This upcoming April 25th will be Astronomy Day. It is an annual event in the United States that promotes interaction between the general public and the various astronomy based organizations, enthusiasts, groups, and professionals. Baton Rouge has several events planned to celebrate this day including the participation of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum and the Highland Road Park Observatory.
Astronomy Day was started back in 1973 by Doug Berger, the president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. It started off very simple, Berger would set up various telescopes in busy urban areas so that the people passing by could enjoy the nighttime view of the sky. Over the years, Astronomy Day–now part of National Astronomy Week–has expanded out of California and is now sponsored by numerous astronomy-based organizations.
If you swing by the Louisiana Art & Science Museum this coming Saturday, April 25, you can help celebrate. There will be a variety of astronomy related activities for all ages, including exhibits and displays, special planetarium shows, and solar viewing (weather permitting). Learn about the importance of dark skies, light pollution, recent NASA discoveries, and careers in astronomy.
This celebration of National Astronomy Day is included in the price of general admission.
In the LASM Atrium there will be the Discovery Dome (a mini-planetarium), telescopes, make-your-own Black Hole spin art, the EBR Library, Spetroscopy, and Careers & Astronomy Camp. The Auditorium will be alternating two shows: Two Small Pieces of Glass (w/ “Losing the Dark”) and Pluto Files. The Solar System Gallery will have Hand model activity and a Solar System scale model on the floor. The Planetarium will be showing Hitchhikers Tour Through The Universe, We Are Astronomers, The Moon, and Dark Universe. #gallery-2580-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2580-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 16%; } #gallery-2580-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2580-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Over at the Highland Road Park Observatory there will be telescopes, a renaissance sundial, a spacewalk and other activities starting at 3pm and going until 10pm. Bring your own binoculars for viewing past 7:30pm
National Astronomy Day is part of Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s celebration of the International Year of Light 2015