Astronomy Day 2012
April 28, 2012
Presented in partnership with
PHILIP AND MICHELLE EYKAMP
In cooperation with
THE EVANSVILLE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Celebrate ASTRONOMY DAY on Saturday, April 28 when a trip to the Museum will allow for encounters with cool telescopes and plenty of astronomical activities for all ages. Knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to help you observe, learn, discover, and explore the wonders of astronomy.
Daytime activities at the Museum will take place from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There will be extra planetarium shows in Koch Planetarium, digital planetarium programs provided by Jim and Carol Havens from the Havens Foundation, views of the Sun and the moon, make-it takeit activities, a telescope display, and meteorite display. Food will be available for purchase the day of the event.
On that same evening, the Moon, Venus and Mars will be targets for telescopes and public viewing in the Museum parking lot.
Astronomy Day Activities
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Meteorite and Photo Displays, Egg Drop, Astronomy Demos
11:00 - Noon, & 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Inflatable Planetarium Programs in the Old Gallery
11:00 a.m & 2:00 p.m. Make a Comet Demonstration
Noon - 2:00 p.m. Solar Observing
1:00 p.m. Eight Planets and Counting in the Koch Planetarium
3:00 p.m. The Sky Tonight in the Koch Planetarium
4:00 p.m. Eight Planets and Counting in the Koch Planetarium
8:00 p.m. Sky Watch from Museum Parking Lot
* Some portions of this event are subject to the prevailing weather conditions and may be canceled in the event of poor weather.
Rare Celestial Event To Be Observed From Museum
June 5, 2012
NASA’s TRACE satellite captured this image of Venus crossing
the face of the Sun as seen from Earth’s orbit in 2004
On Tuesday, June 5 a celestial event will take place just before sunset in the skies over Evansville, the likes of which will not be seen again in your lifetime. Visible only with proper eye protection, a rare transit of Venus will take place in the west.
To say that planetary transits are rare events is an understatement and transits involving Venus are even rarer. Transits tend to occur in groups and Venus is no exception. Similar events occurred in 1761/1769, 1872/1874 and 2004. The upcoming Transit of Venus event is part of the 2004/2012 series. The next one will not occur until 2117.
Astronomically speaking, a transit occurs when one celestial object passes in front of another one. In this case, the planet Venus moves between us and the Sun. Venus will appear as a small, slowly moving, round spot on the face of the sun while the transit is in progress. This event may not be viewed directly, but only using properly filtered equipment. Readers are advised never to stare directly at the Sun, with or without a telescope, on June 5 or at any other time! Serious eye damage may result. View a video discription of the transit here.
Our Transit of Venus event kicks off with a lecture entitled “The Last Transit of Venus in Your Lifetime” to be
presented at 4:00 p.m. by Mitch Luman, The George and Dorothy Eykamp Director of the Koch Science Center and Planetarium. The 30-minute lecture will take place in the Museum’s Old Gallery. Beginning at 5:00 p.m., members of the Evansville Astronomical Society will set up telescopes in the Museum parking lot to assist guests in observing the event. Other visual aids will be available as well. Our Transit of Venus event officially will end when the sun sets, carrying Venus along with it, just before 8:00 p.m.
