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Using Light to Study Planets Lesson Plan

A brightly colored map of Western Australia created using data from a Landsat satellite.
This image of Western Australia was created using image data captured by the Landsat-8 satellite. Enhancing various portions of the image captured in different wavelengths and then reassembling them highlights the rich sediment and nutrient patterns in a tropical estuary area and makes complex patterns and conditions in vegetated areas more visible and distinguishable. Image credit: NASA/USGS Landsat; Geoscience Australia. Source: Landsat gallery.
NASA/USGS Landsat; Geoscience Australia
Levels
  • Intermediate (6-8)
  • Advanced (9-12+)
Material Type
  • Lesson Plan
Heliophysics Big Ideas
  • Big Idea 2.3 – The Sun is the primary source of light…
NGSS
  • ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe
  • PS4 - Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Heliophysics Topics
  • Spectroscopy
  • Light
  • Electromagnetic Spectrum
Material Cost per Learner $1 – $5
Language English

In this activity, students build a spectrometer using basic materials to observe light emitted and absorbed by several sources. This hands-on construction project serves as a model for how NASA uses spectroscopy to determine the nature of elements found on Earth and other planets. Students learn fundamental principles of light analysis while creating their own functional scientific instrument. For higher grades, this activity can extend to discuss advanced spectroscopic topics, including how NASA research advances spectroscopic techniques to study plant life on Earth and atmospheric composition of distant worlds.

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