Activity

Measure the Age of Ancient Cosmic Explosions

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Supernova explosions mark the end of a star's life. Guide the class through an investigation that uses data to calculate the age of a supernova remnant. Using provided data and online software, they analyze data to determine the radius of the remnant and then make a series of calculations before settling on its age.

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Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Combine with additional investigations from the same publisher 
  • Have pupils download the necessary software in advance to save class time for the activity
Classroom Considerations
  • Expects a solid understanding of data collection and analysis
Pros
  • Provides all necessary materials and data
  • Includes an answer key for quick grading
Cons
  • None