Astronomy and Space Demonstrations

Astronomy is the study of celestial objects and the universe beyond Earth. This category introduces key concepts about planets, stars, galaxies, and space exploration. Learning about astronomy and space helps students consider humanity’s place in the wider cosmos.

Demonstration	Materials	Difficulty	Safety	Summary
Balloon Expanding Universe	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	This demonstration uses a balloon with stickers or dots to represent galaxies and drawn waves to represent light. As the balloon inflates, the galaxies move farther apart and the waves stretch, modeling how the universe expands and how lightwaves are redshifted over cosmic distances.
Colour and Temperature of Stars	★★★	★★☆	★★☆	A lamp connected to a variable resistor demonstrates how the color of light changes with temperature, helping to explain why cooler stars appear red while hotter stars shine white or blue.
Coriolis Effect Balloon	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	This activity models the Coriolis effect using a rotating balloon to represent Earth. Students attempt to draw straight lines from the poles toward the equator while the balloon spins, showing how Earth’s rotation makes paths appear to curve. The demonstration helps explain the deflection of winds, ocean currents, and large weather systems.
Doppler Ball	★★★	★☆☆	★☆☆	A Doppler ball contains a speaker that emits a constant tone. When the ball is thrown or swung on a string, the pitch of the sound changes due to the Doppler Effect, demonstrating how relative motion alters perceived frequency.
Doppler Effect with Water Waves	★★☆	★★☆	★☆☆	The Doppler Effect can be modeled using water waves. When a source of ripples moves through still water, the wavefronts bunch up in front of the moving source and spread out behind, showing how relative motion affects wave frequency.
Dry Ice Comet	★★★	★★☆	★★☆	Dry ice is combined with water, dirt, and other ingredients to make a model comet. The mixture forms an icy clump that produces jets of gas when exposed to light and heat, simulating how real comets behave near the sun.
Earth's Tile and the Seasons	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	The Earth’s tilt and orbit around the Sun is modelled with a globe and lamp to investigate why seasons occur. By observing changes in day length, sun angle, and heating effects at different latitudes, students explore how axial tilt causes the seasons.
Elastic Band Universe	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	This demonstration models the expansion of the Universe using a rubber band with dots or washers to represent galaxies. As the band is stretched, all the dots move apart, showing that galaxies recede from each other in proportion to their distance.
Globe and Heat Lamp Seasons Model	★★★	★☆☆	★☆☆	A globe, heat lamp, and infrared thermometer are used to demonstrate how the tilt of the Earth’s axis causes the seasons. Students measure and compare temperature changes in different hemispheres to model seasonal variation.
Gravity Visualized	★☆☆	★★☆	★☆☆	Stretching fabric over a frame to create a “spacetime” surface lets students see how mass curves space and guides motion. By placing heavy and light objects on the fabric and rolling marbles, the class can model orbits, accretion, tides, and even visualize gravitational waves.
Impact Craters	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Projectiles are dropped into a tray of powder to observe crater size, shape, and ejection patterns.
Inverse Square Law With Balloon	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students use an inflating balloon to model how light spreads out as distance from the source increases. By measuring how a square drawn on the balloon stretches with inflation, they visualize the inverse square law, which explains why spacecraft need larger solar panels when farther from the Sun.
Measure the Earth	★★☆	★★☆	★☆☆	Using a stick, a measuring tape, and basic geometry, students can replicate Eratosthenes’ ancient experiment to measure the size of the Earth. By measuring the length of a stick’s shadow during the equinox, they calculate Earth’s circumference with surprising accuracy.
Modeling the Difference Between Rotation and Revolution	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	This activity helps students distinguish between rotation and revolution using models, body movement activities
Modeling Solar and Lunar Eclipses	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students build a physical model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to demonstrate how solar and lunar eclipses occur. Using a torch, a styrofoam ball, and a foil-covered Moon model, they explore the alignment needed for eclipses and understand why only certain locations on Earth experience them.
Phases of the Moon	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students model the phases of the Moon using a lamp, a styrofoam ball, and movement to simulate Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. This activity helps explain why the Moon’s appearance changes over the month and allows students to observe the lunar cycle themselves.
Scale Model of the Solar System	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students calculate and build a scale model of the solar system using beads, string, chalk, or yard markers to represent planet distances, sizes, or both. The activity demonstrates the vast differences in planetary distances and diameters, helping students grasp the scale of our solar system.

Materials
★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
★★☆ Available in most school laboratories or specialist stores
★★★ Requires materials not commonly found in school laboratories

Difficulty
★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
★★☆ Available in most school laboratories or specialist stores
★★★ Requires a more experienced teacher

Safety
★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required
★★☆ Some safety precautions required to perform safely
★★★ Only to be attempted with adequate safety procedures and trained staff