Can we use the stars to navigate if we're actually among them? Space-age scholars explore the precise planning that goes into long-distance exploratory missions using a video from THNKR's Why with Bill Nye! playlist. Bill Nye explains how the Juno probe found its way to Jupiter, as well as the dangers of miscalculation during deep space navigation.

Concepts

jupiter, space exploration, navigation, orbiting, space, distance

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the video to highlight the role of technology in space exploration
• Take learning further by having learners calculate how far away from Jupiter's orbit the probe would be if it strayed off course by a kilometer when leaving Earth
  

Classroom Considerations

• Be sure the class is familiar with orbiting terminology and metric distance measurements 
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The resource shows a graphic representation of how the probe navigates, making it easier for students to comprehend
• Narrator includes historical information about the methods of navigation used by ships' captains, providing a means of comparison to the high-tech navigation methods of today
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2