2,358 research outputs found
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Exploring Black Holes
Get PDFIntroduction: Students discover the properties of black holes based on their understanding of
gravity and velocity. They also analyze astronomical images from the Hubble
Space Telescope and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Through an experiment, they
define escape velocity. Then they extend this idea to a black hole, which is an
object with an escape velocity equal to the speed of light. In the final activity,
students become astronomers in charge of a new database of super-massive
black holes. Their job is to evaluate new claims to decide if they are valid. They
design an evaluation rubric and apply their new understanding of black holes to
make their decisions. They also use real scientific data from Dr. Karl Gebhardt's
black hole database.McDonald Observator
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Sunspots
Get PDFIntroduction: Sunspots are some of the most notable features of the Sun. Use a telescope to track the changes in position and shape of sunspots over time. This activity requires adult supervision.McDonald Observator
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Planet Tours
Get PDFIntroduction: Planning to take a vacation soon? Visit Phobos! Small and cozy, Phobos
orbits the fourth planet from the Sun in less than eight hours.
From your observation deck on Phobos, you will have a superb view
of Mars. You will see its mountains, polar ice caps, and the largest volcano
in the solar system. Call your cosmic travel agent today!
Try this creative activity to help your students explore the solar system
in an imaginative manner.McDonald Observator
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Learning About Eliptical Orbits
Get PDFIntroduction: For thousands of years astronomers tried to model the motion of objects in the sky using circles or combinations of circles. Then in 1609, Johannes Kepler proved that the shape of planetary orbits are actually ellipses. Learn to draw ellipses and calculate their basic properties using Kepler's three laws.McDonald Observator
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Navigating the Night Sky
Get PDFIntroduction: What is in the sky tonight? How do you know where and when to look for a certain star? This activity introduces star maps and star wheels as tools for learning about the night sky.McDonald Observator
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Scale Models
Get PDFIntroduction: Without being informed of the expected product, the students will
make a Play-doh model of the Earth-Moon system, scaled to size and
distance. The facilitator will reveal the true identity of the system at
the conclusion of the activity. During the construction phase, students
try to guess what members of the solar system their model represents.
Each group receives different amounts of Play-doh, with each group
assigned a color (red, blue, yellow, white). At the end, groups set up
their models and inspect the models of other groups. They report patterns
of scale that they notice; as the amount of Play-doh increases,
for example, so do the size and distance of the model.McDonald Observator
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Reflective Solar Cooker
Get PDFIntroduction: This reflective solar cooker uses the Sun’s energy to cook marshmallows.
The target cooking area is the space where the light concentration
is greatest. Never look directly at the Sun! It could damage your
eyes. Don’t allow the cooker to reflect sunlight into your eyes.McDonald Observator
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Equatorial Sundial
Get PDFIntroduction: One of astronomy’s first tools to measure the flow of time, a sundial is
simply a stick that casts a shadow on a face marked with units of time.
As Earth spins, the shadow sweeps across the face. There are many
types of sundials; an equatorial sundial is easy to make and teaches fundamental
astronomical concepts. The face of the sundial represents the
plane of Earth’s equator, and the stick represents Earth’s spin axis.McDonald Observator
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Shadow Play
Get PDFIntroduction: Everyone and everything has a shadow. Shadows illustrate how threedimensional
objects can be viewed in two dimensions. Younger students
can learn about the Sun’s relative motion in the sky as they
experiment with shadows.McDonald Observator
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Coma Clusters of Galaxies
Get PDFIntroduction: Students learn the basics of galaxy classification and grouping, then use Hubble Space Telescope images to discover the 'morphology-density effect' and make hypotheses about its causes.McDonald Observator
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