Cosmic Frontiers: Unlocking Universe Mysteries with JWST

Imagine space stretching out forever, but we can only see so far! That's the observable universe. This mission will help you visualize just how much of the universe we can see, and how light helps us understand its vastness.

The Big Question

How does light tell us about the size and age of the universe?

What You'll Need

• A large, dark room (or nighttime outdoors)
• A flashlight (one per person if possible)
• A willing helper

Mission Steps

1. Shine Your Light. Stand in your dark room or outside at night. Turn off all other lights.
2. See the Reach. Turn on your flashlight. Look at how far the beam travels and what it illuminates. This is like our observable universe.
3. Helper's View. Have your helper stand far away from you and shine their flashlight back at you. Notice how small their light appears from your perspective.
4. Shrink the Source. Now, imagine the flashlight is a star or galaxy. The farther away it is, the fainter and smaller its light appears to us.

Talk About It

• What did you notice about the flashlight beam in the dark?
• How was the light from your helper different from your own light?
• How is shining a flashlight like looking at stars with a telescope?

Take It Further

For older rangers, try timing how long it takes for the light from your flashlight to hit a wall across the room. Then, imagine that distance is a light-year. How many "room-lengths" do you think a light-year would be in actual space? Research how long it takes light from the Sun to reach Earth.

FAQ

Q: My child is too young to understand light-years. How can I explain this? A: Focus on the idea that light travels. The farther away something is, the longer its light takes to reach us, so we see it as it was a long time ago, like looking at old photos! Q: What if it's not dark enough outside? A: You can still do this mission indoors! A large, dark room works just as well to demonstrate how light travels and becomes fainter with distance.