Astronomy Projects, Lessons, Activities (65 results)

Do you enjoy going stargazing on a warm night? Summer can be a great time to watch the stars as well as other celestial events, like the Perseids, which is an impressive meteor shower that happens each year from mid-July to late August. Did you know that ancient astronomers could actually measure the distance from Earth to faraway stars? How could they do this without modern technologies? In this activity you will find out by exploring the relationship between the distance of an object and the… Read more

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. After the activity, students will know exactly what is meant by a delta-v maneuver!Engineering Connection Aerospace engineers must be creative when planning the best routes and methods to send a spacecraft from Earth… Read more

"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

"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

Students are introduced to the engineering challenges involved with interplanetary space travel. In particular, they learn about the gravity assist or "slingshot" maneuver often used by engineers to send spacecraft to the outer planets. Using magnets and ball bearings to simulate a planetary flyby, students investigate what factors influence the deflection angle of a gravity assist maneuver. Read more