Why do so many treat astronomy as a childish subject

I like to read about it and study it in my free time. I frequently get comments such as, " oh interesting, my child loves space books." , " whats the point?" , "Find any aliens yet?" or something similarly condescending.

Most space documentaries on television currently approach the subject very childishly as if their entire viewership consisted of 10-12 yr old children.

Personally, the more I study and learn about the universe in general the less interested I am in the
the fixations and pursuits that engage most people in everyday life. I know that sounds pretentious but its unintentional. As you learn what we are and where we came from its impossible to prevent your perspectives from changing.....

Science illiteracy is a constant and now increasing growing problem in the United States> The main reason that most public outreach programs SEEM to treat astronomy at the level a child can understand is because so many people get turned off by science by the time they are in fourth or fifth grade. Little kids are natural scientists because they have insatiable curiosity about the world and universe around them. For a lot of people, by the time they get to be 10 or 11 years old, something has happened to that curiosity and many minds become VERY closed to science and math. I despised math by the time I was 10 years old, but I never completely lost that insatiable curiosity. I was almost 25 years old when I regained that curiosity about math and numbers that most toddlers have BEFORE they start school.

Public outreach programs have to teach people of many different ages BASIC SCIENCE before people will understand the more advanced concepts. You can memorize formulas and be able to spout them back and use them and do very well on math and physics tests (physics and engineering are applied mathematics), but if you do NOT understand how physics and science applies to real life situations, you don't REALLY UNDERSTAND those scientific concepts. An insulin injection every morning of my life since I was 26 months old taught me the difference between real life and make-believe VERY EARLY almost 57 years ago and counting..

Lectures are for academics. Documentaries are for the layperson.

You can find out the TRUE reason why documentaries are made dumbed-down by doing this:

Start talking about physic-based mathematics to one of your buddies. Did they seem interested? No? I wonder why.

If I started talking about different chemical properties of insects, would you listen? Would you listen for 90 minutes? No? That is why documentaries are dumbed-down. They must appeal to -and make sense to- a larger group than just the people studying the topic.

Because there has yet to be a practical use for the idea that there are interesting things occurring besides what affects us here and now in our society. Well except that it is a fine hobby with excellent pictures and daydreams as well.

Because it's hard for people to comprehend the beauty of the universe. For them, it might as well be a study of myths.

Astronomy is very interesting and is not a childish subject.
It is generally seen as interesting for children, because a child have a very free thinking mind, not constrained by society and peoples view. They think with no limits. As they get older, they are taught to think in terms of limits, and told you should only worry about what is important to you, such as paying your bills, tax, rent. They start to think in terms of limitations. The basic things in life, such as security/shelter (home), food, and relationships. Very few people in modern times actually have their life sorted out to the point where they have free time to devote to things they find interesting, because they are so caught up in "life". That is one aspect.
If you ask some of the highest achieving academics in physcis, astrophyscis today and also look back in history at people who have made some of the most contributions to our understanding of the universe which has helped cilivisation advance to much, people like Copernicus, Gallieo, Newton, Einstein etc.. these people thought that Astronomy, physcis, understanding the universe was the most important and significant thing to do, and they dedicated their lives to it.
So in short, i believe the answer to your question, is because of ignorance. People do not realise these discoveries are what have lead us to being able to develope technology, and create the lives that we now live.

That is an interesting question.

All I can think of is that ast