The Cosmic Zoo Contest
Ready:
The universe contains dozens of objects that range in size from the tiniest particles of space dust to the unfathomable enormity of galactic clusters. They are as diverse as the planet upon which we are standing, the searing infernos of the stars, and the mysterious, perhaps unknowable inner regions of black holes. In this lesson we try to find as many of these cosmic denizens as possible, understand how they formed, and identify their composition and properties
Oh, and the team that finds the most objects will win a prize!
____________________________________________________
Set:
To get warmed-up start by identifying the following objects:
 |
 |
 |
For each object create an entry for your fact sheet that includes the following data:
• Name of object
• Where, relative to Earth, are these these objects found?
• How object formed/origin of object
• Composition of object
• Typical size or size range of object
• Typical mass or mass range of object
• Key properties of object (list any properties that differentiate this class of object or that are particularly unusual or interesting about the object.)
• How many of these objects are there in the universe?
• Will this object affect or be useful in the design and building of our Orbital Space Colony? How?
____________________________________________________
Go:
You can continue your search by accessing the following resources, but feel free to use texts, articles, or any other sources you can think of. Create a Cosmic Zoo web page using Dreamweaver. For each object be sure to include a representative graphic along with relevant facts, links, etc.
At the end of the class we will combine everyone's objects into a super glossary. Your teacher is the final judge of what is a legitimate entry. The student that finds the most entries will be the winner!