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Stars

Lesson Plans

1. Measuring Astronomical Distances (HighWired.com)
   Provides "some of the more common techniques for measuring the distance of stars and galaxies and how and why astronomers developed them." 3-01
2. Spectral Wavelengths (University of California)
   Provides a lesson to study spectral wavelengths, using data from four different satellite observatories. 3-01
3. Star Properties (University of California - Keys and Hawkins)
   Provides a lesson to study the properties of stars using analysis of light. 3-01
4. Temperatures of Stars (University of California)
   Provides a lesson to study stellar temperatures. 3-01

Materials

1. Nebulae - Dust of Stars (University of Michigan)
2. Planetarium - Create a Planetarium From a Position on Earth (Walker)
   Provides "Your Sky," a view of the stars from a position on Earth. 8-01
3. Stars (University of Michigan)
4. Stars and Nebulae - Printable Pictures (NASA - Spaceplace)
   Provides printable color pictures of stars, galaxies, and nebulae. Includes the Butterfly, Carina, Eagle, Hourglass, Eskimo, Orion, Stingray, Trifid, and the NGC3132 nebula. (The files are rather large and will take a while to load on a 28.8k modem) 9-01

Papers

1. Antimatter Space Ships (HowStuffWorks.com)
   Describes how an antimatter space ship might produce a great deal more energy than any other source now known and even allow interstellar travel, travel to other planets from distant stars. 11-00.
2. Astronomy Search Engine (Fourmilab)
   Provides an astronomy search engine (in partnership with Google). 8-01
3. Brightest Stars (Dolan)
   Provides a list of the 26 brightest stars, in order of brightness from the Earth. 1-02
4. Constellations (Royal Observatory)
   Provides a history of using constellations, or patterns of stars, to describe the night sky. 10-00
5. Dying Star Image (Yahoo)
   Provides a dramatic photo of a dying star, Menzel 3 or Mz3, that looks like a rainbow-colored ant and challenges theories about how stars die. 2-01
6. Gamma Ray Observatory (NASA - Compton Gamma Ray Observatory)
   Describes the work of the Observatory. 1-02
7. Hypernovae or Death Stars (NASA - Dooling)
   Describes a new type of explosion, one of the most powerful in the universe, that releases enormous amounts of gamma rays. Provides drawings. 1-02
8. Hypernovae or Death Stars (NASA - Imagine the Universe)
   Describes a new type of explosion, one of the most powerful in the universe, that releases enormous amounts of gamma rays. 1-02
9. Hypernovae or Death Stars (PBS - Bonnell)
   Describes a new type of explosion, one of the most powerful in the universe, that releases enormous amounts of gamma rays. 1-02
10. Light-Years (Discovery.com)
    Describes light-years, a unit of measurement to stars and other distant bodies in space. Visitors sometimes call it light years. 3-02
11. Nearest Stars (Harrington)
    Provides information on stars nearest to our solar system, such as Alpha Centauri, Barnard's Star, Sirius, Wolf 359, Luyten 756-8, and Ross 154. 8-01
12. Pulsars (Royal Observatory)
    Discusses pulsars. 10-00
13. Solar Sail Powered Space Ships 1 (NASA)
    Describes how solar sail powered spacecrafts might be best for long space missions. 11-00.
14. Solar Sail Powered Space Ships 2 (NASA)
    Describes how solar sail powered spacecrafts might be best for long space missions. 11-00.
15. Star Map (KidsAstronomy.com)
    Provides a map of the major stars as they currently appear. Allows rotation of the map and identifies specific stars by clicking on them. 11-00.
16. Star Map - 3D (KidsAstronomy.com)
    Provides maps around major stars and allows zooming in and out. 11-00.
17. Star Mythology and Constellations Across Cultures (SPARC)
    Provides mythologies of different cultures. 3-02
18. Stars (Royal Observatory)
    Provides basic information about the 25 brightest stars, the 30 closest stars, supernovae, pulsars, white dwarfs, black holes, and constellations. Also discusses the star of Bethlehem, how a star is defined, and how stars are named. 10-00
19. Supernovae Explosions (Royal Observatory)
    Discusses supernovae explosions. 10-00
20. Trigonometry and Astronomy (Javed)
    Provides formulas for calculating distances to stars. 6-01
21. White Dwarfs (Royal Observatory)
    Discusses white dwarf stars. 10-00

Worksheets

1. Astronomy - Stars Worksheet (KidsAstronomy.com)
   Provides a worksheet on the stars. 11-00.