High School, Astronomy Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 2)

Finding the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy Using Globular Star Clusters

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The Milky Way is the edgewise view of our home galaxy, a disk made up of billions of stars. 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. Read more

NASA Asteroid Database: What Can You Learn About Our Solar System?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that in addition to the Sun and planets, our solar system is filled with millions of asteroids, which are chunks of rock left over from the early days of its formation, or from collisions between larger objects like planets? Agencies like NASA track asteroids, not only because they might pose a threat to humanity by colliding with Earth, but because they can provide us with information about the history of our solar system, and even be useful for mining raw materials in space! In… Read more

Planet Hunters TESS

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a space telescope for NASA's Explorers program, designed to search for exoplanets using the transit method in an area 400 times larger than that covered by the Kepler mission. It was launched on April 18, 2018 atop a Falcon 9 rocket. During its two-year primary mission, it was expected to find more than 20,000 transiting exoplanets, compared to about 3,800 exoplanets known when it launched. The first light image from TESS was taken on August… Read more

Similar Triangles: Using Parallax to Measure Distance

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Want to stretch your imagination? One good way is to try to imagine how far it is to a distant star. How much farther away is it than the moon is from the earth? How much farther away than the earth is from the sun? How long would it take to get there? In this project, you'll learn one way of measuring the distance without leaving Earth. Read more

Space Elevator Problem Set

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Space elevators zipping people and materials up into space might seem like a very futuristic and improbable idea, but is it that difficult? This activity will guide you through the mathematics. Try it out and see what is possible with materials that can be produced with current technology. Read more

Space Radiation Protection

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

The radiation sources recommended in this experiment are low-dose radioactive sources and do not require a license to purchase; they are safe to work with as long as these common-sense safety tips are followed: Wear disposable gloves when handling any radioactive source. Never rub your eyes or mouth while you are handling the radioactive source. NEVER swallow any radioactive source and use protective glasses when bringing a source within a few inches of… Read more

Sunspot Cycles

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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. Read more

Using a Digital Camera to Measure Skyglow

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This is a great project for someone 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. In this astronomy science project, you will calibrate a digital camera to measure the skyglow in different locations. This can be a great tool to comparing the quality of different star viewing locations. Read more

Using Kepler Space Telescope Data to Identify an Exoplanet

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The Kepler space telescope is a retired space telescope launched by NASA to discover Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. Named after astronomer Johannes Kepler, the spacecraft was launched on March 7, 2009, into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit. The principal investigator was William J. Borucki. After nine years of operation, the telescope's reaction control system fuel was depleted, and NASA announced its retirement on October 30, 2018. Designed to survey a portion of Earth's region… Read more

Analyzing Impact Craters on Mercury

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wanted to analyze data from a NASA spacecraft? In this science project you will use data from NASA's MESSENGER mission to measure the diameter and calculate the depth of impact craters on Mercury. You will then analyze that data for relationships between a crater's depth and diameter. This is your chance to perform a science project as a NASA researcher would! Read more

High School, Astronomy Projects, Lessons, Activities (32 results)

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