Finding the Stars

[45 Minutes]

For untold thousands of years, people have traced the outlines of familiar objects among the stars. These patterns in the night sky are called constellations, from the Latin words meaning together and stars. Learn to recognize a few common constellations with this homemade stargazer.

You'll need:

• coffee can with a plastic lid • can opener • black paint • paintbrush • cardboard • scissors • masking tape • flashlight • sandpaper • push pin (tack) or pen • hammer (ADULT SUPERVISION)

What to do:

1. If possible, print out these directions. Read them together before you begin.
2. Together, gather everything you’ll need and always remember science and art safety.
3. To make a "star finder" out of a coffee can, help your child carefully remove both ends of the can using a can opener.
4. Save the plastic lid.
5. Help your child hammer the rough edges at the ends of the can to smooth them out.
6. Encourage her to paint the inside black and let it dry.
7. Cover one end of the can with cardboard. Tape it on securely.
8. Together with your child, look through a book of constellations or another type of resource such as an encyclopedia or the Internet to find out what the different constellations look like and how they got their names.
9. Using a tack or pen point, carefully poke holes in the cardboard, making a pattern that resembles a constellation.
10. Show your child how to rub sandpaper over the holes to smooth them.
11. Help her cut a hole in the plastic lid large enough for the top of a flashlight to fit through.
12. Put the plastic lid back on the open end of the can.
13. Put the flashlight top through the can lid and into the can, facing the cardboard cover.
14. Turn out the lights. Turn on the flashlight, and aim it at the ceiling.
15. You have created a unique planetarium!

How to use:

1. On a clear night, go outside with your child to search for the same constellation in the night sky.
2. Ask her these questions:

   Why do you think that from one place on Earth different constellations are seen at different times of the year?
   Why do you think Polaris is such a special star in the study of constellations?

Useful information:

"On summer nights my brothers and I like to look at the sky to watch for shooting stars. Our step dad helped us make this stargazer. It was really very interesting to learn about the constellations. We can now look up into the sky and know the names of some of the stars." (Katie, age 11)