NASA astronaut headlines April 28 Astronomy Day

Clayton Anderson
Clayton Anderson

Astronomy Day will be celebrated April 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall. The event will feature appearances by Nebraska’s own astronaut, Clayton Anderson, along with prizes and a variety of hands-on activities about space, science and astronomy. Regular museum admission will be charged.

At 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Anderson will give 30-minute presentations in Morrill Hall’s auditorium featuring images from his flights aboard the Space Shuttle. There will be an opportunity for visitors to get autographs and photos with Anderson following the talks. Seating is limited. For more information about Anderson, go to http://go.unl.edu/bfm.

Visitors will also interact with presenters at different stations and learn about planets, optics, telescopes, physics, space travel, nanotechnology and more. Mueller Planetarium will present the fulldome show, “Dawn of the Space Age,” which will include tributes to Anderson and the last Shuttle misson. It will be presented at 11 a.m., noon, and 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

Presenting organizations on Astronomy Day include Mueller Planetarium, Prairie Astronomy Club, Hyde Memorial Observatory, Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, UNL Department of Physics and Astronomy, UNL Microgravity University team, UNL Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, UNL College of Engineering, Air Force Association and others.

Giveaway opportunities include a pair of Celestron 15x70 Skymaster binoculars, a Celestron AstroMaster LT 60AZ telescope and a Celestron SkyProdigy 130 telescope.

Astronomy Day will conclude in the evening with an open house “star party” during the regular open hours (8 to 11 p.m.) of Hyde Memorial Observatory, 3701 S. 70th St. in Holmes Park. There is no admission charge at Hyde Observatory.

— Dana Ludvik, NU State Museum

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/t9c