What do you get when astronomers rewrite beloved children's songs? THIS! Hear the tune Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as it was meant to be — from a scientist's perspective. Physics scholars follow along to a scientifically correct version of what's really going on with those twinkling lights in the sky, including meteors, black holes, and supernovae.

Concepts

astronomy, stars, supernovas, meteorites, meteors, black holes, optics, the universe

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Challenge learners to make up additional twinkling events based on interactions between heavenly bodies
• Use the video to finish a space unit in a hilarious way

Classroom Considerations

• Some prior knowledge of astronomy is helpful, but it is not entirely necessary to enjoy the song

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Thoughtful lyrics manage to rhyme while staying true to their descriptions of astronomical events
• Animations accompany each verse to help pupils visualize the phenomenon responsible for the twinkle

Cons

• None