An astronomical survey conducted in Belgium

TL;DR

This survey in Belgium assessed public and student interest, knowledge, and attitudes towards astronomy, revealing that while basic concepts are known, misconceptions and lack of confidence persist.

Contribution

First comprehensive survey in Belgium on astronomy interest and knowledge, highlighting gaps between perceived and actual understanding.

Findings

People have basic astronomical knowledge but lack confidence.

Misconceptions are common despite correct answers to factual questions.

Interest in astronomy is widespread across both public and students.

Abstract

This article presents the results of the first survey conducted in Belgium about the interest and knowledge in astronomy. Two samples were studied, the public at large (667 questionnaires) and students (2589 questionnaires), but the results are generally similar in both samples. We evaluated people's interest, main information source, and attitudes towards astronomy, as well as their supposed and actual knowledge of the subject. The main conclusion is that, despite a poor self-confidence, people do know the basic astronomical concepts. However, that knowledge is not deeply rooted, as reasoning questions show well-spread misconceptions and/or misunderstandings.