Leaning on an Axis Materials Required: Nine pencils Modeling clay Toothpicks Paper Protractor Research books Adhesive tape Hardbound book The sun’s planets more or less rotate on the same flat plane. This plane is an imaginary line that can be drawn through the earth’s orbit. Consider the sun being in the center of a large plane, with all the planets placed on the plane around it. If you could also draw...

Tracking the Sun Materials Required: A cardboard box Thin poster board Adhesive tape Safety pin A brick A sunny day Scissors Unlined white paper Clock Pencil An adult handling a penknife When the sun seems to move across the sky everyday, it actually means that the earth turns on its axis. With the help of a special charting box, we can actually track this movement for a long period of time....

Earth’s Hemispheres Materials Required: Pencil and paper Postage Research materials The imaginary line around the center of the earth is known as the “Equator”. The Equator divides the earth into two parts, known as “Hemispheres”. Due to the earth’s tilt on the axis, the Northern Hemisphere has summer, when the southern one has winter and viceversa. While the most famous star in the Southern Hemisphere is the Southern Cross, the Northern...

Distance to The Moon Materials Required: Pencil and paper Research material Have you ever imagined a spaceship that runs on pedal power, such as a bicycle? Then try to imagine a road going from the earth to the moon. Had you been able to pedal at the rate-of around 10 kmph, how long do you think it would take you to go to the moon? Find out the distance between the...

Discovering Comets Materials Required: Pencil and paper There are generally many people who enjoy looking at the stars and incidentally these are only the people who discover comets. The labeling of a new comet is done by attaching the year of its discovery along with a letter, which indicates the number of comets that were found in that year. For example, comet 2006D would signify that the comet was the fourth...

Changing Days and Nights Materials Required: Daily newspapers for 7 days Paper and pencil The earth’s rotation causes the Sun to rise and set everyday. This period between the sun rising and setting, is called a ‘day’. However, we hardly check, if the length of a day is always the same. Select a newspaper that states the time of the sun’s rising and setting everyday, as also the moon rise and...

Aspiring Astronauts Materials Required: Friends Arts and craft supplies Research materials Pencil and paper The solar system, starting from the sun comprises of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Now for our analysis, take any planet of your choice. With the help of your research materials, encyclopaedias and even the internet, find out as much as you can, about the planet that you have chosen. Note down...

Phases of The Moon Materials Required: Modeling clay A cardboard paper towel roll A clear evening and a full moon night Moon timetable A table A watch A cardboard measuring about one square foot Pencil and paper The moon is constantly moving in the sky, taking a time of about 27.33 days to make one whole journey around the earth. It should also be remembered that it is just not the...