How Astronomy Helps Us Understand Climate Change
Provided by: Adler Planetarium|Published on: May 6, 2025|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Adler Planetarium
Location: Earth, North America > United States > Illinois
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This website article, produced by Adler Planetarium, gives insight into how climate change does not only affect our planet Earth but other planets in the Solar System as well.
- A look at how greenhouse gases and the proximity to the Sun are related is explained for students to understand why global warming is not just an issue on Earth.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The runaway greenhouse effect that is seen on certain planets is clearly depicted in an infographic.
- Climate change on Earth versus climate change on other planets is compared and contrasted so that students may understand the key differences and similarities.
- Simple suggestions on how to reduce carbon footprints are given so that students may make attainable goals to help decrease their own carbon footprint.
Prerequisites
- Teachers who are able to plan a field trip to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois, may want to look into doing so as a culminating activity in a lesson series discussinig climate change. The Climate Change and Me field trip experience helps to explain the science behind climate change and the effect it has on the world. There is also a link that previews the field trip experience from the webpage.
- Teachers may consider printing the infographic on the runaway greenhouse effect for students to utilize outside of pulling up the webpage.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can have students research the planets that have greenhouse atmospheres and compare and contrast those planets in more depth to each other. For the planets that don't have human impact, students can hypothesize why those planets are also experiencing global warming.
- Teachers can create a scavenger hunt activity for specific information they want students to pull from the webpage.
- Students can research additional ways they are able to combat the greenhouse effect outside of the ways discussed on the webpage.
- Using the video NASA Global Warming Demonstration will give students an idea of how water on planets plays a key role in global warming.
This resource provides insights into the Earth system and how climate change has contributed differently to the Earth and other planets with greenhouse atmospheres. Students will learn about how astronomers have supported us in understanding the solar system and climate change on a macro scale, including how we may have a runaway greenhouse effect like Venus already has if humans release more greenhouse gas beyond its carrying capacity. This resource is insightful and recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
