Outreach Resources

Our Place in Our Galaxy: Size and Distance Scale [Birdseed Activity]

Our Place in Our Galaxy: Size and Distance Scale [Birdseed Activity]

  • Daytime Event
  • Nighttime Event
  • Inside Venue
  • Inside Venue
  • Outside Venue
  • Target Audience
  • Child, Teen, Adult
Mentally construct a model of our place in the Milky Way Galaxy and the distribution of stars with just a coin and some birdseed. This is a great introduction to the distances of objects your visitors will view in the telescopes and can be adapted to many venues.

Last Updated: June 2017

Video

Activity Video: Our Place in Our Galaxy

Video demonstration of the activity.

Activity Key

Daytime Event
Daytime Event
Nighttime Event
Nighttime Event
Inside Venue
Inside Venue
Outside Venue
Outside Venue
star
Target Audience