Let's Explore Stars!
Next time it's dark, why don't you look up!
Even if we can't go into space we can still learn a lot about it from right here on the ground.
Guess the Constellation
Have you ever looked at the stars at night and imagined pictures in them? Long, long ago, other people did the same! They named groups of stars after animals and characters from their stories.
Stars and Stories
Have you ever looked at the stars at night and seen pictures in them? The imaginary pictures in the stars are called constellations.
Stars That Go Bang!
Supernovae are exploding stars which increase in brightness very suddenly and unexpectedly.
Stellar informant
Star clusters are large groups of stars. These clusters provide fantastic (in fact, out of this world(!)) laboratories for us to study populations of stars.
Thebe Medupe
Occupation: Astrophysicist & Ethno-astronomer
Year born: 1973
Research Areas: Variable Stars
Lisa Harvey-Smith
Occupation: Astrophysicist, Author, TV Presenter, Australian Government Women in STEM Ambassador
Year born: 1979
Silvia Torres-Peimbert
Occupation: Astronomer & Former President of the International Astronomical Union
Year born: 1940
Research Areas: Nebulae & Star Birth
Pair the Stages of a Star
Though they shine for many thousands, and even millions of years, stars do not last for ever. They ignite, burn, and then run out of fuel and go out.
Can you match the images of each stage of a star's existence to the correct description?