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Make a Comet on a Stick Activity

A ball of aluminum foil is attached to a small stick. Ribbons stream out to the right side of the ball.
Levels
  • Introductory (K-5)
  • Intermediate (6-8)
  • Advanced (9-12+)
Material Type
  • Activity/Hands-on
  • Diagram/Illustration
  • Tutorial
Heliophysics Big Ideas
  • Big Idea 1.1 – The Sun is really big…
  • Big Idea 2.2 – The Sun defines the space…
NGSS
  • ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe
  • PS1 - Matter and its Interactions
  • PS2 - Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
  • PS3 - Energy
Heliophysics Topics
  • Corona
  • Coronal Mass Ejection
  • Energy
  • Heliosphere
  • Interstellar Space
  • Solar System
  • Solar Wind
  • Sun
Material Cost per Learner $1 – $5
Language English

A comet is a chunk of ice, rock, and gas flying through space. When they get close to the sun, they heat up, causing the ice and gas to vent off the solid core or "nucleus." When that happens, we can see their glow and long tails. In this activity, students are shown how to make their own model comet using at-home materials.

Find the resource at this link. ↗

Or download the guide below. ↓

Downloads

Make a Comet on a Stick activity guide

Nov 25, 2025

PDF (6.93 MB)