For parents & teachers
Compare the exhibit with these expected answers. Accept equivalent explanations and make space for visitors' own observations.
Answers print separately from the student worksheet. For the most consistent paper layout, use the two-page PDF; choose “Fit to page” for A4.
STELLA / EXHIBIT EXPLORER / ANSWER GUIDE
Explore the physical Rose Center galleries through models, a meteorite, and clues about our universe.
For parents, teachers and curious visitors. Discuss the explanation, then compare it with the exhibit. Accept equivalent answers.
Bring a pencil. Write, sketch or work with someone who can record your ideas. Explore in any order using exhibit labels and clues. No planetarium show or telescope session is needed. If a stop is closed or hard to find, mark it and try another. Follow staff directions. Check current visitor access and temporary closures before traveling. This independent Stella activity does not include admission. Ages and exploring time are suggestions.
Look for: Second-level walkway around the Hayden Sphere
Find the comparison where the Hayden Sphere represents the Sun. What everyday fruit represents Earth's size at that scale?
Answer: A grapefruit. This comparison applies when the Hayden Sphere stands for the Sun.
AMNH: Scales of the Universe · Checked 2026-10-29
Look for: Second-level walkway; comparison where the Sphere represents the Milky Way
Now find the comparison where the Sphere represents our whole galaxy. What sports ball represents a typical star cluster within it?
Answer: A baseball, when the Hayden Sphere represents the Milky Way galaxy.
AMNH: Scales of the Universe · Checked 2026-10-29
Look for: Spiral walkway; look near the end of its timeline
Find the marker for the human era. The thickness of what tiny everyday object represents that stretch of time?
Answer: One human hair.
AMNH: Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway · Checked 2026-10-29
STELLA / EXHIBIT EXPLORER / ANSWER GUIDE
Explore the physical Rose Center galleries through models, a meteorite, and clues about our universe.
Continue exploring. You may visit the stops in any order.
Look for: Cullman Hall of the Universe, lower level
Read the meteorite's story. In which U.S. state was it found, and how many tons does it weigh?
Answer: Oregon; 15.5 tons. The Museum also presents the meteorite's name and continuing cultural significance to the Clackamas people and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
AMNH: The Willamette Meteorite · Checked 2026-10-29
Look for: Cullman Hall of the Universe, lower level
Read the Black Hole exhibit description. Even what very fast kind of signal cannot escape from inside a black hole?
Answer: Light. The sculpture and exhibit descriptions can be explored without attending the nearby theater.
AMNH: Black Hole Exhibit · Checked 2026-10-29
Look for: Cullman Hall of the Universe, lower level
Read how stars connect to people. Where were many of the chemical elements in our bodies made?
Answer: In stars. The exhibit connects stellar life cycles with the elements that became part of human bodies.
AMNH: Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Hall of the Universe · Checked 2026-10-29
These sources support the expected answers; availability and exact display labels may change. Check the current visitor guide before traveling.