Now an 8-year tradition, the Science Alliance moon measurement project at Longfellow continues! IIT astrophysicist Dr. Sally Laurent-Muehleisen taught all the 3rd grade students to build their own astrolabes, a navigational device ancient mariners used to measure the height of stars (particularly the North Star) above the horizon. The day had fast moving clouds, so the kids had to work quickly to sight and measure the moon! They worked in pairs, with one child holding the astrolabe and finding the moon, and the second actually measuring the angle (20 degrees!). The kids also drew the moon they observed.
Thanks to Dr. Sally — and to photographer Paul Goyette for capturing the magic of the project.
Click on slideshow below to see all the photos.
