult.
This project shows you a way to measure the amount of background light (skyglow) in the night sky. It can be a great way for you to quickly compare the star viewing quality for different locations, or for the same location at different times of the year.
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Index of Astronomy Project Ideas |
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