The Stargazer’s Notebook: A Yearlong Study of the Night Sky

By Pandia Press

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Curriculum details

  • Aug 5, 2024 - Aug 1, 2025

About

This is a stargazing guidebook for middle and high school students, combined with workbook activities and spaces to record observations. It is part of the REAL Science Odyssey Astronomy Level 2 course, but can be used as a stand-alone stargazing course as well.

The course schedules one stargazing session per month. Each session consists of a lab where students learn about a specific topic, followed by one night of stargazing. On stargazing nights students are asked to start after dark and make three observations, each separated by one hour.

No expensive equipment is required, but you will need to purchase a planisphere (an inexpensive rotating star map). The planisphere recommended in the book can be purchased at www.amazon.com/Night-40%C2%B0-50%C2%B0-Large-Star-Finder/dp/0961320745?&linkCode=ll1&tag=greatboo....

If you are in an urban area, you can find locations with less light pollution at darksky.org/places. A calendar of astronomical events can be found at www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/sights-to-see.html.