Project POSTAR

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/project-postar

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Project POSTAR known for?Enabled detailed study of star formation and obscured celestial objects
2. What is the deployment year?1990
3. What is the launch site?Kennedy Space Center, Florida
4. Why was Project POSTAR launched?It was launched because the Earth's atmosphere blocks infrared light, making it hard to see certain stars from the ground.
5. How does Project POSTAR help us see stars?By flying above the atmosphere, the telescope could see heat radiation from stars, planets, and dust clouds that are hidden from normal telescopes.

Infrared Astronomy: The branch of astronomy that studies celestial objects using infrared radiation.
Protostar: An early stage in the formation of a star, before nuclear fusion begins.
Interstellar Medium: The matter and radiation that exist in the space between stars within a galaxy.