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 and 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 the 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.