High School, Astronomy Science Experiments (Page 4)

Colorizing Images from the James Webb Space Telescope

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has shown us some amazing images of space, like its first "deep field" image (Figure 1). The JWST sees the universe in the infrared part of the electromagnet spectrum, which is not visible to the human eye. How, then, does it produce color images like the one in Figure 1? Scientists must colorize the images, or apply "false color." They map different bands of the infrared spectrum to colors of visible light, resulting in an image humans can view. Luckily,… Read more

Correlation of Coronal Mass Ejections with the Solar Sunspot Cycle

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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? Read more

Detecting Exoplanets Using Transit Photometry—Advanced

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In astronomy, a transit (or astronomical transit) is a phenomenon when a celestial body passes directly between a larger body and the observer. As viewed from a particular vantage point, the transiting body appears to move across the face of the larger body, covering a small portion of it. The word "transit" refers to cases where the nearer object appears smaller than the more distant object. Cases where the nearer object appears larger and completely hides the more distant object are known as… Read more

How a Comet's Size Affects How Fast It Melts

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Comets—big lumps of rock, ice, and frozen gases that orbit the Sun—are among the most amazing heavenly objects seen in the night sky. The glowing tail behind the comet's nucleus inspires wonder. But did you know that a comet's tail is evidence that it's melting? As a comet passes by the Sun on its orbital path, it starts to melt. But do bigger comets melt faster than smaller comets? In this astronomy science project, you will investigate how the size of the comet affects the… Read more

Measure the Earth’s Circumference with a Shadow

STEM Activity

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How long of a tape measure would you need to measure the circumference of the Earth? Would you need to walk the whole way around the Earth to measure it? Do you think you can do it with just a meter stick in one location? Try this project to find out! Important: this project will only work within about 2 weeks of the spring or fall equinox (usually about March 20th and September 23rd). Read more

Measuring the Diameter of the Sun and the Moon

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

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 to make a pinhole is to cut a square hole (2-3 cm across) in the center of a piece of cardboard. Carefully tape a piece of aluminum foil flat over the hole. Use a sharp pin or needle to poke a tiny hole in the center of the foil. Use the pinhole to project an image of the Sun onto a wall or piece… Read more

Measuring the Moon's Brightness

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Sometimes a full moon can be so bright, you can walk around in the dark without a flashlight. How much brighter is a full moon than the other phases of the moon? How is the brightness of the moon measured? 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

High School, Astronomy Science Experiments (55 results)

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