Abstract
Traditionally, astronomy education has been taught in the classroom (schools, colleges, and universities) as a lecture. Since the advent of the planetarium, astronomers and educators use a simulated sky under a domed ceiling. In the late 1960's, the concept of hands-on education was introduced to. This thesis explores the astronomy education programs in planetaria in the U.S. and Canada. A survey was sent to Canadian and American planetaria, and 85% were returned. Most educational programs are presented as planetarium shows, classroom activities, observation field trips, outreach programs, special events such as Astronomy Day and lecture series. Most large planetaria will solely offer planetarium shows as their main attraction.
