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Project WET Co-Sponsor for Upcoming Astronomy Day
For immediate release: February 28, 2011
BOZEMAN, Mont.—The Project WET Foundation is one of several organizations sponsoring Astronomy Day 2011, a day of astronomy-related events for kids, adults and teachers that will be held in Bozeman on Saturday, April 2.
Public events take place at the Museum of the Rockies from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and an evening telescope viewing session is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., weather permitting. All Astronomy Day 2011 activities are free. Astronaut Richard Arnold, who flew to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Teacher in Space program, will be a special guest presenter.
At 1:10 p.m., Arnold will speak about his mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery in March 2009. MSU President Waded Cruzado will give the opening remarks. An autograph session with Arnold will follow at 2 p.m. NASA Solar System Ambassador Shirley Green will present "Pluto and New Horizons" at 3 p.m.
Kids' activities include face painting, sun catchers, star finders, solar system jewelry and more. Telescopes will be set up for solar observing (weather permitting), and exhibits in the main lobby will feature activities, information and give-aways from NASA missions and Montana State University researchers.
Planetarium shows include "Star Signs" and "Here Comes the Sun."
Educators can also attend two morning workshops and earn OPI Renewal Units. The first educator workshop is from 9 a.m. to noon, when grade 4-12 educators can learn about lunar and meteorite samples stored at the NASA Johnson Space Center and become certified to bring these samples into their classrooms. The workshop is led by NASA education specialist Tony Leavitt. "Ice in the Solar System" takes place from noon to 1 p.m. Designed for teachers of grades K-12, it is led by NASA Solar System Educator Shirley Greene. Continuing Education Units are available for both workshops, and pre-registration is required.
Astronomy Day is sponsored by the Museum of the Rockies, Montana Space Grant Consortium and its Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT), the Project WET Foundation, Southwest Montana Astronomical Society, and MSU's Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center, Department of Education, Extended University, Solar Physics Research Group and SPIE.
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