While teaching the lesson, have the star poster and book marked web sites ready. Questioning students about what they know as you teach the lesson will reveal their prior knowledge. Allow time for responses. Explain to the students that the lens on the end of the telescope acts like a magnifying glass. Scientists that study the solar system are called astronomers.
Astronomers are scientists that use remote sensing to study the stars.
That means, astronomers are able to find stuff out about an object or star without ever going there and touching it. Astronomers understand that if they can get above the clouds and look at the stars, they could see clearly. So they have attached large telescopes to satellites that travel in space, way above the stars. The Hubbell Space Telescope orbits far above the earth and takes pictures of objects in space. This is another example of scientists using remote sensing.