Classroom Resource – Exoplanets in a Box – Modelling exoplanet transits
Brief description: During these activities, students will work in small groups to model the transit of an exoplanet in front of its host star using
Brief description:
In this set of activities, students will learn how scientists study exoplanets with satellites like Cheops (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite), using the transit method. Students will build their own model exoplanetary system, then observe and interpret model light curves.
Assembly instructions for three different transit models are provided: turntable (simple), rover (intermediate) and 3D printed (advanced).
This activity is part of a series that includes “Exoplanets in Transit” where students analyse real data from ESA’s Cheops satellite and “Exoplanet in a box” where students build a transit model inside a shoebox and calculate the size of an exoplanet.
Subject:
Science, Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy
Learning Objectives:
Age range:
14 – 19 years old
Time
Lesson: 60 minutes
Resource available in:
English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.
Activity 1: Introduction to Exoplanets
In this activity, students will be introduced to exoplanets, the transit method and Cheops through a series of questions and discussion exercises.
Approximate distance between Earth and Proxima Centauri
Keywords:
Brief description: During these activities, students will work in small groups to model the transit of an exoplanet in front of its host star using
Brief description: In this set of activities students will learn how scientists study exoplanets with telescopes, using the transit method. Students will characterise exoplanets using