Easter is in the past and Memorial Day is still more than a month away, but there’s one holiday space lovers can get ready to celebrate – International Astronomy Day, celebrated this year on May 14.
Started in 1973, Astronomy Day promotes greater education and understanding of the universe among the general public. Astronomy clubs use this day to teach people about the stars and other celestial bodies in the heavens above.
At Observa Dome, we spend our days helping people look at the stars, so we have a great deal of knowledge about the skies above. Here are a few fun activity ideas for you to consider as part of your International Astronomy Day celebrations:
Get Out the Telescope
If the night sky is clear, Astronomy Day is a great excuse to take out your telescope (or go buy one) to look at the stars and planets in the sky. You can get a book about constellations from the library or simply print an online guide and spend the night looking and learning about the heavens above. Also look for a local group that may be hosting an event you can join to share in the fun.
Visit a Planetarium
If you’d rather stay inside or you’re facing overcast skies, planetariums feature a unique way to learn about the stars and planets. Not only can you learn about constellations not currently visible from Earth, but also about the history of the solar system, the different ways humans track the stars and much, much more. Astronomy is filled with great visual images of the heavenly bodies, so take advantage of the ones shown at your local planetarium.
Outdoor Movie Night
If the weather stays nice, pick a fun space-themed movie and take the kids outside to watch it. Afterwards you can try to look up at the stars features in the movie or try to find any planets that were involved. For example, if you watch “The Martian,” you and your children could have fun finding Mars in the night sky. Space.com notes that just a few days earlier, Mars joins Antares, Saturn and the moon in a night sky grouping, meaning there will be plenty to see in the same vicinity, ensuring plenty of interesting stargazing!
There are lots of fun ways to celebrate Astronomy Day, so be creative, have fun and learn about different things that make our universe such a fascinating place. Want to take stargazing to the next level or looking into an observation dome to add at your school or group facility? Learn more by calling us today at 601-982-3333.