Imagine an American trying to explain a triple play to someone who understands English poorly and who has never seen a baseball diamond, much less a game. Yet this is the sort of challenge astronomy educators face every day both in the classroom and in more informal settings.

In a college classroom, the professor has some time to teach students the language of science and astronomy. As the students gain proficiency, they can then comprehend increasingly complex concepts. Through repeated classroom exposure and study, eventually most students learn the basics of astronomy.