More About This Resource...

• This Moveable Museum article, available as an eight-page printable PDF file, looks at how astronomers use data to create 3-D models of the universe. It discusses the following four concepts in depth, and provides a reading list for further research:

  • 2-D images cannot show the depth of the 3-D universe
  • our eyes alone cannot judge the distances to objects in space
  • if we know an object's true brightness, we can determine its distance
  • 3-D models help us understand our place in the universe

• Completion Time

  Less than 1 period

• Teacher Tip

  Supplement a study of astronomy with an activity drawn from this Moveable Museum article.

  1. Ask the class what they know about maps of space. How are they created? In what ways are they different from world maps or road maps?
  2. Send students to this online article, or print copies of the essay for them to read.
  3. Have them briefly explain each of the four concepts in their own words.

• Topic

  Astronomy

• Subtopic

  Universe