Assistance Required please for Stargazing Live

[Tink_Archived]

Ladies and Gents

I am hoping some of you can help me please.

I help run a Cub Scout group and the week after next we are going to do the Astronomy badge in conjunction with Stargazing live on the TV.

I have to keep about 25 Children interested for about 90 mins I have 3 Telescopes so they can do some stargazing ( hopefully if the skies are clear) but while some are doing this with the others I want to run a small presentation on our solar system ... planets etc etc

I have access to a pc/mac and also one of those projectors that goes into it ... My intention is to show a few short films ..where we do cubs there is no wifi so I need to be able to download the videos

So does anyone have any links to videos that may be suitable to use for 8-11 year olds

I saw a video some time ago which showed the size of planets in our system comparing it to other planets and suns gradually going up to white / brown stars etc and ended with a quote saying if a jumbo jet could fly around this star it would take 3000 + years or something

Any suggestions or Ideas would be very much appreciated

Thanks in advance

[carldr]

Hi Tink,

I think the video you mentioned is this one :

I would also recommend this one too, to help demonstrate the massive scale of the Universe :

.

(Edit: There seems to be a more modern version narrated by Morgan Freeman :

. I say more modern, it was made when there were still 9 planets!)

I'm afraid I'll have to defer to other members' knowledge on how to download them to your Mac/PC so you can watch them offline.

I would also take a look at Stellarium, which is a planetarium program. I'm sure I've seen "tours" set up in it, so it's like you're taking a flight through the solar system. Again, I'll have to defer to superior knowledge!

You could also use Stellarium to show, for example, Jupiter and the Galilean moons at the exact time they look through the telescope, so they know which moons are which.

It's a shame you're not closer, I would love to volunteer to help. Perhaps I should look up a local group.

Regards,

Carl.

[barkis]

A Planetarium programme on the PC would be a great tool

Starry Night, Stellarium, which is a free download.

Good Luck on the night anyway.

Ron.

[Tink_Archived]

Thank you for that

A few of the leaders at our group have smart phones so we can show the kids Star walk and similar apps to identify planets etc

the stellarium walk through is a good idea ..

Have saved the links to the vids you posted and shall look later hopefully they will throw up some links to other good videos

Cub groups are always looking for leaders and help ... we are very fortunate at our group as there are 5 leaders and also a few older scouts / D of E volunteers that pop in on a regular basis It is very rewarding though .... especially when I see some of the lads that were there when I 1st started helping now going to University etc

[mallorcasaint]

Here's a great little video for kids!

Also a good vid here:

[Kai]

I have offered to help my boys Cub Scout Troop with their Astronomy badge and whilst having a Google i found this site

Star-Finder.ca - Enjoy your new Star Finder!

Gives them something to make and use

[Tink_Archived]

Thank you for that been looking for a good planishere to print out and give them

[Jove]

Showing Stellarium is a good idea... I wonder if you could hook it up to a video projector to cover a whole wall?

[montezuma110]

As far as downloading the videos, I think if you have real player installed there is a feature built into that will download the video as a .flv, which is playable in real player it's self. Here's a link to a website that describes better - How to Download Youtube and Other Online Videos using Real Player?

Star walk is definitely a great idea, it's good to tell people a few facts about what they are looking at.

Hope all goes well, fingers crossed for clear skies

[Tink_Archived]

Showing Stellarium is a good idea... I wonder if you could hook it up to a video projector to cover a whole wall?

That shouldn't be a problem ... its already on laptop and borrowed projector from work .. we have a blank wall 20' x 30'