Learning resource
How big is the Universe?
Royal Observatory astronomer Liz shows us the expanding nature of the Universe and how this affects the light reaching us from distant galaxies, some of which will remain forever hidden from our view.
Learning resource
Galaxy Statistics
A classifying and plotting activity based on the Citizen Science project Galaxy Zoo which explores issues of sample size and personal bias as well as the distribution of galaxy types in the Universe.
Learning resource
Fruit Solar System
This classroom activity helps students grasp the various sizes of planets in our Solar System using mostly fruit and can be joined with activity demonstrated in the Solar System in a Box video.
Learning resource
Formation of the Solar System
A classroom activity in which students learn about the main steps in the formation of our Solar System by completing a crossword and creating their own comic strip.
Learning resource
Forces on a Space Probe
A classroom activity in which students learn about the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces and how they are considered when designing a space probe to land safely on another planet or moon.
Learning resource
Finding the Mass of the Black Hole in the Milky Way
Students use Kepler's 3rd law to calculate the mass of the supermassive black hole in the core of the Milky Way. Accompanies the video 'What's inside a black hole?'.
Learning resource
Exotic matter in the Solar System
Students calculate the mass of dark matter in the solar system and compare that to the amount of dark energy present.
Learning resource
Drawing Orbits
A drawing activity in which students visualise the elliptical orbits of the planets and, optionally, study their geometry using basic algebra.
Learning resource
Cosmological Redshift
Students use the Doppler formula to calculate the redshift of a distant galaxy and the size of the Universe when light first left the galaxy. Accompanies the video 'How big is the Universe?'.