Solar System and Beyond: Student Links
Student Links
Science as a Human Endeavor
To learn more about the interests and accomplishments of diverse scientists and engineers, and how people with varied backgrounds contribute to and depend on the advancement of science and technology, visit the links below.
Solar System and Beyond
Ellen Ochoa
Ochoa was the Hispanic woman to go to space when she served as an astronaut on the space shuttle Discovery in 1993. She is currently the Director of the Johnson Space Center.
Amy Williams
Williams worked on the Mars Science Laboratory mission, which sent the Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars. Her research focuses on evidence of microbial life captured in the rock record.
Mae Jemison
Jemison was the first African American woman to go to space when she served as an astronaut on the space shuttle Endeavor in 1992.
José M. Hernández
Hernández grew up working in the fields of California with his family, where he dreamed of a career in space exploration. His dream came true in 2004, where served as an astronaut on the crew of the Space Shuttle mission STS-128.
Activity 1
Exploring Space
All NASA Missions
This page has links to each of NASA’s missions.
Hubble Space Telescope
The NASA webpage for information on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Apollo Program
The NASA webpage for information on the Apollo Program.
Cassini Mission
The NASA webpage for information on the Cassini Mission.
Curiosity Rover
The NASA webpage for information on the Curiosity Rover.
Activity 2
The Predictable Moon
Moon Phase Calendar
This website lets you see what the Moon’s phases will look like at your location for a specified date. You can also see what time the Moon will rise and set.
Activity 4
Moon Phase Simulation
Moon Phase Simulation
Follow the Procedure in the Student Book as you interact with this computer simulation.
Activity 5
The Moon’s Orbit
Information on Solar Eclipses
You can see images of past solar eclipses as well as the dates of when and locations where the next solar eclipses will occur.
Information on Lunar Eclipses
This site has information on past and upcoming lunar eclipses.
Activity 7
A Year Viewed from Space
SEPUP Seasons Interactive
Follow the Procedure in the Student Book as you interact with this computer simulation.
Sunrise, Sunset, and Sun Angle
This site provides information on when the Sun will rise and set for your location. It also provides information on the Sun’s highest angle in the sky for a given day and location.
Activity 10
Observing Objects in Space
Video: Tonight’s Sky
Every month a new video details what can be observed in the night’s sky for people in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tonight’s Sky
Every week this site is updated with some interesting space objects that can be observed in the night’s sky for that week.
Activity 12
How Big are the Planets?
Scale Model of the Solar System
Use the scale you created in this activity and the latitude and longitude of where you live to see how large your scale solar system model would be if you made both the distances and the sizes of the planets to scale.
Activity 16
Modeling Gravity
Simulation: Modeling Gravity
Follow the Procedure in the Student Book to see if you can figure out the mass of the Sun by using this simulation.