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The Science of Astronomy

For thousands of years, people believed Earth sat unmoving at the center of the universe, with everything else spinning around it. Then along came thinkers like Copernicus, Tycho, and Kepler—astronomers who dared to challenge those long-held ideas by carefully observing the sky.

During this lesson, we’ll explore how their discoveries sparked a revolution in science. As you dive into your reading, podcast, and science lesson, ask yourself: How did changing what we saw in the sky change how we understood our place in the universe?

Watch the Science Lesson

RECORDING WILL BE POSTED 09/24/2025

Do the Assignments

Homework

Each week, you'll be assigned a set of review questions, quantitative problems, and quiz questions. Begin with the review questions to make sure you're understanding the material presented in class. Then move into the homework problems, skipping any that are challenging or you’re not sure how to start (saving them for after you’ve worked on other problems first.) Continue working on these problems each day until you’ve completed the set.

Space Podcast

Each week, students choose a space-related podcast episode to listen to and write a short summary in their journal. These reflections help students stay connected to current science news while developing their ability to explain scientific concepts in their own words. (Suggested podcasts are in the Astronomy Info Packet.)

Stargazing!

Attend live or virtual stargazing event and record your observations—what you saw, how you identified objects, and what surprised or interested you! These entries help connect you with valuable learning experiences with real astronomers.

Want to know what’s up in your night sky tonight? Use the free Stellarium app and also visit skymaps.com (download the map for your hemisphere) to help you identify three objects and two constellations visible from your location tonight. 

You can also use the Skygazer's Almanac poster (I have one on my wall for the current year, as shown in the video below. If they are sold out for your latitude, please wait until December when they roll out the new posters for the upcoming year.) 

Lab Project Activity

This week you’ll step into Eratosthenes’ shoes and use nothing more than a yardstick, a clock, and a calculator to measure Earth’s size. You can tackle the challenge entirely on your own—making one precisely timed shadow measurement and doing a bit of extra math—or team up with a friend in another city, take your shadow readings at the same moment, and let simple geometry reveal the result.

Two short walkthrough videos below demonstrate every step; download the lab hand-out and follow along, and by the end you’ll have calculated Earth’s circumference from your own data—no telescope required.

Supplemental Videos

The videos below are short explanations of topics discussed in class. These videos explore Kepler's Laws in detail, so take notes as you watch these mini-lessons with the teacher!