Learning kitGrades 6-8

Science: astronomy and light

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. Ages 11 to 14 or grades 6 to 8.

Time
About 2 hours, in two sittings
Steps
5 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 learner: every step, the Night Sky Lab activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the learner's own work.

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

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 learner

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 learner'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?
Co-ops and classes: unlock it for a group

One payment and one code. Each learner 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 does the learner do in Light from the stars?

It 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. 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. Ages 11 to 14 or grades 6 to 8.

What age is it for?

Grades 6-8. About 2 hours, in two sittings.

What is needed?

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.

Is there a certificate?

Yes. A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work, for your records or a portfolio. It is not course credit.

All learning kits · Find kits and certificates you bought