Outreach Resources
Astronomy Activities & Resources
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Can You See The Flag On the Moon? Magnification vs. Resolution [Activity - Telescopes: Eyes on the Universe]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/25/2008
Has anyone ever asked you if you could see the flag on the Moon with a telescope? Want to know what the 25X magnification on that telescope means? Find out why size matters with telescopes when it comes to light collecting
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Celestial Treasure Hunt [Activity & Handout - PlanetQuest]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/20/2008
Give this Celestial Treasure Hunt handout to your star party visitors before they tour the telescopes so they can hunt for different types of astronomical objects!
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Club Coordinator Tips and Tools
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 1/30/2017
Helpful resources for club coordinators to help them navigate the NSN program's resources, website, and club & event management tools.
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Dark Sky Wheel [Handout & Activity - Big Astronomy] (English and Spanish)
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 9/9/2020
Find out how dark your skies are with these simple tools that demonstrate limiting magnitude with two famous constellations: Orion and Scorpius.
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Exploring Our Solar System [Banner & Activity - Exploring the Solar System]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 12/7/2007
Explore what planets we can see in the night - and morning - skies, plus the positions of some NASA missions in this fun banner-based activity.
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Full Toolkit Manuals - all 13!
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 6/25/2023
Find all Toolkit Manuals in one place with all of the activities in the original Toolkits listed in one place
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Heads Up! It's a Meteor Shower [Handout - Space Rocks]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/20/2010
Many beautiful meteor showers light up our skies throughout the year. This handout gives out some vital information about meteors and when to spot them, and is appropriate for all audiences.
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International Observe the Moon Night Resources
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/6/2017
International Observe the Moon Night is a wonderful chance to connect with fans of our moon from all around the world! This resource page contains links to many moon-related Night Sky Network outreach activities, handouts, and related resources.
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Legends in the Sky - Constellation Tales from Around the World [Activity & Handout - Big Astronomy] (English and Spanish)
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 4/13/2020
Learn about legends told about the night sky around the world and throughout time with this activity. Create your own story about a constellation visible in tonight's sky.
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Lives of Stars [Activity & Handout - SUPERNOVA Toolkit]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 8/21/2009
Discover the life cycle of stars and when supernovae happen with this activity and handout.
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Night Sky Network Features and Benefits
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 7/24/2012
The Night Sky Network offers many benefits to member clubs, including club management tools, publicity, materials, and much more!
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Passport Through Time: Telescopes As Time Machines [Handout - Our Galaxy Our Universe]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 1/18/2005
The "Passport Through Time" handout shows the difference between each of three different distance categories: within our Solar System, within the Milky Way, and within the rest of the universe.
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Planets & More Observing Stickers!
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 9/4/2020
Treat your telescope's visitors to these stickers and celebrate viewing a featured planet!
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Skywatcher's Guide to the Moon [Handout - Shadows and Silhouettes]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/20/2008
Use this moon map to identify some of its most famous features, find out where the astronauts landed, and what fills its "seas."
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Solar System Images from NASA [Handout - Exploring the Solar System]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/13/2007
A set of sheets from NASA, full of fun facts about major objects in our solar system.
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Star Maps Collection: Planets, Supernovas, and Black Holes
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/25/2008
Use a star map and mark the current locations of the planets and Moon along the ecliptic. Or find out what stars will someday go supernova. Can't see a black hole? No problem - find them with these Star Maps!
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Trip Around the Triangle [Activity & Handout - Shadows and Silhouettes]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 8/18/2009
This activity is a great way to organize a star party, and gives visitors context to what they will be viewing as they tour the telescopes and observe a variety of naked-eye and telescopic treats that occupy the Summer Triangle.
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Worlds of the Solar System: Make a Scale Model [Activity & Handout - Exploring the Solar System]
- Child, Teen, Adult
- 10/28/2008
Use a set of scaled balls and beads to show the relative sizes of the planets, the Moon, Ceres, and Pluto to each other and to the Sun. This permanent model can be used over and over again in many ways. Handout included,and can be downloaded separately.