Name of game: STAR SAVIOR
School: Liceo Carmela Carvajal de Prat, Chile.
Teacher: Jorge Muñoz Rojas
The objective of this game is to teach how the light pollution affects the night sky and stars observation. The game consists on a deck of cards according to star magnitude of four constellations: Orion, Scorpion, Sagittarius and Crux. Up to four players.
The game includes:
- A roulette
- 28 Star Cards according to star magnitude of each constellation from 1 to 7.
- 20 “Astronomic Culture” question cards (question mark)
- 20 “Star Surprise!” cards. (exclamation point)
¿How to play?
Shuffle the Star Cards and deal three (3) cards to each player. The remaining Star Cards must be placed in a pile beside the roulette. The Astronomic Culture and Star Surprise cards must be placed separately in two piles, beside the roullete too. The goal is to complete the magnitude ladder (from most contaminated to less contaminated) of one of the four constellations.
One player spins the wheel and one of four things may happen:
Lamp: A lamp can be good or bad: If a lamp is properly placed, meaning the light is aiming to the floor and not to the sky, the player draws a card from the Star Cards pile. If the lamp is not well directed and it is aiming to the sky, polluting it and making difficult to see the stars, the player loses a Star Card.
-Place in the world: To get a place can make the player to draw a Star Card or to lose one depending on the light pollution existing in that place. The player loses a Star Card in New York and in Tokio, and gets a Star Card in Atacama and in Mount Everest.
-Astronomic Culture (?): If the arrow points to a question mark, the next player must draw a card from the Astronomic Culture pile and read the question. If the current player gives the right answer to the question, he will get a Star Card from the pile. If he doesn’t, then he loses a Star Card.
-Star Suprise! (!): If the arrow points to a exclamation point, the current player must draw a card from the Star Surprise pile and read the card. The card will tell you what to do: it can benefit or penalize the current player, other players or the whole group.
Notes: When a player loses a Star Card, it must be placed in the Star Cards pile, but under the other cards.
If a player loses all his Star Cards... Game Over! The other players can keep playing.
Will you become a Star Savior and help to clear our polluted skies?
Astronomic Culture Cards:
1.- How many stars are part of the Orion’s Belt? (3)
2- Which is the better place to set up an astronomical observatory? (c)
- By the seaside b. Inside the city c. in a hill far away from the city
3. The light pollution impacts the ecosystem? True or false (true)
4. What’s the name of the most brilliant star of Scorpius constellation? (c)
- Aldebaran b. Altair c. Antares
5. The human sleep cycle can be affected by the light pollution? True or false (true)
6. What’s the name of the brilliant red star in Orion constellation? (b)
a) Rigel; b) Betelgeuse; c) Sirius
7. Constellations are shapes formed by stars connected with imaginary lines? True or false (true)
8. The Alpha Centauri star is also known as… (a)
a) Toliman; b) Denebola; c) Saiph
9.- The lighting in a amusement park should be on all night long. True or false? (false)
10.- Everyone see the same constellations in the sky no matter where they are. True or false? (false)
11.- The brightest star near the Crux/Southern Cross constellation is… (b)
a) Regulus; b) Toliman; c) Procyon
12. Does the Polaris star indicates the North Pole in the sky? (b)
a) No; b) Yes
13. The scale of stellar magnitudes was created by Greek: (b)
a) Erathostenes b) Hipparchus c) Aristotle
14- Campaigns like “Globe at night” are: (c)
- only for scientists b. only for students c. citizen science
15. If you are in middle of the Atacama Desert, you’ll see stars with… (c)
a.2-3 magnitude b. 4-5 magnitude c. 6-7 magnitude
16. Being able to see the stars in a dark sky is: (b)
- a game b. a right for everyone c. something unimportant
17- Is it necessary to keep on the advertising signs all night long? True or false. (false)
18.- Which of these constellations has mythological origin? (a)
a) Sagittarius b) Telescopium c) Microscopium
19.- The year 2015 is the year of: (b)
a) The year of astronomy b) The year of light c) The year of chemistry
20- Luminous pollution is caused by: (a)
a.humans b. animals c. both
Star Surprise Cards:
1. There’s a blackout in the city, you can see the sky! You earn Two (2) Star card.
2. Change a Star Card with the player in your left.
3. It’s New Year’s Eve! Everything looks good except the stars. You lose one Star card.
4. Everyone has to give a Star Card to the player in the right.
5. You are on a vacation in a place far away from the city. You earn a Star card.
6. There are new lights near your house, but they are not correctly installed. You lose one Star card.
7. The front of every historical building is illuminated upwards. You lose one Star card.
8. The lights of the park aren’t shielded. You lose a turn.
9. You forgot to turn off the lights in your backyard. You lose a turn.
10- It’s the Earth Hour! The sky is clear and starry. You earn a Star card.
11. You checked that every lamp in your house is off before sleeping. You earn a Star Card.
12. You saved money to buy a telescope. You earn a Star card.
13. You live in the countryside. Yesterday rained, so the sky is clear. You earn a Star Card.
14. It’s the birthday of the player in your right, so you give him a Star Card.
15. The player on your left has to give you a Star Card for your help to save the stars.
16.- The lights on your backyard are shielded and aiming to the floor. You earn a Star Card.
17.- The public lighting in your town is efficient and well used. You earn a Star card.
18.- The public lighting in your town isn’t properly installed and it makes you dazzled. You lose a Star Card.
19.- It’s one o’clock in the afternoon and you turned on the lights instead of opening the windows. You lose a Star Card.
20. You tell everyone what light pollution is and why is it important to help. You earn a Star Card.