BBC Sky at Night

Make a sky-measuring tool

Use household objects to build a simple device that gauges distances in the sky

Whether it's a noctilucent cloud display, a constellation or an ice halo, being able to estimate how much sky an astronomical object covers and its apparent distance from, for example, the Sun or Moon is an essential skill. Beginners can find this challenging, and the difficulty is compounded by the fact that when objects are close to the horizon our brain perceives them as looking larger than when they are higher in the sky. If you have

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