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Kalamazoo Valley Museum
10 am - 4 pm |
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Beginning at 7 pm |
On May 7, 2011 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,
including families with school age children, is intended to
widen knowledge and appreciation of science, particularly of astronomy.
This year our
very special guest will be Dr. Mike Brown,
Professor of Planetary Astronomy at the California Institute of
Technology. Dr. Brown specializes in the discovery and study of bodies
at the edge of the solar system. Among his numerous scientific
accomplishments, he is best known for his discovery of Eris, the
largest object found in the solar system in 150 years, and the object
which led to the debate and eventual demotion of Pluto from a real
planet to a dwarf planet.
In honor of Dr. Brown's visit the theme of Astronomy Day 2011 is icy
worlds of the outer solar system, which includes the moons of the gas
giants, dwarf planets (like Pluto), and the billions of comets that
orbit at the edge of the solar system.
We are again pleased to welcome the Kalamazoo Valley Museum as a co-sponsor. The museum will host our main
activities from 10 am - 4 pm. These include solar observing, educational
and informative displays, hands-on activities for children,
free planetariums shows, book signing with Dr. Brown, and interactive comet making demonstrations.
Evening
activities will be held at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Dr.
Brown's keynote presentation will be on the subject of his new book - How I Killed Pluto and Why it Had it Coming.
Please be sure to see our keynote presentation page for ticket information. Astronomy Day concludes with observing under the night sky.
The KAS would also like to thank the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation and
members of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society for their generous
contributions.
Below is the schedule of events to take place on May 7th. 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!
| DAYTIME ACTIVITIES - Kalamazoo Valley Museum |
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9:00
am |
Kalamazoo Valley Museum opens
Greeting
Table opens
Displays open
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10:00
am |
Solar Observing begins (weather
permitting)
Hands-on
Activities begin
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11:00
am |
Cooking Up A Comet
presented by Richard Bell
Free admission - one day only!
|
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1:00 pm |
Meet Dr. Mike Brown
Books
will be available for purchase.
Buy a copy now!
Bear Tales
Family planetarium show. Free admission!
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2:00 pm |
The Artists Sky
Night sky planetarium show. Free admission!
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3:00 pm |
Cooking Up A Comet
presented by Richard Bell
Free admission - one day only!
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Stars of the Pharaohs
Feature planetarium show. Free admission!
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~3:40 pm |
Door Prize Drawing
Immediately following the 3pm Comet presentation
Must be present to win!
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4:00 pm |
All Astronomy Day activities at
museum end.
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| EVENING
ACTIVITIES - Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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-7:00 pm |
Keynote Presentation:
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming
presented by Dr. Mike Brown
Ticket Information
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9:00 pm |
Observing
Begins
See the Moon, Saturn, galaxies and more!
(weather permitting) |
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