Project 1

The best way to start looking at the wonders of space is to start with binoculars.

You can consider a small telescope after that. Here is a link to a very good article providing Top Tips for Using Ordinary Binoculars for Stargazing. It provides great information about these six tips:

1. Binoculars are a better place to start than telescopes.
2. Start with a small, easy-to-use size.
3. First, view the moon with binoculars.
4. Move on to viewing planets with binoculars.
5. Use your binoculars to explore inside our Milky Way.
6. Use your binoculars to peer beyond the Milky Way.

You can find when and where to look for the planets at these websites:

• Time & Date Astronomy Night
• Stardate Night Sky Planets

Project 2

Here are two ways to assemble a scale model of the solar system. The first is the size of a football field. The second is considerably larger!

First, The “Small” Model

Go out to a football field when it’s not in use. It’s one hundred yards, or 300 feet, from one goal line to the other. We’ll use that for the distance from the Sun to the furthest planet, Neptune. In this model, one foot represents 9.3 million miles in real life.

Have one of your friends stand at one goal line and hold up a golf ball representing the Sun (a golf ball is actually about 50% larger than it should be, but it’s convenient, so let’s use it). Then, using a tape measure or the yard markers on the field, ask your other friends to represent each planet and stand at the following distances from the person representing the Sun, and hold up these objects to represent the planets:

Second, the “Big” Model

We’ll use a convenient scale in which one foot in our model represents one million miles in real life. Coincidentally at this scale, a distance of 1,000 miles in the model represents approximately one light-year in reality.

To build this scale model:

• Find a long, straight road with a sidewalk. Have a friend stand on the sidewalk and hold a basketball. It’s just about the right size to model the Sun, which has a diameter of 864,000 miles.
• Walk 12 paces (12 yards, or 36 feet) down the road. Put down the head of a small sewing pin. That represents Mercury at proper scale, 36 million miles from the Sun.
• Walk 10 paces further and put down the head of a map pin with a spherical colored head. Use a white one. That’s Venus.
• Walk another 9 paces and put down the head of another map pin. Make it a blue one. That’s Earth. Three inches from your “Earth,” put down the head of a really tiny pin. That’s the moon.
• Now walk 16 paces further along the sidewalk and put down the head of a large sewing pin to represent Mars.
• Continue walking for 20 paces and then begin to scatter just a little bit of very fine powder (like flour) together with an even smaller bit of sand. Continue scattering dust and sand while walking for 33 more paces. You just laid down the asteroid belt.
• Walk 61 paces (You’re now 161 yards from the basketball representing the Sun). Put down a ping-pong ball. That’s Jupiter, 483 million miles from the Sun.
• Continue another 135 paces and put down a Tootsie Roll Pop (after removing the cardboard stick). Put a 2″ diameter paper ring around it. That’s Saturn.
• Now walk another 300 paces. Put down a pale blue shirt button for Uranus.
• Walk another 339 paces and put down a vivid blue shirt button to represent Neptune.
• Now walk 295 paces more and put down another sewing pin head. That’s Pluto. You’re now almost 3/4 mile from your friend with the basketball representing the Sun. It looks pretty small from here. You can also scatter a tiny bit of flour and sand grains in this vicinity to represent the millions of objects in the Kuiper belt, of which Pluto is the largest object.
• Finally, have someone drive you down the road… for 800 miles. Then continue driving another few hundred miles while you scatter some very fine sand. You’re in the Oort Cloud, a region of icebergs the size of mountains, a source of comets, and the outermost objects in the solar system.

You’ve now completed your scale model of our solar system. But to get just an inkling of the size of our galaxy, let’s continue building your model to include the closest star(s) to our Solar System. To do that:

• Get back in your car and drive another 3,500 miles and put down a golf ball to represent Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system. The reason it’s smaller than our basketball Sun is that Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star. It’s part of a system of three stars that all orbit one another. The other two stars in the orbiting group are Alpha Centauri A and B, which are both about the size of our sun, so you’ll use basketballs to represent each of them, but first you need to drive another 125 miles beyond Proxima Centauri and then place them 700 yards apart from each other.

Now consider that the diameter of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 30,000 times the distance from the Sun to the Alpha Centauri group, and you’ve got an idea of its size compared to our solar system and that tiny blue head of a map pin we call Earth.

Project 3

This project can accompany the poems about any of the planets, but is particularly fitting for “FLEET-FOOTED MERCURY” because Mercury has a much longer and thinner orbit than most other planets.

1. Get a piece of wood at least 15″” x 15″”.
2. Drill four 5/16″ diameter holes in a straight line, 2″ apart near the center of the board.
3. Insert two short dowels (or cut down pencils) in the left two holes.
4. Tie a 14″ long piece of string into a loop. (If you pull the ends of the loop apart, the length will be 7″. )
5.  Poke two holes through a piece of paper so that it will fit over the two dowels.
6.  Put the point of a pencil into the loop of string, and keeping the string reasonably taught, pull it around the loop. It will draw an ellipse that is almost circular. Earth’s orbit looks somewhat like this.
7.  Now move the inside dowel over one hole (pushing it through the paper) and repeat step 6. This ellipse will be somewhat longer and thinner than the first one.
8.  Finally move the inside dowl to the rightmost hole so that the two dowels are as far apart as possible and repeat step 6. This ellipse will be the longest and thinnest of all. Mercury’s orbit looks something like this.

Note that although each ellipse looks different, they all share the same property. For each ellipse, the total distance measured from one dowel to every point on the ellipse and back to the other dowel is the same (it’s always the length of the loop minus the distance between the dowels). This is the fundamental property of an ellipse. The dowels are at the two foci (plural for focus) of the ellipse.

Project 4

This project accompanies the poem, “THE VAPORS OF VENUS.” It demonstrates why Venus is only visible at certain times of the year, and why it is only visible in the morning or evening.

Find a lamp with a bulb that can shine directly into someone’s eyes, for example a gooseneck desk lamp or a table lamp with the lampshade removed. Put it on a desk and turn it on. The lamp simulates the Sun.

A student stands in front of it, looking directly at the lamp. This student simulates the Earth at noon when it directly faces the Sun.

Another student positions a ping pong ball at Location 1, directly between the lamp and the student, with the ball relatively close to the lamp. The ball simulates Venus. At this location, the “Earth” student cannot see “Venus” because the “Sun” is so bright.

Now have the “Venus” student move the ball to Location 3, directly behind the “Sun.” Again, the Earth student cannot see “Venus” because the “Sun” is so bright.

Now have the “Earth” student rotate a quarter turn to the left. This simulates the rotation of the Earth from west to east, and the “Sun” appears to someone on “Earth” to have moved from directly overhead at noon to sunset on the western horizon over their right shoulder.

Have the “Venus” student move the ball to Location 4. “Venus” is visible to “Earth” because the “Sun” has set below the horizon, but “Venus” is still above the horizon and is visible from “Earth.”

Finally, have the “Venus” student move the ball to Location 2 and have the “Earth” student rotate to the left. This simulates the rotation of the Earth from west to east.

After a quarter turn of “Earth” it is night because the “Sun” is behind the viewer who faces away from it.

After another quarter turn of “Earth” it is dawn, with the “Sun” just behind the viewer’s left shoulder (in the east). The viewer on “Earth” can’t see the Sun which is just below the “horizon” but can see Venus because it is above the horizon and illuminated by the Sun.

Project 5

This project accompanies the poem, “WALKING ON THE MOON” and demonstrates how craters formed when meteors slammed into the moon (or other objects in our solar system).

Sift flour (it must be sifted) into a small, flat bowl until it is about 1.5 inches deep. Then level the flour by gently shaking the bowl back and forth with the bowl resting on a surface.

Now drop a large marble into the flour from a height of about 3 feet. It will leave a small “crater” with a ring around the outer edge, that looks something like this:

You can experiment with different size marbles and/or different heights from which to drop them, until you get the best “craters” to form. You can also experiment with tossing the marble into the bowl from various angles instead of simply dropping it. Between each drop or toss, re-level the flour by shaking the bowl back and forth with it resting on a surface. At some point, you may need to sift the flour again as it may have gotten recompacted.

Play around, Until you start getting realistic-looking “craters.”

Project 6

This poem accompanies the poem “THE PHASES OF THE MOON” and demonstrates why the moon looks different as it rotates around the Earth.

Three students are need for this project that needs to be done in a darkened room.

One student has a strong flashlight and represents the Sun. One sits at a chair about 12 feet from the “Sun” and the third holds a ping pong ball representing the “Moon” at four successive locations as shown in the diagram. The “Sun” and “Moon” must be held higher than the head of the student representing the “Earth” so that the Sun can shine on the ball in all four locations.

1. Position the Moon between the Earth and the Sun. Does it appear dark or light to the student representing the Earth? This is the New Moon.

2. The Moon moves counterclockwise until it is just off the left shoulder of the Earth student. It is now at the First Quarter Moon position. Have the “Sun” shine the flashlight directly at the Moon. How does the Moon appear to the seated student? The right side will be illuminated. The left side will be dark.

3. The Moon continues moving counterclockwise until it is behind the Earth and opposite the Sun. The flashlight should continue shining directly at the “Moon.” Have the Earth student turn around. How does the Moon appear? The entire surface facing the student is illuminated. It’s a Full Moon.

4. The Moon continues moving counterclockwise until it is just off the right shoulder of the Earth student. Now the left side is illuminated, and right side is dark. This is the Last Quarter Moon.

5. Finally, move the Moon back to the Full Moon position behind the Earth student. Lower the Moon until it is in the shadow of the “Earth.” This is a lunar eclipse.

Project 7

The project accompanies the poem “AT HOME ON THE RANGE… OF MARS” and shows students what typical microbes look like here on Earth.

Purchase some prepared microscope slides of different microbes and have students look at them through a microscope.

Sets of such slides are available from many online sellers, such as:

• Prepared Bacteria Slides
• Prepared Bacteria Pathogen Slides
• Bacterial Structures Slide Set

or you can purchase individual slides such as these:

• Salmonella typhimurium, w.m.
• Spirillum volutans
• Streptococcus (Diplococcus) pneumoniae

Project 8

This project accompanies the poem “THOSE ANNOYING ASTEROIDS” and shows students what spectacular fireballs result from large meteors that enter our atmosphere.

Link to the following videos of meteoric fireballs, and show them on a large screen.

Project 9

This project accompanies the poem “JUPITER – THE JOVIAL GIANT” and illustrates magnetic fields.

Purchase two bar magnets (but do NOT purchase super strong magnets such as those made with neodymium – those are dangerous and can cause serious injury if they pinch someone).

Also either (a) purchase some iron filings, or (b) create them with a file and iron bar. or (c) collect them by dragging the magnet through a sand box or other dirt and then scraping the fillings that the magnet picks up into a container.

Here are some sources of magnets and iron filings.

• Magnet kit on Amazon
• Another magnet kit on Amazon
• A more extensive kit that includes a small quantity of iron filings on Amazon
• And inexpensive bottle of iron filings

Put a piece of heavy paper on top of a bar magnet. Sprinkle the iron filings evenly over the paper. Gently tap the paper repeatedly until the filings align themselves with the magnetic field lines. It will look something like this:

The field lines around the Earth, Jupiter and other planets with magnetic fields very similar to this, circling from the planet’s magnetic north pole to its magnetic south pole. (However, somewhat confusingly, most planets’ magnetic north poles are at their geographic South Poles, and vice versa.)

You can also experiment by putting different shape magnets below the paper (for example a horseshoe magnet, or a circular magnet) and again tapping gently on the paper until the filings align.

You can also try putting two bar magnets under the paper with the north pole of one magnet facing the south pole of the other one, separated by about an inch. Again tap the paper. After seeing that field, reverse the direction of either magnet so that both north poles, or both south poles, face each other.

Again tap the paper and the field lines will look entirely different because the fields from both magnets interfere with each other.

Project 10

This poem accompanies the poem “THE VIOLENT VOLCANOS OF IO.” It illustrates why Io circles Jupiter so quickly (in less than 48 hours) and similarly, why Mercury orbits the Sun so quickly (88 days).

Drill a hole through a golf ball. Thread a six-foot length of sturdy cord through the hole (nylon cord works best). Tie a sturdy knot at one end to prevent the cord from pulling out of the hole. Pull very hard on the cord to test it. It MUST NOT slip out of the golf ball. At the other end, tie a safety loop large enough to just go over your wrist.

Slip the safety loop over your wrist and grasp the cord between your thumb and fingers at a distance of two feet or slightly less from the golf ball. Swing the ball in a horizontal circle over your head until it is circling close to straight out (after first ensuring it won’t hit anyone or anything!). You’ll be swinging it quite quickly because that speed is necessary to generate sufficient centrifugal force to overcome the pull of gravity. This represents Io close to Jupiter, or Mercury close to the Sun.

Now hold the cord at a distance of four to five feet from the golf ball and swing it in a horizontal circle over your head (again, first ensure it won’t hit anyone or anything!). You’ll be swinging it more slowly than when it was only two feet away. That’s because at a longer distance, less velocity is needed to generate the required centrifugal force. This represents the planets further than Mercury from the Sun, or Jupiter’s other moons that are further than Io from Jupiter.

NOTE: Although this demonstration illustrates the point quite well, it is not entirely accurate for two reasons:

• First, the golf ball is actually fighting Earth’s gravity from below, rather than fighting your gravity since you are simulating the Sun or Jupiter.

• Second, even though Io is approximately the same distance from Jupiter as our Moon is from Earth, and even though Io and our Moon are approximately the same size, Io orbits Jupiter in less than two Earth days while our Moon orbits Earth in 29 days. That’s because Jupiter is so massive that Io must move much faster than our Moon to overcome Jupiter’s far greater gravity than Earth’s. Not only does the distance between orbiting objects determine their speed, but so does their mass.

Project 11

This project accompanies the poem, “THE OCEAN OF EUROPA” and illustrates the possibility of life in Europa’s under-ice oceans.

View a fascinating, 3 1/2 minute video about the deep-sea creatures here on Earth that live in ecosystem that gets its energy from the the chemicals spewing forth from sea floor hydrothermal vents, and not from sunlight

It is entirely possible, even likely, that hydrothermal vents exist at the floor of Europa’s ocean, and if they do, it’s possible that life exists there, just as it does at Earth’s hydrothermal vents.

Project 12

This project accompanies the poem, “URANUS AND ITS SHAKESPEAREAN MOONS” and provides students with an introduction to the plays of Shakespeare.

Each student selects a different moon of Uranus. Ask them to:

1. Research the Shakespearean play and character after whom their moon was named
2. Describe the character to the class, and
3. Describe what the play is about
4. (Optionally) read a line or two spoken by that character.

For Example:

1. Puck is a moon of Uranus that is named after a character in William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
2. Puck is a spirit who has magical powers and likes to play tricks on the other characters
3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. The play is set in Athens (ancient Greece), and revolves around the marriage of the fairy king and queen, Theseus and Hippolyta.

Oberon and Titania are arguing. Oberon asks Puck to find a love-juice to pour upon Titania’s eyelids when she is asleep, which will make her fall in love with the first thing she sees when she wakes up.

After some other foolishness, Puck pours the potion onto sleeping Titania’s eyes. He then encounters another character named Bottom, and just for the fun of it, changes Bottom’s head into the head of a donkey. He then brings donkey-headed Bottom to where Titania is sleeping. She wakes up, sees donkey-headed Bottom and falls in love with him.

“Through the forest have I gone.
But Athenian found I none,
On whose eyes I might approve
This flower’s force in stirring love.
Night and silence.-Who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
This is he, my master said,
Despised the Athenian maid;
And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty soul! she durst not lie
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.
When thou wakest, 1 let love forbid
Sleep his seat on thy eyelid:
So awake when I am gone;
For I must now to Oberon.”

Project 13

This poem accompanies the poem “NEPTUNE – THE PLANET THAT HAD TO BE.” It illustrates why the orbit of Uranus is pulled out of a perfect ellipse by the gravitational attraction of Neptune.

Use the same ellipse-drawing board that you used in Project 3. Put the pegs close together and draw an ellipse to represent the orbit of Uranus without the tug from Neptune’s gravity.

Now place a marble or other small object a few inches outside that ellipse (you can hold the marble in place with modeling clay or something similar). This represents Neptune.

Now redraw the ellipse but when your pencil starts nearing “Neptune” stretch the string out as if Neptune’s gravity is tugging at your pencil (which represents Uranus). The ellipse will stretch out of shape. As you pass by the marble, let the string gradually return to its normal size and continue the ellipse.

By recording the exact path of Uranus over many nights, the disturbance of its orbit from a perfect ellipse could be calculated. That calculation led to an estimate of the place where Neptune must have been cause such a disturbance. Eventually astronomers looked and found Neptune right where mathematics predicted it would be.