Galactic Wandering: An Immersive Tour of the Solar System

In recent years, the integration of innovative tech-nologies in education has become increasingly important to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes, particularly in specialized fields such as astronomy. Traditional teaching tools, such as PowerPoint slides and videos, often lack interactivity and immersion. To address these challenges, we conducted a user survey that revealed a strong demand for immersive educational experiences, prompting us to prioritize user-centered design. Therefore, we developed an immersive teaching application for the solar system based on virtual reality (VR). This application allows users to explore the solar system immersively, observe planetary surface and their satellites up close, experience astro-nomical phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses, and examine planetary topography from various perspectives. The application was used by participants in an astronomy exhibition in a university museum, where questionnaires and verbal feedback were collected. Results indicated that the flexible interactivity and immersive experience appeal to a lot of engagement participants. This study highlights the practical application of virtual reality in teaching and the dissemination of astronomy, and its potential to foster scientific curiosity and deepen students' understanding of astronomy.