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Predict the Corona Activities

NASA HEAT
Levels
  • Intermediate (6-8)
Material Type
  • Activity/Hands-on
Heliophysics Big Ideas
  • Big Idea 1.1 – The Sun is really big…
NGSS
  • ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe
Heliophysics Topics
  • Solar Eclipse
  • Corona
  • Solar Cycle
Material Cost per Learner 1 cent – $1
Language English

These engaging activities focus on solar science and predicting what the corona will look like during the Monday, April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse.

Long before there were cameras, telescopes, or spacecraft, the only opportunity early peoples would have had to view the Sun’s corona was during a total solar eclipse, when the shadow of the Moon completely blocks the bright light of the Sun’s surface. Today, scientists still use total solar eclipses as exciting opportunities to study the corona and the effect of the solar wind on Earth.

  • Activity 1: Observing the Corona Through Time
  • Activity 2: Plotting Sunspots Through the Solar Cycle
  • Activity 3: Predicting the Corona for April 8, 2024, with Chalk Art
  • Activity 4: Total Solar Eclipse Journal
  • Extension Activity: Predict the Corona Cake