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Using a Simple Astrolabe
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In this activity, learners use an astrolabe to measure the altitude of objects. Learners will first practice taking measurements by measuring the altitude of trees and buildings.

Space Stations: Measure Up!
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In this activity, learners work in pairs to measure each other's ankles with lengths of string.

Making a Simple Astrolabe
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In this activity, learners make an astrolabe, a device used for measuring altitude, including the height of objects in the sky.

Height Sight
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In this activity, learners build a tool called an inclinometer that can find the height of any distant object, from a tree to the North Star.

Balloon Impacts
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In this activity, learners measure the diameter of their water balloons, model an impact, measure the diameter of the “crater” area, and determine the ratio of impactor to crater.

Experiencing Parallax With Your Thumb
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In this activity, learners investigate parallax, a method used to measure distances to stars and planets in the solar system.

Launch Altitude Tracker
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In this activity, learners construct hand-held altitude trackers. The device is a sighting tube with a marked water level that permits measurement of the inclination of the tube.

Globe at Night
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In this international citizen science activity, learners measure their night sky brightness and submit their observations into an online database.

Space Stations: Sponge Spool Spine
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In this activity, learners simulate what happens to a human spine in space by making Sponge Spool Spines (alternating sponge pieces and spools threaded on a pipe cleaner).

The Size and Distance of the Planets
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In this activity, learners investigate the concepts of relative size and distance by creating a basic model of the solar system.

Radar Mapping: What's in the Box?
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In this activity, learners mimic remote sensing. Learners use a stick to measure the distance to a "planet surface" they cannot see, and create their own map of the landscape.

Meteoroids and the Craters They Make
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In this activity, learners investigate the formation of craters. Learners will examine how the size, angle and speed of a meteorite's impact affects the properties of craters.

Finding the Size of the Sun and Moon
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In this activity, learners build a simple pinhole viewer. They use this apparatus to project images from a variety of light sources, including a candle, the Sun, and the Moon.

Jump to Jupiter
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In this activity, learners help create and then navigate an outdoor course of the traditional "planets" (including dwarf planet Pluto), which are represented by small common objects.

Jiggly Jupiter
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In this activity, learners build edible models of Jupiter and Earth to compare their sizes and illustrate the planets' internal layers.

Pocket Solar System: Make a Scale Model
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This fun and simple hands-on astronomy activity lets learners build a scale model of the universe with little more than adding machine tape.

Our Solar System to Scale
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In this activity, learners plan and create a 24-foot long, two-dimensional model of our solar system, and compare and contrast the differences between planets and the sun.

The Pull of the Planets
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In this activity, learners model the gravitational fields of planets on a flexible surface.

Build a Solar System
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In this activity, learners make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the real definition of "space." Learners use the online calculator to create an appropriate scale to use as a basis for thei

Mass, Area, Volume
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In this activity (page 18 of PDF), learners will measure the volume of impact craters created by projectiles of different masses.