On
Saturday, April 20, 2013 the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society (KAS) will
hold its annual award-winning Astronomy Day, a day-long celebration
featuring educational displays, hands-on activities, and special
presentations to bring science alive for the entire community. This
FREE
event, aimed at the general public, especially families with school age
children, is intended to widen knowledge and appreciation of science,
particularly the field of astronomy.
This year’s theme is
Mars: Past, Present and Future. No other planet in the solar system has fired the imagination like Mars.
For
most of human
history, the Red Planet has been nothing more than a tantalizing point
of light
on the starry back drop. Mars became a world to explore with the
invention of the
telescope. The supposed discovery of “canals” on Mars led to
theories of an
advanced technical civilization that persisted until the Space Age.
Today we have a small fleet of spacecraft surveying the Red Planet from
orbit and two rovers currently exploring its surface. One day we hope
to walk on its rusty, red surface.
We are again pleased to welcome the
Kalamazoo Valley Museum as a co-sponsor. The museum will host our main
activities from 9 am - 4 pm. These include safe observations of the Sun,
a full-scale inflatable model of the Curiosity Mars rover,
hands-on activities for children, celestial portraits with your choice
of astronomical backdrops, free stargazing shows in the planetarium,
and special presentations on Mars in the museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater.
Astronomy
Day caps off under nature's grandest spectacle - the universe itself!
Telescopes of all shapes and sizes will be available for your viewing
pleasure at Owl Observatory, located on the grounds of the Kalamazoo
Nature Center. The observatory, featuring the KAS 12"
Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, will also be open to the public.
Highlights of the night include the Moon and Jupiter. Gates open at
8:00 pm.
Below is the schedule of events to take place on April 20th. More
detailed information on all of our activities can be found throughout
this special website. Please feel free to
contact us
if you have any further comments or questions. Thank you and see you on Astronomy Day!
