5 Ways to Celebrate Astronomy Day

3. Sun Clock

Like the universe, the sun can also serve as the center of your Astronomy Day activities – if weather permits.

Before everyone wore a watch, people estimated what time of day it was by using the sun’s position in the sky. But a sun can still act as a clock – all you need is a paper plate and a pencil.

Have students decorate their plates to resemble a clock, then push a pencil through a hole in the middle of the plate. Head outside, where the “12” should be pointed north. See where the shadow lies and determine the time, remembering that the shadow represents the hour hand of a clock.

You can also become a human clock – just stand in a circle, face north, and determine where the shadow line falls!