Sunwatchers of the Southwest

As part of the NASA promoted Sun-Earth Day 2005 "Ancient Observatories" theme, we have developed this activity guide (Sunwatchers of the Southwest) and workshop (Ancient Eyes Looked to the Skies) on archaeoastronomy, focused on the ancient Sun-observing culture of Chaco Canyon in the American Southwest.

Received an Exemplary rating from the NASA 2005 Educational Products Review.

December 2005

A poster on the Solar-B spacecraft, capabilities, and the science it will be used to accomplish.  The poster is 2-sided, with details of the Solar-B mission on the back side.

Teachers and students interested in obtaining a copy can contact Ben Burress at Chabot Space &  Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, CA 94619, (510) 336-7308.   Full-sized, medium-resolution PDF versions may be downloaded from this site (click on image to the right).

August 2004

Touch the Sun

Turn your class into a team of instrument builders and solar astronomers!

Click on the image to access PDF-format activity guides developed for the Touch the Sun workshop at Chabot Space & Science Center.

Received an Exemplary rating from the NASA 2002 Educational Products Review.

November 2002

Spacecrafter: 
Engineering Solar-B

Design a solar satellite, encounter the Sun's mysteries, and discover Solar-B through Spacecrafter: Engineering Solar-B. 

This interactive CDROM was conceived and developed by Chabot Space & Science Center and IO Research Studios, Inc., in colaboration with Lockheed-Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab.  Funded through the Solar-B FPP Education/Public Outreach grant from Lockheed-Martin. 

July 2002

Solar Culture

Explore the Sun through the eyes of ancient peoples.

This poster contains artistic renderings of mythological Sun icons from eight ancient cultures around the world, including a brief account of the related Sun-myth.  This PDF prints well at poster size. 

August, 2004

Electromagnetic Code-Breaker

This activity was developed for the Solar-B summer camp, Fun In The Sun.

Note:  One section--the infrared puzzle--requires a special electronics box and infrared camera.

June 2001

Human Sundial

Build a giant sundial that you become a part of, your own shadow telling the time.

Click here for PDF copy of the Human Sundial.

Note:  The instructions for constructing a Human Sundial given in this activity are specifically for locations at the latitude of the San Francisco Bay area:  approximately 38 degrees North.

If you want to construct a Human Sundial for a different latitude, try our on-line sundial planning tool by clicking here.

The "Sunion"

Fun with scissors and colored paper--while you learn about the anatomy of the Sun. 

Click here for a PDF version of the Sunion.