The Local Sky as an Introductory Solar System Astronomy Laboratory Using Smart-Telescopes

Abstract

Portable smart telescopes can make introductory astronomy more observational, quantitative, and locally grounded by allowing students to acquire, share, and analyze astronomical images within a single class period. This article presents an eight-laboratory sequence for introductory Solar System astronomy using the Seestar S50 smart telescope and archived or student-collected images. The sequence begins with a galaxy-size investigation that introduces pixel scale, angular size, physical size, proportional reasoning, and measurement uncertainty before students apply the same image-to-evidence approach to Solar System objects. Subsequent activities examine the positions and apparent motion of Jupiter's Galilean moons, comparative planetology and telescope limitations, the apparent sizes of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, lunar phase and angular diameter, relative lunar surface history through crater-density comparisons, single-session solar activity, and multi-day sunspot tracking to estimate solar rotation. Each investigation follows a 5E-informed structure and produces a focused student product, such as a measurement table, graph, comparison chart, or claim-evidence-reasoning statement. Throughout the sequence, students must define transparent measurement rules, distinguish direct observations from interpretations, and evaluate how image scale, illumination, exposure, seeing, target visibility, and boundary selection constrain their conclusions. The activities are designed for high-school, dual-enrollment, community-college, and introductory university astronomy courses and may be implemented with live observations or prepared image sets when weather, scheduling, or local observing conditions prevent data collection.