Today’s homework. A bigger story.
Pick a topic, meet the people behind the ideas, and try something together.
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How is a picture of the sky different from the sky itself?
Explore stars & sky maps with Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, then try the activity below.
The legacy behind the lesson
Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi was a Persian astronomer of the tenth century.
He wrote about the design of constellation images for celestial globe makers.
His work on constellation images influenced readers in the Muslim world and in Europe.
“How is a picture of the sky different from the sky itself?”
Keep a sky notebook
Gather: Paper, a pencil, and a grown-up.
- 1
Choose a safe place to look at the evening sky with a grown-up.
- 2
Draw the Moon if it is visible. Write the date and time beside your drawing.
- 3
Look again on another evening from the same place. Add a second drawing.
- 4
Compare what you noticed. Which questions would need more observations?
Never look directly at the Sun. Watch from the ground with a grown-up.
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