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Project Summary
| Difficulty | 5 |
| Time required | Short (several days) |
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| * Note: This is an abbreviated project idea, without notes to start your background research or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated project ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a project idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk. |
Abstract
| Before You Start: The sun has periods of increased, solar maximum, and decreased, solar minimum, sunspot activity. This 11-year cycle has effects on many types of space weather. Before starting this experiment you should read a bit about the sunspot cycle and determine where we currently are in the cycle. During a solar minimum you may need to rely on historical data (which we tell you how to obtain in the Experimental Procedure) to complete this project. |
Make a pinhole projector (see Measuring the Diameter of the Sun and the Moon). Use the pinhole to project an image of the Sun onto a wall or a piece of paper. Do you notice any dark spots on the projected image? Trace the projected image and count the dark spots. Use your pinhole projector to make images of the Sun at the same time of day for several consecutive days. How does the pattern of spots change? Can you use your data to figure out how fast the Sun rotates? Sunspot activity rises and falls with an 11-year cycle. At this writing (summer, 2006), sunspot activity is at a low point in the cycle, so you may not see any sunspots. You can use satellite images of the Sun for this project instead. See the Science Buddies project Using the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO) to Determine the Rotation of the Sun. For another sunspot-related project, see: Sunspot Cycles. Important Safety Note: Never, ever look directly at the Sun. You can permanently damage your eyes.
Variations
- For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Astronomy Project Ideas.
Last edit date: 2006-12-14 13:49:49
Career Focus
If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring careers in Astronomy.
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Astronomer Astronomers think big! They want to understand the entire universe—the nature of the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, galaxies, and everything in between. An astronomer's work can be pure science—gathering and analyzing data from instruments and creating theories about the nature of cosmic objects—or the work can be applied to practical problems in space flight and navigation, or satellite communications. |
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