What methods can be used to investigate the universe, its galaxies, planets and stars?
Some more options Check out information on the net on Sprectrometers. Since the telescope, Spectrograph analysis of the heavens brought about a revolution in understanding the composition of the universe. The basic theory is, that if you analyse the composition of the light given out from stars, it can tell you what elements are present within that star as well as how hot that star is. Also radio astronomy. It was discovered pretty much by accident during WWII when radar engineers kept picking up background noise and stray signals on their radio frequencies. They turned out to be coming from the stars. By pointing an antenna to the sky, you can pick up the bursts of radiation from these distant stars and galaxies, as well as nearby planets. One of the most important pioneer sites for radio astronomy is Jodrell Bank Observatory, built in Cheshire in the UK.