Astronomy Activities & Resources

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  Asteroid Hunters [Activity]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  Find asteroids in a star field and discover why astronomers are locating even more asteroids using powerful infrared telescopes like NEOWISE.

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  Cook Up a Comet [Activity]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  Using dry ice and simple household materials, this comet concoction is a big hit with kids and adults alike.

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  Craters on the Earth and Moon [Activity]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  Create craters on models of the Moon and Earth in this fun and messy outreach activity. Investigate the properties of Earth that hide past cratering events, such as movement of the crust, erosion, water, and a protective atmosphere.

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  Earth Craters and Moon Map [Banner]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  This large banner illustrates the actual physical impacts that space rocks have had on the Earth/Moon system. One side features impacts on Earth; the other, the craters of the Moon.

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  Heads Up! It's a Meteor Shower [Handout]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  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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  Meteorite or MeteorWrong? [Activity]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  Learn all about meteorites with this hands-on activity: where they come from, how they got here, and what they are made of. Compare the characteristics of meteorites and Earth rocks in this engaging activity.

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  Scaling the Asteroid Belt [Activity]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  Explore the asteroid belt in this astronomy activity and learn some surprising truths about just how difficult it would actually be to navigate. It may not be as tightly packed as Hollywood would have you believe!

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  Sorting the Solar System Cards [Activity]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  This set of playing cards can help you kick start discussions of the characteristics of asteroids, comets, planets, and moons in our solar system. Help your visitors engage in scientific thinking by sorting objects into categories by shared features.

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  Space Rocks Toolkit [Manual]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  The full manual to the Space Rocks Toolkit

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  Space Rocks: Impacts of Our Smallest Neighbors [Presentation]

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  • Child, Teen, Adult

  Use this PowerPoint in conjunction with the activities included on the Space Rocks ToolKit or on its own to discuss asteroids, comets, and the potential hazards of Near Earth Objects.

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