in the Celestial Sphere

• Home
• The Project
• Ambassadors
  • Stuart Johnson
  • Rory Graham
  • Giles Pratt
  • Richard Hilton
  • Anton Harder
  • Marcus Leuw
  • Michael King
  • Alex Doyle
  • Peter Meijer
  • Matthew Cross
  • Zlumkile James
  • Siyabonga Nelani
  • Yolanda Mbana
  • Lisebo Phelane
• African Diary
• Activities
  • Learning Science with SALT
  • Secrets of the Spectrum
  • Making the Solar System
  • Constellations - Our Cultural Heritage
• Educator Support
• Sponsors
  • RC 1851
  • Royal Astronomical Society
  • PPARC
  • European Space Agency
  • Learning Technologies Inc
  • Science Learning Centre
  • Neatherd High School
  • Geraldine Hogan - Coronado
• Partners
  • Dereham Sixth Form College
  • Cambridge University
  • South African Astronomical Observatory
  • University of the Western Cape
  • NASA ASAC
• School pages
• Funding

Space Science Starter Kit

Each school that the Science Ambassadors worked with in SA received a kit to help them set up a space science club and support astronomy elements of the new South African National Curriculum.

North and South resource CDROM - this contains a wide range of printable resources and free astronomy based computer programs

Learning Technologies Spectrometer - can be used to see that the Sun is made of different, identifiable element when indirect sunlight is viewed (even on a cloudy day). Have a look at the light from TVs, computer screens and street lights. Learn the fingerprints of the different elements.

Planetica Orrery - set for the current date and find out the relative positions of the planets. Speed up time and see their relative motions. It can even be used to identify planets in the sky.

Star Globe celestial sphere - identify the constellations whilst realising that the sky surrounds the whole planet

Starscope optical planesphere - set the starscope to the right date and see what the sky looks like. Make sure you have the right star field in (check the frosted end- S for South Africa). You can use it at night by illuminating the star field with the included red LED

Binoculars - a great way to see more detail in the Milky Way and on the Moon than is possible with your eyes alone. Try drawing the "seas" on the Moon and then use the map in the Night Sky Atlas to label them. You can even mark to Apollo landing sites.

UV sensitive beads - lots of experiments are possible with these magic beads. They contain chemicals that change their shape when they absorb ultraviolet waves. In their changed shape they absorb different , visible wavelengths and appear coloured. Without UV they flip back to their original, uncoloured state. You can investigate the properties of UV with the beads. Can you reflect it with a mirror? Do artificial lights make UV? Does glass or clear plastic block it? Do your sunglasses block it? (they should or you risk eye disease).

UV LED light and security pen - Astronomers study huge clouds of gas by looking at the fluorescent glow caused by UV given out by hot stars. You can recreate this effect by writing your name with the invisible pen and then see it when illuminated with UV. Some other materials also fluoresce in UV - some rocks, parts of bank notes, use this light to help control the amount of UV in experiments with the UV beads. Be careful not to stare directly into the LED as it can damage your eyes.

IR thermometer - Astronomers use infrared to find out about stars, clouds of gas, planets and much more. You ran find out about the temperature of anything you point this instrument at. There are lots of science investigations you can do with it. Which bit of your body is hottest? Design an experiment comparing the conductivity of different metals. What is the temperature of clouds, the daytime sky, the night time sky? Use you imagination to design a scientific investigation.

Glass prism - as used by the young Isaac Newton in 1666 when he worked out that white light was made of a spectrum of colours. Try repeating his experiment.

Spherical mirror - a little bit of SALT! The giant telescope has 91 mirrors like this, each of which is a metre across. You can use it to reflect images onto white paper. It's not absolutely sharp. That's a problem with spherical mirrors.SALT uses a special spherical aberration corrector system to bring light to a precise focus. Calculate the mirror's area and compare it to SALT's. The North and South loan reflector telescopes use parabolic curved mirrors which do bring light to a focus without correctors.

Night Sky Atlas space science book - this new, award wining book will help explain many aspects of space and stimulate learners to want to see things for themselves. The clear plastic overlays to a selection of constellation photos add to this resources eye popping appearance.

Packet of silver foil stars - Make constellation picture by sticking these on black paper

European Space Agency (ESA) Hubble DVD and posters and booklets - this fantastic DVD covers many aspects of space science and shows the achievements of the greatest telescope ever.

ESA Astronomy Exercises CDROM - for those at grade 12 who love a difficult mathematical challenge

ESA and NASA SOHO posters, CDROM and 3D postcards - lots of resources to help you do projects about the Solar System