Girl ScoutsCadetteGrades 6-8

Space Science Researcher

Light from the stars

See how much more a telescope reveals, explore light we cannot see, read stars by their color and temperature, think about what bigger telescopes find, and measure what light pollution hides, with Night Sky Lab. Covers all five steps of the Cadette Space Science Researcher badge.

Time
About 2 hours, in two sittings
Steps
5 badge steps, 3 of them in Night Sky Lab
You need
A computer, Chromebook or tablet. A clear night and a grown-up for the outdoor parts. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one scout: every step, the Night Sky Lab activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the scout's own work.

Orion up close, with orange Betelgeuse, blue-white Rigel and orange Aldebaran each circled to compare star colors.

Badge requirements: the 5 steps

  1. 1What more can you see?In Night Sky LabA telescope gathers more light than your eye. Zoom in and find more than you could before.
  2. 2Explore "invisible" lightRead and quizVisible light is one band in a much wider spread called the electromagnetic spectrum.
  3. 3See the stars in a new wayIn Night Sky LabA star's color is a thermometer. Read the stars by their light.
  4. 4Expand your visionRead and quizBigger telescopes and new kinds of light keep expanding what we know.
  5. 5Conserve the night skyIn Night Sky LabLight pollution hides most stars from people in cities. Measure what it costs.
Night Sky Lab: the evening sky facing north, with the place and time at the top, the time strip at the bottom, and zoom buttons.
Each step shows how Night Sky Lab works, then opens it with a checklist that ticks as the work gets done.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One scout

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • Night Sky Lab activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the scout's own work: your star readings and your dark sky findings

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Leaders: unlock it for the whole troop

One payment and one code. Each scout types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What are the requirements for the Girl Scout Cadette Space Science Researcher badge?

The badge has 5 steps: 1. What more can you see?; 2. Explore "invisible" light; 3. See the stars in a new way; 4. Expand your vision; 5. Conserve the night sky. This kit covers all 5, with activities that check the work as it is done.

Is there a printable version?

Yes. Once unlocked, the whole lesson prints, one step at a time, for a meeting or a table. Printing is optional: every step also works on screen, and a sample certificate PDF is on this page.

What does a scout need?

A computer, Chromebook or tablet. A clear night and a grown-up for the outdoor parts. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed. About 2 hours, in two sittings.

Can a troop leader get it for the whole troop?

Yes. A troop pack is one payment and one code: up to 12 scouts for $20, or up to 30 scouts for $35. Each scout types the code on their own computer and gets their own certificate, and the leader's pack page shows who has started and finished.

Is this an official Girl Scouts product?

No. MYTEK Lab makes the kit, and Girl Scouts badge names and steps are used with permission of Girl Scouts of the USA. The troop leader awards the badge; the certificate shows the scout did the work, with a number the leader can check.

All badge kits · Find kits and certificates you bought

Girl Scouts badge names and steps are used with permission of Girl Scouts of the USA. This kit is made by MYTEK Lab; the badge is awarded by the troop.