SOFIA Active Astronomy Infrared Kit

The Active Astronomy kit is filled with Classroom Activities for Learning About Infrared Light. It focuses on student understanding of infrared light, which occupies the portion of the infrared spectrum in between visible light and microwave, the shortest of the radio waves. Students explore colored filters and their usefulness to astronomers, detection of infrared light and reflection of infrared light. Students find that infrared light carries information, and in some cases behaves like visible light and other cases behaves very differently. Learn more about this kit at the SOFIA website (a new browser window will open).

To understand the universe, astronomers observe at all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, including infrared. The SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) is NASA's next-generation airborne observatory. SOFIA will feature a 2.5-meter telescope mounted in a highly-modified Boeing 747SP. It will fly above most of the water vapor in the atmosphere to study infrared emissions from space. Read more about SOFIA (a new browser window will open).

Kit Includes:

1 each AA battery holder
1 each Audio Amplifier/Speaker
8 each 24" Jumper Leads (alligator clip cables)
2 each 6ft Audio Cable (plug)
1 each Polyester Film Capacitor
1 each High Output Infrared LED
1 each Solar Cell Module (photocell)

2 sheets black construction paper
1 sheet red construction paper
1 each diffraction grating (packed in cardboard tube)
1 each green 22" x 8" gel strip (packed in cardboard tube)
1 each red 55" x 8" gel strips (packed in cardboard tube)
1 each blue 55" x 8" gel strips (packed in cardboard tube)
Each color gel strip can be cut and framed with cardboard.

1 each DVD - More than Your Eyes Can See NASA
1 each CD-ROM - Active Astronomy Classroom Activities - teacher's guide
1 each printed sheet - Instructions for CD ROM
1 each classroom activity flyer - Discovery of Infrared Light
1 each poster (folded) - The Infrared Universe
1 each poster (folded) - Multi-Wavelength Universe
1 each information card- More than Our Eyes Can See
1 each SOFIA information card - Exploring the Infrared Universe
1 each SOFIA brochure - Partners in Science Education
20 SOFIA stickers