Discover the Universe with NASA - What Lies Beyond the Solar System? - Core Workshop Activities

Sep 28, 2026

Upload by Adam

This document presents NASA-oriented learning and workshop activities that help participants explore cosmic scale, place their “cosmic address” in context, and understand how realms of the Universe compare. It outlines key station activities within a “Modeling the Universe” suite, including Kepler-related transit and exoplanet exercises, simulation tools, and star-map resources. It also includes a guided “Invisible Universe” activity and observation-focused classroom resources using real data and image-processing approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Core Workshop Activities

Realms of the Universe

Kepler's Other Worlds

Kepler Models and Simulations

Tour of the Invisible Universe

Share-A-Thon Resources

Making Your Own Observations

Hands-On Universe

Discover the Universe with NASA: What Lies Beyond the Solar System? Core Workshop Activities Realms of the Universe This activity is part of the“How Big Is the Universe?” inquiry station , which is a part of the larger “Modeling the Universe”suite of activities. In this activity, participants consider their cosmic address and develop an appreciation for the scale of each realm of the Universe relative to the other realms. The“Modeling the Universe Workshop: An Exploration of Space and Time” professional development short course was developed by a team of education and public outreach professionals from NASA's astrophysics missions. [http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/](http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/) Kepler's Other Worlds Activities developed by the Kepler education and public outreach team can be found at [http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/activities.html](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/activities.html) and include: • Transit Tracks ([http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/lc](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/lc)) -Using a model of a planet transitinga star, students learn what a transit is, under what conditions a transit may be seen , and what effects a planet's size and distance from its star have on transit behavior. They interpret graphs of brightness vs time to deduce characteristics of a star-planet system. This activity was developed for an educational poster and asan investigation for a newly revised edition of the "Planetary Science" course in the middle school series of Full Option Science System ( FOSS) . • Detecting Planet Transits ([http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/activities.html](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/activities.html)) is part of the Lawrence Hall of Science Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) Space Science Sequence for grades 6-8 (Sessions 4.5 and 4.6) published in 2008. Students model NASA's Kepler mission observations of planetary transits (a planet moving in front of a star) by standing in a circle with model star ( light bulb) in the center, and observing , through rolled up paper viewing tubes, a marble planet orbiting the star. • Human Orrery ([http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/activities.html](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/activities.html)) is part of the GEMS Space Science Sequence for grades 6-8 (Session 3.10) published in 2008. Students lay out and act out a kinesthetic model of the solar system in 3 dimensions: 2 of space and one of time. Kepler Models and Simulations ( [http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/sim/](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/sim/)) -has instructions for a number of physical models, including of a paper model of the spacecraft , as well as LEGO model orreries, which are star-planet system models that can be used to demonstrate how planets can be found by the transit method. • The Kepler Exoplanet Simulation (([http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/xo](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/xo)) is an online Flash interactive simulation of the entire process of finding planets by the transit method , including generating "light curves" (graphs of brightness vs time) , making "observations" of candidate stars, making measurements of depth of transit and period of orbit , and calculating planet orbit radius, temperature , and size. Ultimately, the simulation determines if a given planet is in the habitable zone of its star. • Kepler Star Wheel ([http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/starwheel](http://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/starwheel)) -One of the Uncle Al's Starwheels" series of planispheres, inexpensive star maps, adjustable for anytime of night in any month of the year. There are interchangeable star wheel disks designed to help people find constellations with a "Basic Constellations" wheel, locate objects with a "Coordinates Wheel" and, with the "Kepler Wheel," to find the location of the Kepler target field of view as well as naked eye stars known to have exoplanets visible from the northern hemisphere. These Star Wheels are based on the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) Sky Challenger star wheels that have even more star wheels: a

FAQs

What is the main learning focus of the “Realms of the Universe” activity?

Participants consider their cosmic address and build an appreciation for the scale of different realms of the Universe relative to one another.

How do the Kepler transit activities help students understand exoplanet detection?

Students model planetary transits, interpret brightness-versus-time graphs, and use physical or simulated methods to infer transit depth and orbital period.

What does the “Tour of the Invisible Universe” activity teach?

It explores what scientists know about the Universe by using electromagnetic-spectrum images and placing celestial objects in space relative to Earth.

Sep 28, 2026

Upload by Adam