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The Milky Way: A Mere Cloud in the Cosmos
In this galaxy worksheet, students calculate the volume of the Milky Way Galaxy, they determine the total mass, the density and the volume of the Milky Way Galaxy. They also solve 2 problems about the volume and size of the universe in...
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Our Neighborhood in the Milky Way
For this Milky Way galaxy worksheet, students are given a table of distances and angles of nebulae and star clusters from the sun. Students plot each one on a piece of paper and solve 2 problems using the data.
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Black Holes...V
In this black hole activity, students read about the black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy called Sagittarius A and observe a Chandra image of the area where the black hole exists. Students solve two problems which include...
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Galaxies and the Universe
If Earth was formed 4600 million years ago, and the sun revolves about the center of the Milky Way once every 250 million years, how many revolutions have occurred? Students answer this question and ten more, all providing students with...
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Galaxies to Scale
For this scales and galaxies worksheet, students solve 7 problems including finding the size of galaxies in comparison to other galaxies and drawing scale models of the given galaxies to show their relative sizes and shapes.
NASA
The Drake Equation
For this Drake Equation worksheet, students read about how scientists can estimate the number of intelligent civilizations that may exist in our galaxy. Students answer 7 questions about the Drake Equation and they use the internet to...
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Counting the Stars in Draco
In this counting stars worksheet, students construct a histogram for stars in a given star field using their apparent magnitude. Students answer 5 questions using their tabulated data and histogram to answer questions about the stars of...
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The Solar Neighborhood within 17 Light Years!
In this distance between stars worksheet, students plot the distance between the sun and 11 other stars on a 2 dimensional grid using a protractor and a ruler. They determine the distances between various stars and they find the shortest...
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How Many Stars are in the Sky?
In this star count activity, students solve three problems using a given polynomial and its logarithm to determine the number of stars in a given area.
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How Many Stars in the Milky Way?
Students perform an experiment in which they will use a statistical method called `sampling' to count to a billion (and beyond). Students practice sampling by estimating the number of characters on a page from the classified section of a...
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Scale Activities
How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...
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Cosmic Bar Graphs
In this cosmic bar graph worksheet, students solve 2 problems using given bar graphs that plot the number of galaxies vs. the galaxy type and the number of gamma-ray bursts vs. the burst classification. Students find the fraction of...
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Counting Atoms in a Molecule
In this counting atoms in a molecule worksheet, students read about the molecule propanal that was discovered by the giant radio telescope in the Milky Way Galaxy. Students solve 6 problems where they find the number of atoms in the...
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The Speed of Galaxy Q2125-431
For this speed of a galaxy worksheet, students use a given equation for the speed of an object and they use the spectral lines for Hydrogen Alpha and Beta from the Seyfert galaxy to answer 6 questions. They determine the observed...
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Cross Sections and Collision Times
High schoolers solve five problems including finding the cross sectional area of two bodies, determining the swept out volume of a moving body, finding the average particle volume of a body and determining the collision time for a body.
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A Galaxy Up Close
In this Sombrero Galaxy worksheet, learners observe infrared images taken by the Spitzer Infrared Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. They answer 9 questions about the details of the images such as the radius of the stellar...
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Equations with one Variable II
In this single variable equations worksheet, students solve 5 problems using different equations to solve for one unknown. They use Hubble's Law to find the velocity of a galaxy knowing the distance it travels.
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The Drake Equation
High schoolers use the Drake Equation to calculate the probability of sustaining life on various planets. Through the use of the equation, they determine whether intelligent and advanced civilizations can be developed on planets other...
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Rotation Velocity of a Galaxy
In this orbit of stars in galaxies worksheet, students are given an equation that models the orbital speeds of stars as they relate to their distance from the nucleus of a galaxy. Students solve 5 problems using this equation and...
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Finding Mass in the Cosmos
In this finding mass in the cosmos learning exercise, students use the equations for the force of gravity, the centrifugal force pushing a planet outwards and the speed of a planet to solve 2 problems. They find the mass of primary...
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Fermi Detects Gamma-Rays from Messier
In this power law function worksheet, students use data from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space telescope to apply the power law function to physical phenomena. Students use a graph to solve four problems.
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Exploring Power-Law Functions Using WISE Data!
For this power-law functions worksheet, students solve 3 problems using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Experiment in the constellation Carina. Students use a photograph to determine the number of stars as bright as the...
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Calculating Black Hole Power
In this black hole worksheet, students use a given equation that relates the rate of matter falling into a black hole to the power emitted by the black hole to determine accreted mass.
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A Trillion Here...A Trillion There
In this working with large numbers instructional activity, students are given the finance statistics for the US and the world for the 2006-2007 year. Students solve 11 problems including finding averages and percentages for the given...