If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, finding north using the stars is fairly easy. Because the north pole of the Earth points relatively close to the star Polaris (meaning “Pole Star”), when you face that star, you are facing north. To find Polaris, first find the bright stars of the Big Dipper, the well-known […]
What do Jesus and the planet Venus have in common?
What do Jesus and the planet Venus have in common? That probably sounds like an odd question, but as you’ll see in the video, it’s the Bible that makes this comparison… The Bible is full of fascinating insights when it comes to astronomy because astronomy was part of the daily lives of those who lived […]
How to Take a Field Trip to the Great American Eclipse
On Monday August 21, 2017, millions of people in the United States will experience a unique event: a total eclipse of the sun. Below is a guide for planning a field trip to see this rare event. Why Travel to an Eclipse? Perhaps it seems silly to travel somewhere to watch a total solar eclipse, but […]
Planning for the August 27 Planetary Conjunction
What is a planetary conjunction? A planetary conjunction is when two or more planets converge very close together in the sky. What causes a planetary conjunction? During a planetary conjunction, the planets are not actually close to each other in space. It merely means the Earth (and thus our eyes) is in a position where […]
Astronomy Activity for Kids: “How Big is the Solar System?”
Here’s an odd fact: nearly every model of the solar system you’ve ever seen—every image, every 3D model, every coat-hanger-with-styrofoam-balls project—is wrong. Just wrong. This is because you need an enormous amount of space to create an accurate model. But this activity will give your son or daughter a sense of how big different objects in […]