Nearby Stars
Educator Resources for "Nearby Stars"
For general information about using Science Bulletins in your classroom, refer to the Science Bulletins Educator's Guide.Exploring In-Depth
Astronomers are combining methods of comparing starfield imagery with the use of high-tech computer modeling to create a more accurate 3-D map of our solar neighborhood. Use the discussion questions below to explore how this new focus in astronomy is changing our understanding of the skies.
- Why do we know more about stars that are further away from Earth, rather than the ones closer to it?
- Why makes learning about nearby stars so challenging?
- What processes and techniques are astronomers using to detect nearby stars?
- How many nearby stars have astronomers detected?
- Why is it important to learn details about the population of nearby stars?
- What are some things scientists can extrapolate from findings about nearby stars? What can they learn about stellar life cycles, planet formation, and stellar population density?
Related Links from NASA
- "Astronomy Picture of the Day" in the Classroom
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apodclass.html
This page offers strategies from educators for using NASA Goddard’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) website in their teaching. - The Hubble Space Telescope
http://hubble.nasa.gov/index.php
The official site of the Hubble Space Telescope. Explore this page and learn about this countless contributions this unique technology has made to astronomy. - Treasure Hunt in the Sun’s Neighborhood
http://nstars.arc.nasa.gov/aas/aas_pressrelease.html
Uncover the findings in the southern skies by a group of astronomers in the Andes. "We're filling in the explorer's map of nearby space, discovering the stars around which planets may someday be found, and eventually, perhaps even life."
