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Public engagement resources for the Monday April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse
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Exploring the Solar System: Observe the Sun

In this activity, learners safely view the Sun and study features on its face, via a solarscope.

DESCRIPTION

This activity lets participants safely view the Sun and study features on its face. A solarscope projects an image of the Sun on a flat surface, where visitors can trace its outline and mark any sunspots on a sheet of paper. Taking solar observations over the course of several days will allow you to track trends in solar activity, too!

JUMP TO BROWSE RELATED RESOURCES
  • A young learner in a grassy field safely observes an image of the Sun being projected on a solarscope using the Exploring the Solar System: Observe the Sun activity.
  • Learner sets up and points solarscope at the sun
  • A hand is adjusting the focal point dial in a solarscope
  • Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field
  • A young learner in a grassy field safely observes an image of the Sun being projected on a solarscope using the Exploring the Solar System: Observe the Sun activity.
  • Learner sets up and points solarscope at the sun
  • A hand is adjusting the focal point dial in a solarscope
  • Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

DESCRIPTION

This activity lets participants safely view the Sun and study features on its face. A solarscope projects an image of the Sun on a flat surface, where visitors can trace its outline and mark any sunspots on a sheet of paper. Taking solar observations over the course of several days will allow you to track trends in solar activity, too!

JUMP TO BROWSE RELATED RESOURCES

TRAINING VIDEOS

OBJECTIVES

BIG IDEA

The Sun, a hot ball of glowing gas, is the star at the center of our solar system.

LEARNING GOALS

    • Special tools allow scientists to carefully and safely observe the Sun—just like you!
    • Some NASA scientists study solar activity to better understand how EArth and the rest of the solar system respond to the Sun.

Credits

YEAR CREATED
2019
OWNING INSTITUTION

Museum of Life and Science

Sciencenter

FUNDING

This material is based on work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award numbers NNX16AC67A and 80NSSC18M0061. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

PERMISSIONS

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.