Astronomy as a subject in the secondary school curriculum

Astronomy is regarded as one of the first sciences dominated by man; however, it has not been taught as a subject in secondary school programs. Students usually finish this level of education without knowing several topics in the field of Astronomy which are considered compulsory by the Brazilian National Curriculum Standards (PCNs). In view of such disagreement, this study demonstrates the need to incorporate Astronomy as a specific subject in secondary school aiming at reducing the gap between what is taught and what the student actually needs to learn.