Choose an observatory’s job

20 minutes · Paper · Pencil

Your investigation

1. Write three goals: study a faint galaxy, inspect a nearby planet, and detect light absorbed by Earth’s air.
2. For each goal, list a useful property, such as a larger collecting mirror, stable pointing, or placement above the atmosphere.
3. Draw your observatory and label where light is collected and where it is measured.
4. Write a safety label: “Never point at the Sun. This drawing is not a guide to building a solar telescope.”

Think, draw, explain

Compare your explanation with the grown-up answer guide after you have tried.