Beyond the Solar System Exploring Galaxies, Black Holes, Alien Planets, and More; A History with 21 Activities

by Carson, Mary Kay

• ISBN13: 9781613745441
• ISBN10: 1613745443
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-06-01
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Summary

Tracing the evolution of humankind's pursuit of astronomical knowledge, this resource looks deep into the furthest reaches of space. Children will follow along as the realization that the Earth is not at the center of the universe leads all the way up to recent telescopic proof of planets orbiting stars outside the solar system. In addition to its engaging history, this book contains 21 hands-on projects to further explore the subjects discussed. Readers will build a three-dimensional representation of the constellation Orion, see how the universe expands using an inflating balloon, and construct a reflecting telescope out of a makeup mirror and a magnifying glass. It also includes small biographies of famous astronomers, a time line of major scientific discoveries, a glossary of technical terms, and dozens of full-color images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Author Biography

Mary Kay Carson has written more than 30 nonfiction books for children, including The Bat Scientists, Exploring the Solar System, and The Wright Brothers for Kids. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Note to Readers

Time Line

1: Pre-History–1600: Stargazers to Scientists

            Find Polaris

            Ptolemy on a Plate

            Make an Astrolabe

            Get Ready to Star Watch

2: 1600s: Telescopes and Gravity

            The Power of Lenses

            Make a Reflecting Telescope

            Split White Light

3: 1700s–1800s: Unveiling the Stars

            Make a 3D Starscape

            Milky Way on Edge

            Handy Sky Distances

4: 1915–1940: Space-Time Tricks, Island Universes, and the Biggest Bang

            Warp Some T-Shirt Space-Time

            A Toy with No Equal

            Sweet Twisted Space-Time

            Expand a Balloon-iverse

5: 1930s–1970s: Discovering the Invisible: Quasars, Pulsars, and Black Holes

            Track Down Interference

            Make a Radio Picture

            Make a Pulsar

            Make a Black Hole

6: 1980s–2010s: Frothy Galaxies, Alien Planets, and Dark Energy

            Soap Up Some Galaxy Clusters

            Our Galactic Group in 3D

            Track Down Exoplanets

Glossary

Resources

Index