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“Exploring the Solar System: Big Sun, Small Moon” is a hands-on activity that explores the concept of apparent size and allows visitors to experience this phenomena using familiar objects—a tennis ball and a beach ball. Participants learn that the Sun and Moon appear the same size in our sky because although the Sun is much bigger than the Moon, it is also much farther away.
- Under 5 minutes
- 5 to 10 minutes
- free per student
- Ages 6 - 14
- Activity
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- Tennis ball
- Beach ball
- Pump
- Solar Eclipse poster
- Activity and facilitator guides
Subjects
-
Earth and Space Science
- Astronomy
-
Earth, Moon and Sun
- Eclipses
-
Solar System
- The Sun
- The Moon
-
Mathematics
-
Measurement
- Size and Scale
-
Measurement
Other
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Source Collection
- NISE Network
Rights:
- Creative Commons: Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa), National Informal STEM Education Network, 2017
Funding Source:
- NASA, NNX16AC67A