Astronomy Workshop for Teens: Tracking Sunspots

This program begins with a short lesson on sunspots—what they are, why they form, and how they tell us about solar activity. Participants will then use a Seestar telescope to take their own live pictures of the Sun and identify sunspots in the photos/videos. The Seestar app will be used to connect to the telescope. If the weather is cloudy, we will instead work with today’s real-time solar image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Participants can compare their images with archival ones to track sunspot movement and changes over time. A portion of the event will take place outdoors weather permitting.

This program is part of Youth Hub service. Youth Hubs are a welcoming place for teens after school and in the summer, where helpful staff are always available. Free, nutritious snacks are offered daily. Drop by a branch with a Youth Hub or call the branch to find out more.