Posted by Davin Flateau on 18 Apr 2007 at 9:05 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under General, Event, Astronomy, Exploration Place.
If it’s April, that must mean it’s time for Exploration Place’s “Spring Spaceout”, also known as AstroFest 2007! Kansas’ largest celebration of National Astronomy Day is on Saturday, April 21 from 10am - 2pm, and is a packed fun-filled day of activities, demonstrations, special guest lectures, and digital space theater shows for the whole family, celebrating the amazing world of astronomy, the planets, and space exploration. Learn from experts about what’s in the night sky tonight, the latest discoveries about the planets, how to set up and use a telescope, fly through asteroids and land on Mars in our CyberDome Theater, and even look through a telescope in the daytime to see live gigantic solar storms! You can even win a great telescope!
Special pricing will be in effect that day, making visiting Exploration Place astronomically affordable that day! Admission to Exploration Place, including the CyberDome shows for the day is only $7 for adults. Call 316-263-3373 for more details!
The keynote speaker for AstroFest 2007 is Dr. Dan Durda of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, speaking in the Kemper Creative Studio at 2pm. His research specializes in asteroids, meteor impacts, and searching for undiscovered minor planets in the inner solar system. Dr. Durda is also an accomplished space artist, holds a pilot’s license, and is an expert underwater cave diver. He also is a hiker, caver (spelunker) and geologist. Dr. Durda will be speaking about, among other things, his efforts on working with NASA to plan a manned mission to a nearby asteroid.
Another great lecture will be by Steve Arnold of the Brenham Meteorite Company, speaking at 3:30pm. Steve Arnold, a Wichita native, is a professional meteorite hunter and the founder of the Brenham Meteorite Company. Steve specializes in recovering meteorites from Kiowa county, Kansas that have been buried for thousands of years underground. In October 2005, Steve made one of the greatest meteorite discoveries of modern times, when he unearthed the largest meteorite of its kind known to exist, weighing in at over 1,400 pounds. Today at Exploration Place, Steve will be relaying his adventures as a meteorite hunter, including how he finds these ancient space rocks, and detailing his latest finds.
Andrew Shaner, of the University of Arizona, will speak at 12pm. Andrew is a graduate student at the University of Arizona and team member of the Phoenix Mars Mission, the next mission to Mars, due to launch this August. Andrew will give an overview of the Mars Phoenix mission and its lander, which will study the surface and atmosphere near the north pole of Mars. Andrew is a graduate of Wichita State University and Northwest High School.
Other activities during AstroFest include:
Telescope (Meade ETX-80) and Astronomy Magazine subscription giveaway (entries will be eligible for a nationwide giveaway for an LX-200R telescope!)
Solar observing, outside main entrance (weather permitting)
Buzz Liteyear Space Station Moonwalk outside. 10am-2pm
Astronomy Bingo & Straw Rocket Making
Crater Making and Moon on a Stick
Planetary Water Weight
Ask An Astronomer Booth
Computer Stations
Kansas Astronomical Observers presenting “How to Use a Telescope”
CyberDome Theater Schedule of digital space theater shows:
10:30am: Chirpie’s Magical Sky
11am: Secret of the Cardboard Rocket
12pm: Cosmic Collisions
1pm: Stars Over Kansas
2pm: Cosmic Collisions
3pm: Black Holes
4pm: Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 15 Dec 2006 at 9:27 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
December 15-16
:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the deep sky theme we will look at a binary or double star, a star forming region, a star cluster, and a galaxy through our 16 inch telescope and talk about how our understanding of each of these objects has changed during the last 25 years.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 8 Dec 2006 at 9:25 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
December 8-9, 15-16
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the deep sky theme we will look at a binary or double star, a star forming region, a star cluster, and a galaxy through our 16 inch telescope and talk about how our understanding of each of these objects has changed during the last 25 years.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 2 Dec 2006 at 9:32 am.
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Lake Afton Public Observatory
Saturday, December 2 at 10:00pm
Object to be photographed: The Moon
On selected clear nights, anyone with a 35mm single-lens reflex camera with a removable lens can take an astronomical photographs with the Observatory’s Telescope. Automatic camera without a manual override cannot be used to take astronomical photos . Digital cameras with a tripod mount (a threaded hole on the bottom of the camera) may also be used for the moon and planets.
For this photography program ISO 400 or 800 color film is recommended.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 1 Dec 2006 at 9:21 am.
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Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
December 1-2
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the Moon and Planet Theme we will look at the Moon, Uranus, Neptune and a star with planets as we discuss recent missions to the moon, the Voyager 2 mission to Uranus and Neptune, and the discovery of extra-solar planets.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 24 Nov 2006 at 9:21 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
November 24-25
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the deep sky theme we will look at a binary or double star, a star forming region, a star cluster, and a galaxy through our 16 inch telescope and talk about how our understanding of each of these objects has changed during the last 25 years.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 17 Nov 2006 at 9:20 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
November 17-18, 24-25
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the deep sky theme we will look at a binary or double star, a star forming region, a star cluster, and a galaxy through our 16 inch telescope and talk about how our understanding of each of these objects has changed during the last 25 years.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 11 Nov 2006 at 9:33 am.
1 Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
Saturday, November 11 at 10:00pm
Object to be photographed: The Pleiades
On selected clear nights, anyone with a 35mm single-lens reflex camera with a removable lens can take an astronomical photographs with the Observatory’s Telescope. Automatic camera without a manual override cannot be used to take astronomical photos . Digital cameras with a tripod mount (a threaded hole on the bottom of the camera) may also be used for the moon and planets.
For this program 800 or faster speed film, telephoto lens, and cable release are required.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 10 Nov 2006 at 9:17 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
November 10-11, 17-18, 24-25
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the deep sky theme we will look at a binary or double star, a star forming region, a star cluster, and a galaxy through our 16 inch telescope and talk about how our understanding of each of these objects has changed during the last 25 years.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 3 Nov 2006 at 9:20 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
Nov 3-4
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the Moon and Planet Theme we will look at the Moon, Uranus, Neptune and a star with planets as we discuss recent missions to the moon, the Voyager 2 mission to Uranus and Neptune, and the discovery of extra-solar planets.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 27 Oct 2006 at 9:19 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
October 27-28
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the Moon and Planet Theme we will look at the Moon, Uranus, Neptune and a star with planets as we discuss recent missions to the moon, the Voyager 2 mission to Uranus and Neptune, and the discovery of extra-solar planets.
Posted by Vicki Sieglen on 20 Oct 2006 at 9:15 am.
Make a Comment. Filed under Event.
Lake Afton Public Observatory
25 Years of Astronomy: Deep Sky Theme
October 20-21
7:30pm-10:00pm
The Observatory is 25 years old! Come and join us for our silver anniversary as we compare what astronomers knew about the universe when we opened in 1981, with what we believe to be true today.
For the deep sky theme we will look at a binary or double star, a star forming region, a star cluster, and a galaxy through our 16 inch telescope and talk about how our understanding of each of these objects has changed during the last 25 years.
