APRIL 21, 2019

Let's celebrate our star, the Sun! Awareness and appreciation of the Sun are all you need to participate. 

GAM 2018 Space India

These children are delighted to safely view the Sun! GAM2018 SPACE Delhi-NCR SPACE India

Throw your own SunDay Party and celebrate our nearest star!

Find plenty of activities, including Observing the Sun for Yourself, at the Stanford Solar Center

If it's cloudy or raining, look at The Sun Now via the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory or contact your local astronomy club to find a solar viewing event. Remember, NEVER look directly at the Sun.

Make your event accessible to all!  Look at our resource page for people with disabilities.  Here's two ideas for people who are blind or visually impaired:

  • Amazing Space Tactile Astronomy - downloadable images from the Hubble Telescope for printing on micro-capsule paper.

  • SEE Project - Space Exploration for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Information on the Sun and sunspots

You don't need expensive equipment to view the sun.  Create a Camera Obscura.

Examine the sun by making a pin-hole camera. Punch a hole at one end of a shoe box with a small nail. Place a piece of white paper inside of the box at its other end. Face away from the sun, turn the box over, and hold it with the hole toward the sun. Look at the sun's small image projected on the paper.

If there are large sunspots, they should be discernible as small, darkened blots on the solar disk projected on the paper. (If possible, stand in a darkened room with the box held in sunlight. This should give better contrast.) Repeat this for a few days, and the sunspots will be seen to move across the solar disk, allowing an estimation of the sun’s rotational period. 

Thanks to The Astronomical League for the great suggestion!

Share your experience with the world on Facebook or Instagram and Tweet using #GAM2019. Follow @awb_org.

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SunDay Activities