Teaching introductory astronomy using virtual observations

Many introductory astronomy courses include concepts related to basic stellar properties. In general, these are concepts that originate from the human perception of starlight. This observational aspect is not easy to incorporate in the classroom. We explore if these concepts could be developed using the built-in data in a planetarium software. This helps us include an element of observations in the coursework that should enhance students’ understanding of stellar magnitudes and distances, stellar classification and basic astronomy diagrams. Since the available planetarium software packages utilize rich professional databases, this approach also provides opportunities for students to follow the latest developments in astronomy connected to big data and the way data are collected and used.