You may be able to look through the club’s telescopes at planets in our Solar System, stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy, and other galaxies out in the rest of the Universe.
This ToolKit consists of activities and resources that are designed to help your audiences visualize the basic structure and organization of our Galaxy and the rest of the universe, and the place of our Solar System within it.
This toolkit has the potential to help any layperson gain a better understanding of the scale of our Solar System, our Milky Way galaxy, and our Universe. Help fight scientific illiteracy.
Most astronomers still thought, with no other evidence available, that our galaxy was the whole universe. But could the Solar System’s location in our galaxy (or the known universe!) be determined?
This activity allows students to explore the variety of objects found in the Solar System, and to create their own logical categories for them based on observation of the object’s characteristics.
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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The “ Our Place in Our Galaxy ” activity can help you do just that, with only birdseed, a coin, and your imagination. You can also discover the amazing science NASA is doing to understand our galaxy – and our place in it - in the Galaxies section of NASA's Universe page.
How far apart is everything in our solar system? It can be hard to imagine, but this activity can help! Try out this simple Pocket Solar System activity that is sure to get an "Ah-ha!" moment from your visitors.
The bright halo of gas and stars on the left side of the image highlights the very center of the Milky Way galaxy. The dark path that cuts through this center is known as the Great Rift, because it gives the appearance that the Milky Way has been split in half.
