8th Grade Astronomy Tours

Our first tour started with the history of the universe. Starting with the Big Bang Theory and the observations and physical laws that prompted Fr. Georges LeMaitre to develop the theory, and ending with a discussion of the various possible shapes of space, guests learned about all the principles of modern cosmology and general relativity that have given rise to our understanding of the universe as it is today.

Next, visiting students and parents were given an overview of the different types of galaxies with a special focus on our own Milky Way galaxy and the formation of the black holes believed to be at the center of many galaxies. Our guide also paused to explain how light waves are formed so that we could better understand how we are able to view all the beauty of the night sky.

The focus of the tour continued to narrow as guests next learned all about stars—their formation,classification, and even the the principles of the fusion that powers them. The tour came to a conclusion in our own solar system as we observed the planets and discussed the history of our evolving understanding of the nature of planets and their orbits. All of these presentations were accompanied by short biographies of relevant scientists who have inspired the students in the course of their studies. Students were free to choose anyone that we had mentioned in class or who they discovered in their research. We were privileged to hear about the lives of such great scientists as Edwin Hubble, Annie Cannon, Albert Einstein, and more. The day was nicely summed up by a younger student who came on one of the tours and could not stop himself from exclaiming “I love space!”