Today we know that stars come in different colors, compositions, and ages. By looking at the distribution of different types of stars, we can easily see that there is a plane of new, young, and active stars that surround us. There are also old globular clusters surrounding the galactic center near Sagittarius. Galaxies far beyond the Milky Way are visible in every direction except near the galactic center where they are obscured by galactic dust. Using transparencies, different groups of students place marks in constellations that have the objects listed in the tables.
Groups summarize their data using the overhead for the rest of the class.
Students combine data from all groups on the overhead. Class discusses the three dimensional characteristics of our galaxy. Students complete the student answer sheets. Some of the materials from this activity were developed by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Project STAR Philip Sadler, Project Director. The Nature of the Milky Way - Student Answer Sheet Peering up into the night sky is definitely an awesome sight.