Experiencing Parallax With Your Thumb
Source Institutions
-
NASA
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In this activity, learners investigate parallax, a method used to measure distances to stars and planets in the solar system. Learners can see the parallax effect in action by holding their thumb out at arm's length and following simple instructions. This activity will help learners understand how the brain uses information to detect distances. This resource also describes three other basic methods for determining distances in space: radar, standard candles, and the Hubble Law.
- Under 5 minutes
- Under 5 minutes
- free
- Ages 6 - 18
- Activity
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- Your thumb!
- A distant background with texture, such as the outdoors or a wall in a large room with pictures on it.
Subjects
- Earth and Space Science
- Astronomy
- Light and Optics
- Size and Scale
- Solar System
- The Sun
- The Planets
- Astronomy
- Life Sciences
- Human Body
- The Brain and Nervous System
- Human Senses and Perception
- Vision
- Perception
- Human Body
- Mathematics
- Measurement
- Size and Scale
- Measurement
- Physical Sciences
- Light and Optics
- The Nature of Science
- The Scientific Process
- Conducting Investigations
- The Scientific Process
Informal Categories
- Outdoor Activity
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
This resource is part of:
- NASA Sun-Earth Day: Make and Take Activities
- The Center for Science Education at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory: Hands-on Activities
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Rights:
- Public Domain, NASA,
