Teaching Astronomy



Teaching Astronomy

Venus, Mars and the other planets around the Earth are the things that I knew about before studying astronomy. Through my current research, I have gained knowledge about what is outside our Earth. In fact, astronomy is a fascinating topic to study because of its importance in the technology field, and for our knowledge. Space is involved in a lot of fields, such as education. Studying astronomy could expand students' skills, such as in math, physics and chemistry. Students find this interesting because it enables them to see what surrounds them. Because we should know the universe that we are living in, I began my research by asking what the reasons of studying space in schools and university were and what kind of tools we need to explore space.

The universe has been present for about 13.7 billion years. Earth and the solar system have only been present for about 4.5 billion years. The universe therefore had a certain age when the solar system was formed. The solar system has not always existed, and the mechanisms of its formation have not been known. It counts not only the sun and nine planets but two asteroid belts, one between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the other beyond Neptune. Asteroids are smaller than planets. When the solar system was still forming, there were only small objects, like our asteroids. Wherever they approached slowly enough from each other, they came together and formed what we now call planets. These interesting facts had always mesmerized me since childhood.

The first source I read deals with the reasons and the kind of tools we need to explore space. According to Jagoe (2009) in the article "Why Should We Teach Astronomy in High Schools?" only a small number of students are taking astronomy classes in high schools in the U.S.A. Now the government is pushing students to take this course to expand their knowledge. The students who study astronomy feel that it is an interesting topic, which enables them to study things around them and know about them. The teachers and professors must make sure that the teaching mode and style of this subject is such that is interesting for the student. Astronomy is a fascinating subject but majority of the individuals hesitate in opting for this subject due to its complexity. This is the major reason the students lose interest in the astronomy teachings and opt out of it. Furthermore, majority of the schools do not even teach any single course of Astronomy. This is the reason why most of the students are not even aware that they can opt for a course in astrology.

Jagoe illustrates this with the following examples. He observes that teaching astronomy classes in high school is a good way to open the gates for students to study other sciences. He feels astronomy would encourage them to become scientists and thinkers. The students feel the same way too. Astronomy is an important science. It is involved in other sciences ...