This study explored American high school students' perceptions of the benefits of a summer astronomy camp, emphasizing a full cycle of the research process and how the organization of the camp contributed to those perceptions. Semi-structured interviews with students and staff were used to elicit the specific benefits that campers perceived from…

The study investigated the mental models of primary school children related to the day/night cycle. Semi-structure interviews were conducted with 40 fourth-grade and 40 sixth-grade children. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data indicated that the majority of the children were classified as having geocentric models. The results also…

Earlier studies have found that students, including adults, have problems understanding the scientifically accepted model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system and explaining day-to-day astronomical phenomena based on it. We have been examining such problems in the context of recent research on visual-spatial reasoning. Working with middle school students…

Some results of the skylab missions and ways in which man has optimized the scientific return are discussed. (Author/RH)

Presents a brief history of astrology and its relation to astronomy. Describes the different types of astrologers, horoscope casting, and horoscope interpretation. Presents reasons for the author's disbelief in astrology. (GS)

Several scientists comment on the consequences of discovering life on Mars and the possibility of eventually making contact with intelligent extraterrestrial beings. (MLH)

Suggestions for motivating gifted students in astronomy are based on J. Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model. (CL)

This textbook presents astronomy, problem solving with the terrestrial and celestial globes, and the solar system. Astronomical instruments are discussed and tables are included.

Presents a derivation of Kepler's Third Law for elliptical orbits that requires students to have a knowledge of angular momentum and conservation of energy. (JRH)

Describes the objective of the Hubble Space Telescope, the equipment on board, and how repairs have been made on the telescope. Presents examples of the main results achieved so far. (JRH)

The phenomenon of tides has a faraway source. This rise and fall of the water level over a period of several hours is a result of the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on Earth's oceans. Tides exhibit predictable cycles on daily, monthly, and yearly scales. The magnitude of the tides is dependent on the position of the Earth and Moon in…

On 8 June 2004 Venus will pass in front of the Sun as seen from the Earth. Many people will watch the small dark dot cross the solar disk, but will they stop to think about Venus as a real place? In this article we discuss what we know about Venus, what it looks like from orbit, what you might see if you were on the surface and future plans for…

Teaching Romer's discovery alongside the Doppler effect can reveal a satisfying linkage between the two and give students a better understanding of both than they get from studying either alone.

The belief that life exists in the universe is an optimism shared by many. With several manned missions expected to be carried out in the future, the possibility of discovering life in outer space will revolutionize the field of astrobiology. In this article, the author presents a summary of recent developments and discoveries made in the search…