Teaching students about our solar system

Fresno, Calif. — The Downing Planetarium brings the stars closer to you.

While we are sending astronauts to the moon, the Downing Planetarium is educating students about space and our solar system on campus.

Working at the helm of the planetarium is Andres Tuteleers. He is a physics and philosophy major at Fresno State who teaches the children who attend the museum about the stars.

“It can be from helping people sit down in the public shows to teaching little kids how to do their star wheels, which are like some sort of star maps,” Tuteleers said. “I can lead field trips in the museum, and I can operate the telescopes outside. I can do whatever needs to be done.”

Tuteleers enjoys what he does, coming from a place of deep appreciation for space and physics.

“Well, I’ve always been obsessed with astronomy,” Tuteleers said. “That’s why I’m doing this, so being paid to talk about the stars is cool because I was doing it for free beforehand. It’s pretty cool.”

But the planetarium isn’t only geared towards children and students; the building is for all ages, who have an interest in the solar system and the planets.

Jaguar Bennett is a Communications Specialist at Fresno State and helps instigate community engagement with the planetarium.

“This is an important interface between the campus and the public,” Bennett said. “We are here to serve the public in general, and we have resources for the public.”

But for Tuteleers, the attractions on display at the planetarium are things to be appreciated and shared with everyone. It can spark the next generation of scientists.

“You never know which one of these kids is going to become the next Einstein,” Tuteleers said. “So you really want to cultivate science as much as you can.”