Astronomy
A compilation of astronomy and space science hands-on activities and resources. Also included are connections to celestial events (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, full moons, and planetary events) and annual events such as Asteroid Day, Yuri's Night, Astronomy Week, and more.
Earth & Space Learning and Content Frameworks
Exploring the Universe Hands-on Activities
Exploring the Universe: Exoplanet Transits
In this activity, learners model one method to search for exoplanets by using a lightbox and mystery objects.
Exploring the Universe: Expanding Universe
In this activity, learners pull at the edges of a stretchy model universe and see that the space between objects in the universe is expanding.
Exploring the Universe: Filtered Light
In this activity, learners discover how colored filters can help reveal more about an image and we can use light and filters to learn more about an object.
Exploring the Universe: Ice Orbs
In this activity, learners investigate a sphere of ice and objects hidden inside as a model for icy worlds in our solar system.
Exploring the Universe: Imagining Life
In this activity, learners imagine extreme environments that may exist beyond Earth and create living things that could thrive there.
Exploring the Universe: Nebula Spin Art
In this activity, learners create their own colorful model nebula using paint and a spinner.
Exploring the Universe: Objects in Motion
In this activity, learners use "orbiting" clay balls to make simple, functioning models of interacting objects in space.
Exploring the Universe: Pack a Space Telescope
In this activity, learners design, build, pack, and deploy their own model space telescopes in this activity.
Exploring the Universe: Space Guess Quest Game
In this activity, learners play a yes-or-no question guessing game that identifies the many types of objects in space, from human-made spacecraft to nebulas, galaxies, stars, and worlds.
Exploring the Universe: Star Formation
In this activity, learners model a star-formation process by adding energy (via a hairdryer) to matter floating in space (ping pong balls) to see how much of it they can get to "clump" in an empty container.
Exploring the Universe: Static Electricity
In this activity, learners will discover how static electricity works by building a simplified tool that detects invisible forces on Earth and in space.
Exploring the Universe: Orbiting Objects
In this activity, learners experiment with different sized and weighted balls on a stretchy fabric gravity well.
Solar System Hands-on Activities
Exploring the Solar System: Asteroid Mining
In this activity, learners imagine the challenges and opportunities of asteroid mining by drawing their own asteroid mining machines.
Exploring the Solar System: Big Sun, Small Moon
In this activity, learners explore the concept of the apparent size by looking at models of celestial bodies at different distances.
Exploring the Solar System: Craters
In this activity, learners drop objects of various sizes and shapes into a tub full of sand and other materials, to simulate the formation of a meteorite crater.
Exploring the Solar System: Design, Build, Test activity
In this activity, learners will imagine, draw, and build their own simple model spacecraft. Then they will place the model through a series of tests.
Exploring the Solar System: Hide and Seek Moon
In this activity, learners use binoculars to find a hidden object on a Moon poster and learn how cultures around the world have viewed the Moon.
Exploring the Solar System: Magnetic Fields
In this activity, learners use magnets and metal items to learn about magnetic fields of the Earth, the Sun, and other objects in the universe.
Exploring the Solar System: Mars Rovers
In this activity, learners must work together to navigate a large obstacle course, similar to how scientists and engineers communicate with rovers to explore distant worlds.
Exploring the Solar System: Mission to Space board game
In this activity, learners play a board game in which they represent a team of scientists and engineers sending a spacecraft on a mission to space.
Exploring the Solar System: Observe the Moon
In this activity, we can look up from Earth and see the Moon with our own eyes. We can observe the Moon in even greater detail by using tools, like binoculars, telescopes, and NASA spacecraft.
Exploring the Solar System: Observe the Sun
In this activity, learners safely view the Sun and study features on its face, via a solarscope.
Exploring the Solar System: Pocket Solar System
In this activity, learners make a scale model of the distances between objects in our solar system.
Exploring the Solar System: Solar Eclipse
In this activity, learners investigate the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to create shadows and learn about solar eclipses.
Exploring the Solar System: Stomp Rockets
In this activity, learners will build and launch their own air rockets to help imagine the challenges and triumphs of engineering spacecraft.
Exploring the Solar System: Story Blocks
Every space mission has a story. In this activity, learners use blocks to tell a creative story about planning a space mission to explore the Moon together.
DIY Sun Science App
DIY Sun Science for iPhones/iPads and Android devices is designed to make it easy for families and educators to learn about the Sun anywhere, anytime.
DIY Solar System App
DIY Solar System makes it easy for families and educators to explore the solar system from anywhere, anytime!
Collections of Solar System Resources
Lunar Eclipses
Check out the upcoming total and partial lunar eclipse events in the United States. During a lunar eclipse, Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight falling on the Moon. Earth's shadow covers all or part of the lunar surface.
Solar Eclipses
A compilation of solar eclipse resources including resources for the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse and the total solar on April 8, 2024.
Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, and Meteorites
A compilation of educational materials about asteroids, comets, meteors, and meteorites including resources for Asteroid Day, meteor showers, and links to NASA missions such as Lucy, OSIRIS-Rex, Psyche, Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), and Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout).
James Webb Space Telescope
A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe and peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems.
Moon
A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Moon, the Moon Landing 50th Anniversary, the Apollo missions, and the Artemis missions.
Telescopes and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
We use special tools to detect things far away that we can't see with just our eyes. Many tools use different wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) including visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, and radio waves. Other tools may detect magnetism—such as the magnetic field lines around the surface of the Sun.
Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkits
Hands-on STEM public engagement activities and professional development resources about Earth and space science.
Night Sky Storytelling
- The Astronomy of Many Cultures: A Resource Guide compiled by Andrew Fraknoi
- NASA's Universe of Learning Native American Sky resources:
https://universe-of-learning.org/contents/events/science-briefings/science-briefing-the-native-american-sky - Cosmic Serpent - Bridging Native Ways of Knowing and Western Science in Museum Settings
https://www.informalscience.org/sites/default/files/CS-LegacyDoc27Nov2012.pdf - Native Sky Watchers - Two Eyed Seeing – NASA & Indigenous Astronomy – For the Benefit of All
https://www.nativeskywatchers.com/two-eyed-seeing-nasa.html - Indigenous Education Institute (IEI): http://indigenouseducation.org
- Learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing and making local connections in the NISE Network guide Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings
DIY Apps for At Home Exploration
DIY Sun Science App
DIY Sun Science for iPhones/iPads and Android devices is designed to make it easy for families and educators to learn about the Sun anywhere, anytime.
DIY Solar System App
DIY Solar System makes it easy for families and educators to explore the solar system from anywhere, anytime!
More Resources
- NASA's Universe of Learning https://www.universe-of-learning.org/resources
- NASA Museum & Informal Education Alliance (free registration required)
- NASA Catalog: Learning and Educational Activities and Resources from NASA Science
This catalog of learning resources and educational activities from NASA science content.
https://science.nasa.gov/learn/catalog - NASA JPL activities
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/
Celestial Events
Meteor showers, lunar eclipses, full moons, planetary events, and more!
Calendars
- New York Times astronomy events calendar and iCal/webcal link to add to iCloud, Google, or Outlook
- http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/
- https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/
- https://stardate.org/nightsky
- https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/planner.cfm
- https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php
- http://earthsky.org/tonight
- American Meteor Society: https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/
- NISE Network compilation of asteroid, comet, meteor, and meteorite resources: https://www.nisenet.org/asteroids
What's up this month
- NASA JPL's What's Up in the night sky monthly video
- explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science - Earth, Moon and Sun
- explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science - Astronomy
Sun
- NASA SUN STEM toolkit https://www.nasa.gov/stem/nextgenstem/sun-toolkit.html
- NASA Parker Solar Probe activities http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/Participate/index.php#Learn
Moon
- NISE Network Moon compilation of resources
Solar Eclipse
- NISE Network Solar Eclipse compilation of resources
Lunar Eclipses
- NISE Network Lunar Eclipse compilation of resources
Annual Events
- For a full list of events and resources throughout the year see: https://www.nisenet.org/seasons
- NASA-related events, mission launches, first images, sample returns, anniversaries, and celebrations: https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/calendar
- Solar Week (last full week in March)
- Global Astronomy Month (April)
- Citizen Science Month (April)
- Yuri's Night (April 12)
- Black Hole Week (early May)
- Black Hole Week https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/black-hole-week
- Black Hole Week promotional assets https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/bhw/
- NASA's Guide To Black Hole Safety https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13322
- What are Black Holes? https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/
- Astronomy Day/Week (spring, held in April or May)
- International Dark Sky Week (first week in April)
- Earth Day (April 22)
- National Environmental Education Week (week of Earth Day)
- May the Fourth Be With You – Star Wars Day (May 4)
- International Day of Light (May 16)
- National Paper Airplane Day (May 26)
- Asteroid Day (June 30)
- Moon Landing – anniversary of Apollo 11 (July 20)
- International Observe the Moon Night (date selected in September/October)
- Astronomy Day/Week (fall, held in September/October)
- World Space Week (October 4-10)
- Earth Science Week (second full week in October)
- Solar Week (mid-October)
- Black Hole Friday (last Friday in November)
- NASA's Guide To Black Hole Safety https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13322
- Black Hole Friday graphics https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14075
- Black Hole event resources from Black Hole Week https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/bhw/
- What are Black Holes? https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/
Finding STEM Experts
See the "Space and Earth Science" and section of Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings
Sun Earth Universe exhibition and Companion Website for Public Audiences
Sun, Earth, Universe Exhibition
The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition is an engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science for family audiences.
Sun, Earth, Universe Questions
Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition companion website for public audiences.
An engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science for family audiences.
Preguntas en Sol, Tierra, Universo
Sol, Tierra, Universo es una interesante exposición interactiva sobre la Tierra y la ciencia del espacio para familias.