SDO - 1C Pinhole Camera Activity

SDO Project Suite Student Guide
Names:_____________________________________________ Date: _______
Module 1C: Create a Pinhole Camera Lab Sheet

Objective:
Your team’s mission is to safely observe the Sun and calculate its diameter by
using a pinhole camera.
As a team, you will successfully

• Create and use a pinhole camera to project an image of the Sun in order
to measure its diameter.
• Construct a scale model of the Sun, Earth, and their distance apart.
Background Information:
The Sun is the largest object in our solar system; it contains more than 99% of all
its mass (matter)! How is it possible to study the Sun since it is not safe to look
directly at it for a long period of time? Pinhole cameras are a safe way to observe
the Sun. Most optical instruments, like cameras and telescopes, rely on refraction
or reflection to provide an image on a screen or piece of film. A pinhole camera is
a simple device that does not use lenses or mirrors to produce its image but only
a small circular aperture (pinhole) that light passes through to project an image
with great detail. The issue with a pinhole camera is that the sharpness of the
image requires a small aperture relative to the screen distance –which means
less light gathering power. However, even with this shortcoming, a pinhole
camera is still is a very good instrument for observing the sky’s brightest object,
the Sun. Pinhole Camera Diagram
Image: NASA
Material
• Sturdy box with lid (shoe box) • Ruler
• 2 index cards (plus extra) • Meter stick
• Pin • Scissors or utility knife
• Tape • Pencil
• Aluminum foil • Sunny day!
CIRES Education Outreach

cires.colorado.edu 58
Predict:
1. How can you measure the size of an object from a distance?
2. Does the distance from an object affect the accuracy of measurements?
3. What method(s) can be used to measure the length of the Sun’s diameter?
4. What is your team’s estimate of the length of the Sun’s diameter? Draw a
simple sketch of the Sun and draw a diameter across it. On the diameter line,
write your team’s estimation of the Sun’s diameter including units.

Pinhole Camera Procedure:
1.Take the lid of the shoebox and

cut an 8cm x 10cm square hole in
the center.
2.Cut an “I” shaped slit lengthwise on

the top of the lid 1cm from one edge.
This will be the “bottom” edge of the
lid. Make the slit long enough to
snugly fit a meter stick.
3.Take an index card and cut a 5cm

x 5cm square hole in the center.
4.Tape a piece of aluminum foil over

the hole in the index card.
5.Tape the index card over the hole

in the lid of the shoebox. This
creates an easily replaceable pinhole
should the foil rip. Several of these
cards can be made for each pinhole
camera.
6.Using a pin or pencil lead poke a

very small hole in the center of the
aluminum foil. If you tear the foil
replace it and try making the hole
again.
7.Slide the meter stick through the

slit and tape the lid in place at the
end of the meter stick.
Image: NASA

8.Cut an “I” shaped slit lengthwise on

the bottom of the shoe box 1cm from
one edge. This will be the “bottom”
edge of the shoebox. Make the slit
long enough to snugly fit a meter
stick.
9.Draw two parallel lines 7mm apart

near the center of the second index
card.
10.Tape the index card to the center

of the bottom of the inside of the box.
11.Slide the free end of the meter

stick through the slot in the shoebox
so that the open side faces the lid.
Leave this end of the box free to
slide up and down the meter stick.
Use a small piece of masking tape to
11.
hold it in place when needed. Take
the pinhole viewer outside and point
the end of the meter stick that holds
the foil-covered card toward the Sun.
CAUTION: Do NOT look at the Sun!
12. Move the meter stick around until

the shadow of the foil-covered card
falls on the other card. A bright
image of the Sun will appear on the
Image: NASA sliding card. Move the sliding card
until the bright image of the Sun
exactly fills the distance between the
parallel lines (7mm). Measure the
distance in mm between the cards
on the meter stick and record it:
__________________________ mm

13. Return inside to calculate the diameter of the Sun using the formula below
and your measurements of the distance between the cards and diameter of the
Sun’s image (note: Earth is about 150,000,000 km from the Sun).
Diameter of Sun(km) = Diameter of Sun's Image (mm)

Distance to Sun (km) Distance between Cards (mm)
Diameter of the Sun Calculation (use formula, measurements/units & show work)
Extension:
After you complete this investigation, experiment with different pinhole camera
designs by testing different sized pinholes (apertures), number of pinholes, and
changing the distance between the card with one or more pinholes and a blank
card (screen). How do the images change? Which pinhole camera design
produces the best image? You can even make a pinhole camera that uses film to
take pictures (NASA's The Space Place: Make a Pinhole Camera with Film)!

Real-World Connection:
Once your team has calculated the diameter of the Sun, you can calculate a
classroom sized scale model of the Sun and Earth.
Procedure to Create the Sun-Earth Model:
1. Choose a scale for the model. A good size is 10,000 km = 1 cm.
2. Calculate how big the Sun would be at that scale. (actual size of the
Sun divided by the scale (10,000km) = diameter of the Sun in cm).
3. Repeat for the size of the Earth and for the distance between the Earth
and the Sun.
4. Measure and cut out model Sun and Earth of the appropriate size.
5.Pace out the correct distance between the Sun and Earth. You may
need to go outside the classroom to have enough room for this activity!
Was your team’s Sun-Earth model what you expected? Explain with details.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
What are three observations about your team’s scale model of the Earth and
Sun? Explain with details.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Resources:
Activity adapted from NASA SDO Science of the Sun Secondary Science Learning
Unit: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/docs/UnitPlanSecondary.pdf
Pinhole viewers explained:
http://users.erols.com/njastro/barry/pages/pinhole.htm


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SDO Project Suite Student Guide

Names:_____________________________________________ Date: _______

Module 1C: Create a Pinhole Camera Lab Sheet

As a team, you will successfully

CIRES Education Outreach

1. How can you measure the size of an object from a distance?

2. Does the distance from an object affect the accuracy of measurements?

CIRES Education Outreach

Pinhole Camera Procedure:

1.Take the lid of the shoebox and

2.Cut an “I” shaped slit lengthwise on

3.Take an index card and cut a 5cm

4.Tape a piece of aluminum foil over

5.Tape the index card over the hole

6.Using a pin or pencil lead poke a

7.Slide the meter stick through the

CIRES Education Outreach

8.Cut an “I” shaped slit lengthwise on

9.Draw two parallel lines 7mm apart

10.Tape the index card to the center

11.Slide the free end of the meter

12. Move the meter stick around until

CIRES Education Outreach

Diameter of Sun(km) = Diameter of Sun's Image (mm)

CIRES Education Outreach

CIRES Education Outreach

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Names:_______________________________________ Date: _