Download Star Distances on a Map

Star Distances on a Map
Using a map to illustrate distances between stars.
Topics: Star Distances,
Scale & Proportions
Modeling
Materials List
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Map of local city or
region (so students
can recognize nearby
locations)
Star Distances
Worksheet (page 2)
Optional: Travel
Times Worksheet
(page 3)
This activity can be used
to teach:
Next Generation Science
Standards:
 Science &
Engineering Practices
(Grades 6-12)
Common Core Math
Standards:
 Ratios & Proportions
(Ratios & Proport.
Relationships, Grade
6, 1-3; Grade 7, 2)
 Reason quantitatively
and use units to solve
problems (High
School, Number and
Quantity, Quantities
1, 2)
 Problem Solving and
Reasoning (Math
Practices Grades 612)
Choose a location on a map to represent the Sun’s location, and then locate points on
the map to illustrate the position of nearby stars. Using a local map helps students to
grasp the enormous distances involved.
To Do and Notice (Suggestion do activity as a class or working in small groups.)
1. Select and mark a location to represent the Solar System. Suggestion: use the
school on a municipality map or the town/city on region or state map.
2. For each star/astronomical object on the Star Distances Worksheet (page 2)
calculate how far away on the map the object would be from location for the
Solar System Use either 1 Light Year (LY) = 5 mm or 1 Light Year (LY) = 0.25
inch as the scale. For example: Sirius is 8 LY from our solar system so:
8 LY X 5 mm = 40 mm or 8 LY X 0.25 inch = 2 inches
1 LY
LY
3. Find communities or landmarks the appropriate distance from the Solar System
(in any direction) for each star/object. Record communities or landmarks that
would represent the distances to the very nearest stars outside our Solar System.
4. NOTE: Students may find that the more distant objects are OFF the map; that is
OK, it helps to establish the idea of the unimaginable distances to stars.
5. Calculate how far these stars/ objects are in kilometer and/or miles.
6. Optional: Calculate how long it would take to travel to each object by light speed,
rocket speed, and jet speed.
The Science Behind the Activity
Modeling of star distances helps students to understand the unimaginable distances
to even the very nearest stars outside our Solar System. Alpha Centauri, 4.3 LY
away, is 9,642 times the distance from the Sun to Neptune (which is 30 times the
distance from the Sun to Earth). Astronomers use the Light Year (LY) as a unit of
distance (not time) to describe star distances. One Light Year is the distance light
travels in one year of time, about 9,500,000,000,000 km (~ 5,800,000,000,000 miles).
In this exercise, most objects used are less than 100 LY away; however stars in our
Milky Way Galaxy are up to 100,000 plus LY away. Stars in other galaxies are
millions and even billions of LY away. Ask the students “Is our Universe large?”
Taking it Further
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Use RAFT Idea Sheet The Closest Stars to create a 3D model of local space.
See RAFT Idea Sheets Planet Beads, Solar System in the Round, Rolling
Around the Solar System, Sun and Planets to Scale, and Planet Orbit Locations
to Scale for solar system related models.
Web Resources (Visit www.raft.net/raft-idea?isid=656 for more resources!)
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Written by Tom Gates (RAFT)
Distance to nearest star - http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/stardist.html
Powers of 10 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0 and
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/
Copyright 2015, RAFT
Star Distances on a Map
Star Distances Worksheet
STAR NAME
Alpha Centauri
Distance in Light
Distance on Map
Community or
Years (LY) from our
(1 LY = 5 mm or
Landmark on
solar system
¼ inch)
map
Distance in Km
Distance in Miles
4
(3 stars)
Bernard’s Star
6
Sirius (brightest star) 8
Altair
16.5
Vega
27
Capella
45
Aldebaran
68
Pleiades Star Cluster
450
Large Cloud-
159,000
Magellan
Andromeda Galaxy
2,300,000
1 Light Year = 9,500,000,000,000 km = 6,000,000,000,000 miles (rounded off)
Star Distances on a Map, page 2
Copyright 2015, RAFT
Star Distances on a Map
Travel Times Worksheet
STAR NAME
Travel Time
Travel Time (at rocket speed) Travel Time (at jet speed)
(at light speed) = L.Y.
Alpha Centauri
(3 stars)
Bernard’s Star
Sirius (brightest star)
Altair
Vega
Capella
Aldebaran
Pleiades Star Cluster
Large CloudMagellan
Andromeda Galaxy
Light speed = 299,793 km/sec (186,282 mph); Light travels 1 LY in one year – by definition
Assume rocket speed = 40,233 km per hour = 25,000 mph (rounded off)
Assume jet speed = 966 km per hour = 600 mph (rounded off)
Star Distances on a Map, page 3
Copyright 2015, RAFT