Lesson 7 of 84 · Space
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🚀 StarbaseConstellations: Patterns in the Sky
Constellations: Patterns in the Sky.
🎯 Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
⚡ The twist
Up there, the rules of down here stop working.
Mind = Blown
🪐 A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what would happen on the moon vs. on Earth?
What You'll Learn
Constellations are patterns of stars that ancient cultures used for navigation and storytelling. The Big Dipper, Orion, and the Southern Cross are well-known constellations.
Key Words
- star
- planet
- asteroid
Materials Needed
- tape
- pencil
- ruler
- compass
- black paper
Safety First
- Adult supervision recommended.
- Do not taste any materials.
- Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Time how long it takes for a shadow to move 10 cm. Use this to calculate how fast Earth is rotating.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is a light-year?
Where you see this in real life
GPS, weather forecasts, and the seasons all rely on this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a constellation in the sky. Look it up. Tell someone its story.
For the dinner table
“If you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
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Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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