Astronomy Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 6)

How Far Away Is the Moon?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Let's suppose you can take advantage of the Internet and get a 'pen pal' located a 1000 miles away in another city. On the same night, and at EXACTLY the same time 'Universal Time', make a CAREFUL observation of where the Moon is located with respect to the background stars. You should be able to discern a slight (about 1/2 the Moon's diameter) shift in position due to parallax. Then, with a little geometry, you could estimate the distance of the Moon during the full lunar cycle (Odenwald,… Read more

How Much Mass Is Needed to Make a Body Round?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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 good source of information would be an online guide such as The Nine Planets (Arnett, W.A., 2006). You'll find information about planetary satellites, including dimensions and accompanying pictures. From the pictures, classify the satellites and asteroids according to how round they are. Can you think of… Read more

How Soon After Sunset Does the Sky Become Dark?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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 by observing the time at which certain bright stars first appear and comparing with the sunset time. Beware of variations due to stars appearing at different altitudes. Try using Polaris as a standard. Also note the time at which automatic streetlights turn on. Determine how soon after sunset stars… Read more

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

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"Star" © 2014 Tom Hall Constellations have been used for centuries for navigation and time keeping. In this interactive lesson, students will learn the difference between their sun sign and their birthday stars. Read more

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

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"Blue Marble" © 2002 NASA Earth Observatory Many of the misconceptions about our solar system are rooted in the fact that it is large and hard to comprehend. This kinesthetic activity will demonstrate concepts like rotation and orbit, clarify movement and direction, and help students understand why earthlings see different things in the sky. Read more

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

"Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from the south" © 2006 Tau'olunga This kinesthetic activity demonstrates to students that the Earth's tilt is what is responsible for shifting light patterns and the change in seasons. Read more

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Moon Phases

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

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"Full Moon 2010" © Gregory H. Revera You'll be surprised at how many misconceptions you can debunk by modeling the phases of the moon with a light and a styrofoam ball! Read more

Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

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Lunar Crater Counting

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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 Consolidated Lunar Atlas (Kuiper et al, 2006). Make a histogram that shows the distribution of diameters. Most of these craters were formed during the first billion years of the Moon's formation, but you should confirm that this is true for the the Moon areas you've selected in your photographs by doing background research. Is cratering uniform… 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

Astronomy Projects, Lessons, Activities (65 results)

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