Physics teachers are sometimes asked to teach an astronomy course for non-majors. One can’t make that class dance and sing without the starry night, but on a brightly lit campus viewing deep sky objects may seem impossible. Hence instructors often opt for planetarium shows. However: 1) Planetariums aren’t the real thing. 2) People living in large swaths of the United States cannot access one. Nevertheless, thanks to binoculars and small wide-field telescopes, those who teach the heavens can provide both show and substance under light-polluted skies. This article presents a dozen “pitfalls” to avoid.

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© 2022 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by American Association of Physics Teachers.
2022
Author(s)
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