← Back to course
Science Launch G5 / Week 12 / Launch Lab
6/6
Week 12 · Stars and Shadows

Launch Lab

Launch Lab: Family star night
// Our star, our shadows and the turning sky
⏱ about 15 min

Launch Lab: Family star night

It is the last Launch Lab of the course. The whole family spreads blankets in the backyard after dark.

Rocket looks up and grins. "Twelve weeks ago, I thought an empty bottle was empty," he says.

Raven laughs. "And now you can explain shadows, stars and why a tree is made of air."

Nova dims her lights all the way down so everyone's eyes can adjust to the dark. "Great discoveries," she whispers. "What do you notice up there tonight?"

Rocket points to a bright patch of stars. "Let's draw it," he says. "And check it again next season."

  1. The Sun is a star. It looks bigger and brighter because it is much closer than other stars.
  2. A light-year is how far light travels in one year. Proxima Centauri is about 4.24 light-years away.
  3. Shadows are long when the Sun is low and short when it is high.
  4. Earth's rotation makes day and night. Its orbit changes which stars we see.
◇ FAMILY STAR NIGHT
On a clear night, go outside with your family after dark.
Wait a few minutes for your eyes to adjust.
Find the brightest group of stars you can see.
Draw it on paper and write the date and time.
Plan to look for the same stars at the same time in a few months.
For a grown-up
Ask: what did you notice? What would you change?
Choose a safe, familiar spot away from traffic, and stay together the whole time.
COURSE CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Why does the Sun look so much brighter than other stars?
When is your shadow shortest?
How far light travels in one year is a ____.
Earth's tilted ____ causes the seasons.
Is the Sun a planet or a star? Type one word.
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe Sun is an average-sized star.

Congratulations! You finished Science Launch Grade 5. Keep asking what you notice, and keep testing your ideas.

← Friday