Our galaxy is a spiral and it contains about 300 billion stars. Universe - Everything we can observe and study including the earth, solar system, Milky Way, and other galaxies in space. Locate and identify bright stars, planets, nebulae and clusters in the current sky. Explain the differences between types of stars. Describe the changes in a star during its lifetime.
Astronomy is an observational science.
Controlled experiments are usually not possible because we cannot manipulate celestial events. But we can still learn about things in space by observing them, measuring them, and using math to compute answers. Students should begin to observe, measure and calculate things in their local environment before attending the planetarium program. Experience with angular measurement is necessary for learning how to locate objects in the sky and to appreciate how astronomers interpret their observations. Some experience with time exposure photography may also be helpful.