The Tech Savvy Teacher - Stellar Observations

Star light, star bright, first star I see to…day? That’s right – thanks to the free computer software program Stellarium, we can view the earth, moon, and space at any time and any place – including during the daylight hours and inside! This technological marvel is ideal for stargazing; but more importantly, it is perfect for use in elementary science!

To get a better idea of just how exceptionally this software can enhance the elementary classroom, we turn to Lindsay Priday and Charla Teaford, both sixth grade teachers at Provo Elementary. “We were elated with the implications of Stellarium’s use in our astronomy lessons,” says Teaford. “But we decided to collaborate to try this program for ourselves before introducing it to our students.” The teachers were thrilled to learn that Stellarium allows users to view Earth and space at any date, time, and location. Intending to test Stellarium for classroom applications, Priday and Teaford decided to conduct an experiment that employed nighttime observations. “Astronomy lessons have often been difficult in the past. The students understandably want to personally observe the moon and space, but it is just not possible to perform such experiments because of the daylight during the school hours,” explains Teaford. “We were really hopeful that our experiment could prove that Stellarium can be used to study the moon in a more exciting, observable way!”

Priday and Teaford’s experiment was to observe the phases of the moon that occurred during a one-month period and record their findings, using Stellarium. Priday and Teaford set up Stellarium so that they could observe the moon in Provo, Utah at 10 p.m. on January 1-31, 2009. They soon found that the moon was waxing, or becoming more visible to viewers on Earth due to its rotation, at the beginning of the month. It continued to wax until January 11, when there was a full moon. During the next several days, the moon underwent the process of waning, or becoming less visible to viewers on Earth, due to the earth’s rotation. The moon became smaller and smaller until there was a new moon on January 26. The moon then began waxing again. The teachers used Stellarium to take pictures of the moon’s phases for several different days of the month. (Their photos appear below.) Priday and Teaford were incredibly impressed with the way Stellarium enhanced their experiment. “Stellarium was easy to use, and the images were so clear! I really felt like I was observing the moon outdoors!” exclaims Priday.

January 1

January 5

January 11

January 13

January 26

January 31

The teachers were anxious to use this experiment as a science lesson in their classrooms. They divided their students into groups and had them conduct their astronomy experiment using Stellarium. The experiment was a complete success! “My students told me that they were so excited to be able to view the moon while it was still light outside, and to make their observations inside our warm classroom,” Priday comments. “They thoroughly enjoyed being able to view the moon from their fingertips. An additional benefit was that the students could make their observations in one sitting – not over the course of 31 days. They were able to observe the moon’s phases during the entire month of January in less than one hour.”

Indeed, Stellarium is an ideal asset for any elementary classroom. It provides both teachers and students with the opportunity to observe the earth, moon, and space for any date, time, and location. Stellarium allows them to conduct astronomy experiments inside, during the school day. Normally lengthy experiments can be performed in short periods of time. The program is free of charge. And Stellarium is just plain fun! Sixth-grader Rachel Borrow from Provo Elementary sums it up best: “I love to look at the moon! Stellarium is so cool – I give it five stars!”