Searching for Galaxies

Recommended for: Ages 7 and up

Badges: Ready for Space, Citizen Scientist, Maryland Skies

The Hubble Space Telescope, sometimes just called the Hubble, is an enormous telescope that looks at the universe from space, instead of from here on Earth. It was launched by NASA in 1990. The Hubble helps scientists learn about space by taking pictures of stars, planets, and galaxies.

In this activity, you will explore photos taken by the Hubble and help scientists identify galaxies.

You Will Need

Reliable internet access

Read/Watch

Learn about the Hubble Space Telescope and how it helps scientists learn about space:

Read this article by NASA

Watch this video by MocomiKids:

Explore

Explore photos that the Hubble has taken here.

Wonder

What do you think a galaxy is?

How many galaxies do you think there are in the Universe?

How do you think scientists learn about galaxies?

Practice

Image courtesy of NASA Science: Space Place

The Hubble help scientists find galaxies. A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity.

We live on a planet called Earth. Earth is part of a solar system with other planets that orbit around our sun. Our solar system is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way.

Galaxies come in many different sizes and shapes. They can be found alone or in larger groups called clusters. There are three basic types of galaxies.

Spiral Galaxies, like the Milky Way, have curved arms that look like a pinwheel.
Elliptical Galaxies are smooth and shaped like an oval.
Irregular Galaxies are just that, irregular. They often look like blobs.

Image courtesy of NASA Science: Space Place