Cool Cosmos
(coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/)
Grade K-9, with parental supervision
At this website, IPAC at Caltech has taken the science of infrared astronomy and made it accessible to students of all ages through a variety of free educational activities, web tutorials, lessons, videos, experiments, and resources that explain the infrared universe.
This site provides free classroom activities, lessons, tutorials, image galleries, games, and resources that can be used to satisfy the curiosity of anyone interested in learning about the universe.
When you get to the site, browse the featured categories of:
- Infrared World – Find out the role of infrared light in Veterinary Science, Geology, Art, Firefighting, Search and Rescue, Environmental Monitoring, Archaeology, and more!
- Infrared Universe – Discover how infrared light helps scientists explore the solar system, the Milky Way, and other galaxies.
- Infrared Missions – Indulge in infrared astronomy through an array of images from telescopes worldwide. You can also explore a gallery of infrared images and check out a timeline on infrared technology.
- Ask an Astronomer - Text and video answers to questions such as:
- Why is the sky blue?
- What will happen to the Earth when the Sun dies?
- How do you discover an asteroid?
- What is the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way?
- Why isn’t Pluto a planet any more?
- What is a brown dwarf?
- What causes an eclipse of the moon?
- Galleries – Check out amazing infrared images of the world and the universe
Use the menu at the top of the page and click on the “Teachers” link to find:
- Infrared Lesson Plans
- Infrared Posters & Printouts
- NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP)
- Other Astronomy Imagery, Lesson Plans, and Resources
Through this website, you’ll discover that “to study the cool cosmos, infrared light is our window into the heat of the coolest things around.”
