Jan 22, 2010 - Girl Scout Astronomy Program

Nature was with us last night as 60 girl scouts explored the heavens during Discovery Center’s Sky Search Junior program. The night was cold and clear making Mars shine so bright that the girls could pick it out as they left the building. The program started with a planetarium like presentation explaining what to look for during the observation portion of the program and some keys into how the Earth moves through space. Other sessions explored the inside workings of a telescope and explained the phases of the Moon. But the night's main attraction was the outside observations. It included viewing through two telescopes and a tour the constellations. One scope showed the girls the play of light and shadow on the craters of the Moon. Orion’s secrets were revealed through the other. As the constellations were pointed out, field binoculars helped with individual exploration. We would like to thank all the volunteers that made the program happen, with a very special Thank You to Mother Nature for letting the girls see it all without a cloud in the sky.