Investigating the Night Sky — What do you notice about the night sky at different times of the year?
Read Aloud: The Reason For Seasons by Gail Gibbons
Materials:
- Computer with internet access
- Flashlight
- Paper (cardstock or a thicker paper will work better)
- Pencil
- Dark room
- An adult to help
What to do:
- Look at the four pictures of the sky below showing the sky at 6:00 PM.
- What do you notice about the amount of light?
- What do you notice about the constellations? (One constellation has been outlined in yellow.)
- What do you think the sky will look like on May 20, 2020 at 6:00 PM? What will happen to the constellation that has been outlined in yellow? Why?
January 20, 2020 at 6:00 PM
February 20, 2020 at 6:00 PM
- Next, visit the website Stellarium (allow it to access your location to see what your night sky would look like where you live).
- Then click on the toolbar at the bottom:
- Choose a constellation that you would like to know more about! You can read stories about the constellations here.
- Adults should preview stories ahead of time!
- Once you have picked your favorite, you can draw it on your paper to create a constellation card. (See this website for complete directions and printable cards.)
- Poke holes through the card where the stars are located and shine a flashlight through it in a dark room.
- Now you can see your own constellations indoors even if it is cloudy
- Post your constellation drawings on Facebook and tag us @VINS.VT!
Contact education@vinsweb.org with questions or comments.