All worksheets / Astronomy
Edition 2026Active Merit Badge
Astronomy
Official Requirements & Fillable Workbook · 2026 Edition
Astronomy cannot be finished in a weekend. Requirement 4 wants the Big Dipper or Cassiopeia sketched hours apart, requirement 6 wants the Moon on four nights in a week, and requirement 5 wants a planet chart covering the next 12 months. Start the observations early and record the date and time on every sketch — that detail is part of the requirement, not a nicety.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Night Sky Navigation & Constellations
- Telescopes & Optical Instruments
- Planetary Motion, Moon & Sun
- Cosmology, Stars & Space Science
16Printable Pages
9Requirements
2025Reqs Revised
What is on the worksheet: Astronomy Requirements
Every requirement for the Astronomy merit badge, word for word as published, with room to write under each one on the printed worksheet.
1Hazards and Safe Observing
Do the following:
- a Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in astronomy activities, and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards.
- b Explain first aid for injuries or illnesses such as heat and cold reactions, dehydration, bites and stings, and damage to your eyes that could occur during observations.
- c Describe the proper clothing and other precautions for safely making observations at night and in cold weather.
- d Explain how to safely observe the Sun, objects near the Sun and solar eclipses.
2Light and Air Pollution
Explain what light pollution is and how it and air pollution affect astronomy.
3Telescopes and Binoculars
With the aid of diagrams (or real telescopes if available), do the following:
- a Explain why binoculars and telescopes are important astronomical tools. Demonstrate or explain how these tools are used.
- b Describe the similarities and differences of several types of astronomical telescopes, including at least one that observes light beyond the visible part of the spectrum (i.e., radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, or infrared).
- c Explain the purposes of three instruments used with astronomical telescopes.
- d Describe the proper care and storage of telescopes and binoculars both at home and in the field.
4Constellations and Stars
Do the following (if instruction is done in a planetarium, Scouts must still identify the required stars and constellations outside under the natural night sky):
- a Identify in the sky 10 constellations, at least four of which are in the zodiac.
- b Identify in the sky eight conspicuous stars, five of which are of magnitude 1 or brighter.
- c Make two sketches of the Big Dipper or Cassiopeia from direct observation. In one sketch, show the Big Dipper's or Cassiopeia's orientation in the early evening sky. Make another sketch, showing its position several hours later. In both sketches, show the North Star and the horizon. Record the date and time each sketch was made.
- d Explain what we see when we look at the Milky Way.
5The Planets
Do the following:
- a List the names of the five most visible planets. Explain which ones can appear in phases similar to lunar phases and which ones cannot, and explain why.
- b Using the internet (with your parent or guardian's permission) and other resources, find out when each of the five most visible planets that you identified in requirement 5(a) will be observable in the evening sky during the next 12 months, then compile this information in the form of a chart or table.
- c Describe the motion of the planets across the sky.
- d Observe a planet and describe what you saw.
6The Moon
Do the following:
- a Sketch the face of the Moon and indicate five seas and five craters. Label these landmarks.
- b Sketch the phase and position of the Moon, at the same hour and place, for four nights (or days) within a one-week period by direct observation. Include landmarks on the horizon such as hills, trees, and buildings. Explain the changes you observe.
- c List the factors that keep the Moon in orbit around Earth.
- d With the aid of diagrams, explain the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and the Moon at the times of lunar and solar eclipses, and at the times of new, first-quarter, full, and last-quarter phases of the Moon.
7The Sun and the Stars
Do the following:
- a Describe the composition of the Sun, its relationship to other stars, and some effects of its radiation on Earth's weather and communications.
- b Define sunspots and describe some of the effects they may have on solar radiation.
- c Identify at least one red star, one blue star, and one yellow star (other than the Sun). Explain the meaning of these colors.
8An Observing Project
With your counselor's approval and guidance, do ONE of the following:
- a Visit a planetarium or astronomical observatory. Submit a written report, a scrapbook, OR a video presentation afterward to your counselor that includes the following information: activities occurring there, exhibits and displays you saw, telescopes and other instruments being used, and celestial objects you observed.
- b Plan and participate in an observation session that includes using binoculars or a telescope and includes at least 10 celestial objects beyond those observed in requirement 4. These might be lunar features, Messier objects, additional constellations or planets, or artificial satellites including the International Space Station. List the celestial objects you want to observe and find each in a star chart, guidebook or by using an app. Prepare a log or notebook. Discuss with your counselor what you hope to observe prior to your observation session. Review your log or notebook with your counselor afterward.
- c Plan and host a star party for your Scout troop or other group such as your class at school. Use binoculars or a telescope to show and explain celestial objects to the group.
- d Help an astronomy club in your community hold a star party that is open to the public.
- e Personally take a series of photographs or digital images of the movement of the Moon, a planet, an asteroid, meteor, or a comet. In your visual display, label each image and include the date and time it was taken. Show all positions on a star chart or map. Show your display at school or at a troop meeting. Explain the changes you observed.
- f With your parent or guardian's and counselor's approval, use online observing opportunities such as SkyNet to observe planets, comets, galaxies, and/or the sun. Describe your experience to your counselor.
9Careers or a Hobby
Do ONE of the following:
- a Identify three career opportunities that would use skills and knowledge in astronomy. Pick one and research the training, education, certification requirements, experience, and expenses associated with entering the field. Research the prospects for employment, starting salary, advancement opportunities and career goals associated with this career. Discuss what you learned with your counselor and whether you might be interested in this career.
- b Identify how you might use the skills and knowledge in astronomy to pursue a personal hobby. Research the additional training required, expenses, and affiliation with organizations that would help you maximize the enjoyment and benefit you might gain from it. Discuss what you learned with your counselor and share what short-term and long-term goals you might have if you pursued this.
Two dates, two different things
Requirements Revision vs. Worksheet Date
Scouting America last revised the Astronomy requirements in 2025. That is the badge, not this sheet — an older year does not mean the worksheet is out of date.
Verbatim Fidelity & Verification
This worksheet was checked against https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/astronomy/ in Aug 2026 and reproduces the requirements word for word. Both dates are printed on the sheet, so a copy in a binder can always be placed in time.
Requirement text is © Scouting America, reproduced verbatim. The worksheet layout and design are original to this project.
Nearby badges
Art is a doing badge with a vocabulary attached. Requirements 2 and 3 give you the language — the elements of art and the principles of design — and requirement 4 makes you render the same subject four different ways, which teaches more about a medium than any amount of reading. Keep your work: your counselor will want to see it.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Design Elements & Color Theory
- Multi-Medium Art Creation
- Visual Communication & Storytelling
- Art History, Museums & Careers
Artificial Intelligence is one of the newest badges, and it has no pamphlet — Scouting America built it around a chatbot called Scoutly instead. Two requirements (2d and 4b) are games you play with your counselor, so they cannot be done alone at a desk. The ethics requirement asks you to write your own guidelines for using AI, which is the most useful thing on this sheet.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Machine Learning & Neural Networks
- AI Applications & Automation
- Deepfakes & Algorithmic Bias
- Ethics & Guidelines for AI
Athletics is about training your body on purpose. You will pick an activity, build a program around it, stick with it for three months, and measure what changed. Along the way you will learn how to stay out of the athletic trainer's room, what a balanced diet actually looks like, and why sportsmanship matters more than the score.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Conditioning & Injury Prevention
- Sportsmanship & Athletic Rules
- Training Plans & Fitness Tracking
- Competitive Event Assessment
Automotive Maintenance is hands-on: you will be under the hood checking fluids, belts, fuses, and brakes on a real vehicle. You need access to a car or truck and its owner's manual before you start. Much of the badge is about knowing what the dashboard is telling you and what the manual already says — two things most drivers never learn.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Shop Safety & Basic Tools
- Engine Systems & Fluid Maintenance
- Tires, Brakes & Suspension
- Electrical Systems & Diagnostic Checks
