Requesting help from scientists/astronomers on the forum.

[Fireball]

On one of the Christian forums I frequent, I have gotten into a debate with a flat earther. I refuse to debate a conspiracy theory, but I have challenged his assertion that "astronomy is not a science because you cannot manipulate/experiment with the observed objects." To him, astronomy as a scientific endeavor cannot proceed beyond the "hypothesis" phase, and thus cannot be described as a real science.

Astronomers do experiments, searching for planets around distant stars. Finally, most individual experiments address highly specific topics for reasons of practicality. As a result, evidence about broader topics is usually accumulated gradually.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method#Process

I have referenced several sources (like the one above) that name astronomy as a science and show how it conforms to scientific method abstractly. What I would like is help finding one or two practical examples of the "experimentation" process as it exists in astronomy.

Thanks.

One can lead a horse to water, but may not necessarily be able to make it drink. I think that you are wasting your time, just as if a YEC came in here all deluded and you tried to educate him/her about the age of the universe. I gave up arguing with the religious a long time ago. Your being right means absolute dick to these people. Flat Earthers are no different in this regard. The difference between you and that ignoramus is your willingness to investigate a claim's validity for yourself. The evidence for people's bovine, placid non-concern about physical reality is, sadly, all around you. FWIW, I'm happy to see that there are people who will engage them, because I am, frankly, tired of dealing with that lunacy. I had my turn at the wheel, I think is the best description. I doubt that I convinced a single one of them. They need to think and analyze for themselves, else they will forever remain in their cocoons.