The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to explore, explain, and sustain life.

Don’t have a camera? Oh, yes you do: It’s in the sky above you! Use everyday objects and the power of the Sun to create your own solar masterpieces.

Academy educator Ethan sheds some light on how the Sun’s path across the sky changes how your shadow appears.

Make your own moon chart to track its phases in the night sky—and learn about funny moon-related phrases like “waxing gibbous!”

Transform your body into a sundial and see how your shadows illustrate the movement of the Sun over the course of a day.

Blast off to the moon with Academy educator Mary and gain a new appreciation for our nearest celestial neighbor.

The Academy’s planetarium may be closed, but you can still see stars! Project an assortment of mini-constellations onto your wall at home.

Connect the dots to create your own colorful constellation on paper.

When the Sun goes down, the stars come out, and the light show begins! Use your imagination to see shapes—or constellations—formed by stars in the night sky.

Get creative and color in your own nocturnal skywatching scene.

Field trip! Get an adult to tag along with you on your very own after-dark astronomical observation mission. Don’t forget your new binoculars!

Binoculars help our eyes focus on objects near and far. Customize your own beautiful pair of ‘nocs and start making some scientific observations.

Asterisms are shapes or patterns of stars in the sky. Discover their ancient history in this PDF.

Our planetarium team puts together this incredibly informative field guide to the stars every three months.