Course Description

In this class, we will take a journey from our home on Earth to the center of our galaxy, bouncing between the stars and using constellations to chart our way! We will explore the different types of stars, take a peek into dusty stellar nurseries, visit big, bright dying stars, and learn about what happens when they die and what they leave behind, sending transmissions back to Earth recounting our discoveries all the while. We will end our journey by exploring the gravitational center of the Milky Way: our supermassive black hole.

If you love to impress people with cool facts about space and time, learn about how we do astronomy, or have your mind blown by the magnificent scale of the universe, this is a great class for you! We will spend our days doing demonstrations and experiments, making models, charting maps across stars, and learning how to make hypotheses about the universe around us. The final project for this course is a Galactic Travel Exposition where you get to send what you learned home to Earth to show off, and teach to your peers and parents what we found on our journey. 

Essential Questions

  • What do we encounter as we move further into the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy?
  • What kinds of astronomy tools do we need to be able to see in space? 
  • How far away are different places in space? What would it take to get there? 
  • What are stars like and how do they live out their lives? Is this different in different places around the galaxy?

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1 The Journey Begins at Light Speed 
Week 2 Starting with the Stars in our Neighborhood
Week 3 Seeing the Stars of Sagittarius & Make Your Own Constellation 
Week 4 A Visit to a Star Nursery Using Infrared & Telescopes 
Week 5 A Quick Stop at a Supernova to Learn how Stars Die 
Week 6 Small Detour to Learn How to Avoid a Black Hole 
Week 7 Welcome to the Center of the Galaxy
Week 8 Prep & Plan For The Galactic Travel Exposition
Week 9                   The Galactic Travel Exposition

Instructor

  • Hannah Carpenter

Other Details

Cost

  • $337.50
    • 9 classes, 50 minute class

Location

Date & Time

  • Saturdays, September 26 - November 21st 2026
  • 12:00pm - 12:50pm

Refund and Transfer Deadlines

  • Full refund: Two weeks before classes start
  • 50% refund: One week before classes start
  • No refund: Less than one week before classes start