Searching for Galaxies
Recommended for: Ages 7 and up
Badges: Ready for Space, Citizen Scientist, Maryland Skies
The Hubble Space Telescope, sometimes just called the Hubble, is an enormous telescope that looks at the universe from space, instead of from here on Earth. It was launched by NASA in 1990. The Hubble helps scientists learn about space by taking pictures of stars, planets, and galaxies.
In this activity, you will explore photos taken by the Hubble and help scientists identify galaxies.
You Will Need
Reliable internet access
Learn about the Hubble Space Telescope and how it helps scientists learn about space:
Watch this video by MocomiKids:
What do you think a galaxy is?
How many galaxies do you think there are in the Universe?
How do you think scientists learn about galaxies?
The Hubble help scientists find galaxies. A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity.
We live on a planet called Earth. Earth is part of a solar system with other planets that orbit around our sun. Our solar system is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way.
Galaxies come in many different sizes and shapes. They can be found alone or in larger groups called clusters. There are three basic types of galaxies.
Spiral Galaxies, like the Milky Way, have curved arms that look like a pinwheel.
Elliptical Galaxies are smooth and shaped like an oval.
Irregular Galaxies are just that, irregular. They often look like blobs.
Now it is time to put your skills into action. Look at telescope images and help scientists identify galaxies.
Follow the directions on the app. Look at the image and answer the questions.
Want to complete this task towards collecting a Wondernaut badge? Share with the Wondernaut Community about your experience identifying galaxies.
Was it easy or was it hard?
What surprised you about the images?
Did you enjoy it?
What do you still wonder about galaxies and telescopes?