The Celestial Sphere

High schoolers use diagrams of the constellation Orion and the constellation Ursa Major which show the distances between the stars of the constellations. They calculate the perimeters of each, find the average distance of the stars for...

Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...

Digital compass alignment enables navigation of the skies with true orientation at any time. Just point to the sky or "aim for the stars!" This application acts as a virtual telescope, allowing you to zoom in on any object that is...

Twinkle, twinkle little star(s)? Many of the stars above us are not alone! The narrator in the video explains the delicate balance present in binary and multiple star systems. Pupils learn about stars that orbit one another—and even...

Take your class to the next level of star gazing and introduce them to star clusters with an entertaining video. The narrator explains the differences between open and globular star clusters. Pupils also discover the ages and orbiting...

There's something to look forward to in 2021 or 2022! Although the actual event occurred almost 2,000 years ago, the appearance of a new star will become evident from Earth in a few short years. The video instructor from the solar system...

We know stars are giant balls of plasma, so why are they drawn as pointy star shapes? The video solves this mystery through an explanation of how lenses work both in our eyes and in telescopes. It also discusses the proper way to color a...

Starting with a seemingly simple question, a video covers how many stars are visible with the human eye. Then it explains how many stars are in the Andromeda galaxy next to ours. The most interesting part is when you view a single square...

Pay attention! A lesson featuring Ada Limon's poem "Dead Stars" is designed to help learners develop their noticing skills. Class members first study the constellation Orion's image and list what they notice and how the image makes them...

The Sun's analemma, or its apparent figure-eight pattern as it moves across the sky, is the topic of a short video that explains the science behind this trajectory.