Classroom Instruction
Think Astronomy will come to your classroom and give introductory astronomy talks on a variety of subjects. Hands on demonstrations and Starry Night Pro, a powerful planetarium program, will be used to illustrate difficult concepts such as:
- Understanding the size and scale of our Solar System and the Universe beyond. Using the 1000 yard scale model of the Solar System, students will grasp for the first time the sizes and distances involved.
- Demonstrating how the tilt of the Earth's axis causes the seasons and determines what stars can be seen from your location. With the Starry Night software we can "travel" to different latitudes to actually see the effects.
- Why the Moon has phases and why it takes 28 days to go from full Moon to full Moon. By using the software to zoom out and watch the Earth and the Moon's orbit from a distance, students will be able to fully understand the concepts involved.
- Seeing how the planets' orbits cause their apparent motion in the sky. We will watch the planets revolve around the sun from space-based and Earth-based perspectives.
- Understanding the causes of Lunar and Solar eclipses. With the computer we will be able to fly to the surface of the Sun or the Moon to see what a total solar eclipse on Earth looks like from that vantage point.
Classroom talks run about 45-60 minutes and cost $75 per session.