Welcome to the future of astronomy education! Below, you’ll find a series of themed investigations that provide access to real LSST data, using tools similar to those used by astronomers. Everything is free and accessible through your internet browser, and requires very little preparation time to use. These investigations allow you to do science NOW.
LSST investigations, which are grouped into six science themes, are designed for advanced middle-school through college students. Each one takes approximately 1-2 hours to complete.
Each investigation uses a science notebook that contains interactive tools to access and analyze LSST data. Support and assessment materials for teachers are also included.
Foundational investigations explore the core learning outcomes of each science theme. Extension investigations offer deeper topic development within the theme, but the content and learning outcomes are not necessarily more difficult.
Most of what we know about the Universe comes from the study of light, and LSST will collect light from more distant objects than ever before. How can light be used to measure the temperatures, distances, and ages of objects in space?
Learn MoreIt’s challenging for astronomers to map our galaxy and the Earth’s position in it; imagine trying to draw a picture of your house without ever going outside. LSST will provide a clearer picture of our galaxy from the inside out, and of the local galaxies that interact with ours.
Learn MoreHow do we know the Universe is expanding, and that dark matter is real? LSST data can be used to analyze gravitational lenses, galaxy clusters, and the distances to faraway supernovae to help answer some of these questions.