Family focused events celebrate astronomy
Organizers of a May 13 event to celebrate National Astronomy Day are hoping local earthlings will want to get to know their celestial neighbors. May 3, 2011The family focused program is sponsored by the University of Louisville’s Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium and the Louisville Astronomical Society and will include stargazing, shows, games and a drawing for a new telescope.
The celebration runs 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the planetarium and includes rocket launches, comet-making, marshmallow shuttles, solar viewing and a workshop aimed at helping novice stargazers make an informed decision when buying a telescope. There will be two showings of “Skies Over Louisville,” one at 7 p.m. and another at 8 p.m. The cost is $5 per person; ages 2 and under are free.
A second part of the program will be 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. at the Louisville Astronomical Society’s Urban Astronomy Center, E.P. “Tom”' Sawyer State Park, 2600 Freys Hill Road. Society members will help visitors navigate the night sky and will conduct a workshop for telescope owners. The event at the park is free but donations to the society are encouraged.
The opportunity to participate in the drawing for a free telescope is offered at both event locations.