A Journey Through Space: Exploring the Solar System with Girls in STEM

This week, the Girls in STEM Club continued their fascinating exploration of the Solar System, deepening their understanding of planets, space environments, and scientific concepts through a series of interactive activities and demonstrations.

The session began with an engaging discussion about space suits, why astronauts need them, the 13 protective layers involved, and their total weight of approximately 120 kg.  The girls learned how these suits protect astronauts from extreme temperatures, low gravity, and harmful UV radiation due to the absence of an ozone layer in space.  They also explored the potential consequences of being exposed to space without protective gear, including pressure-related effects on the human body.  A live demonstration using an iPhone playing music inside a vacuum chamber clearly illustrated that sound cannot travel in space.

Next, through roleplay, students compared the size of Earth to the Sun.  Working in teams, some acted as planets while others played the role of astronauts, arranging the planets in order from the Sun.  They then reordered them based on temperature, discovering that Venus, due to its thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulphur, is the hottest planet, despite not being the closest to the Sun.

Using a scale model (1 cm = 117 million km), they measured planetary distances from the Sun, with Earth placed at 1.5 meters and Pluto at 74 meters.  They also examined planetary rotation times and compared sizes, identifying Jupiter and Saturn as the gas giants.

The session continued with a colourful flame test experiment using metal salts to demonstrate how planetary temperatures can be interpreted.  This was followed by an exciting rocket launch simulation, ending the day on a high note, quite literally.