Reaching for the Stars at Stargazing with Astronomers

“3, 2, 1… BLAST OFF,” can be heard being exclaimed from little voices deriving from the black dome shaped inflatable sitting within the common area of the Milan Public Library. That inflatable black dome is known as a portable planetarium, which was presented by the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton, OH). As part of Genesis: Pathways to Success’ A Summer of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics) initiative, Stargazing with Astronomers was held on June 27th to encourage space education amongst youth. 

Attendees learned about star navigation, the earth’s rotation, constellations in the night sky, moons, and were given a “rollercoaster” tour of our solar system. With over 100 individuals in attendance, the event had an efficacious way of causing people of all ages to walk out of the dome awestruck. They had literally just taken a fun and exciting trip to space!

“It was so adorable hearing the excited little giggles coming from the planetarium. When you are little, things like that feel so much more special,” stated Caroline Kellerman, the Public Relations Intern for Genesis: Pathways to Success.

Each attendee left the event with a Celestron telescope, which will allow our newly educated astronomers to stargaze at the night sky with their family and friends. The telescopes were sponsored by Ripley County Court Services JDAI.

In addition to Stargazing with Astronomers, the Gibson Theatre (Batesville, IN) kicked off Space Week in Ripley County with a free showing of Guardians of the Galaxy to get everyone, “Hooked on a Feeling”: space. The Theatre was kind enough to provide a free popcorn and drinks for all of the attendees in honor of Stargazing with Astronomers.

Genesis would like to extend a special thank you to the Milan Public Library for hosting the portable planetarium, the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery for providing a guided tour through space, Ripley County Court Services JDAI for the amazing telescopes, and the Gibson Theatre for their promotion this event. With teamwork, Stargazing with Astronomers was a huge success!