Cosmic Explorers- The Space and Astronomy Club
Astronomy has always had a unique ability to capture the imagination and curiosity of students. It provides a gateway to learning about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in an engaging and inspiring way, thereby enhancing scientific literacy. Studying the cosmos helps students appreciate the interconnectedness of Earth with the wider Universe, promoting a sense of global citizenship.
By making astronomy accessible, interactive and integrated with other subjects, we, as educators can ignite a lifelong interest in the wonders of the universe and the pursuit of scientific knowledge in our students.
Welcome to the Club’s third session which had Mr Parag Gore from the Box of Science who helped us explore stars, one of the most fascinating and fundamental aspects of the Universe as the 65 odd members embarked on a journey to explore these celestial wonders that have captivated human imagination for millennia!!
We started the session by understanding the how and why of the stars as we delved into the different types of stars and their life cycles, from their birth in stellar nurseries to the eventual demise and finally discussing their roles in the broader context of the Universe, including their influence on the formation of galaxies and the creation of elements essential for life. The second part of the session just got more interesting and exciting as the students immersed themselves in a hands-on activity by creating a Stellarium and a Star Projection Box.
The Stellarium Kit provided to each student included materials and instructions for the students to create their own mini planetarium, helping them visualize and understand the arrangement and movement of stars in the sky. The Star Projection Box, a dedicated model allowed the students to project star patterns onto surfaces, simulating the night sky indoors. The kit also included an Educational Booklet which contained information about major stars, constellations, and astronomical phenomena.
The guided sessions enabled the students not only to design and construct their own Stellaria, explore different constellations and learn to identify them in the night sky, thereby fostering a lifelong interest in the study of the Universe but also, proclaim that they are indeed made to reach for the stars!
-Jyothi Shyam
(For Cosmic Explorers Club)
