We are experiencing operating difficulties...please stand by...

Okay, so not really.  What I am experiencing is my final week of teaching class here at the Virginia Living Museum before hitting the road for a conference and then a little vacation time.  So needless to say, it's been a little crazy.

In fact, it's been so crazy that I totally forgot that yesterday was Wednesday.

So...this week I've been teaching kids about the solar system.  We've been having a great time, and they seem to be really enjoying our tour of our local neighborhood.  Why don't you do the same while we wait for the landing of Curiosity?  Try here, and here.  You also might enjoy this.  If you're local to the area, and looking for something fun for the kiddos to do, we offer some really excellent classes, if I do say so myself.  Check them out!

The solar system, with a bonus nebula at the bottom. Courtesy NASA.

I'll certainly be updating again after the August 5th (August 6th for some of us) landing of Curiosity.  So hang on for just a few more days...

Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror.  If it can get through this, it will be home free. Courtesy NASA.

Until then,
Carpe noctem!
Kelly

Welcome to Mesozoic Park

Honestly, when you get right down to it, that's what eccentric billionaire John Hammond should have named his theme park.  Let's face it - not all dinosaurs lived in the Jurassic, but all dinosaurs lived in the Mesozoic. 

So what's up with the dinosaur talk, you ask?  Well...summer is nearly upon us.  I can't believe it, but this weekend is the unofficial start of summer (Memorial Day Weekend) and the beginning of the long crazy summer schedule we run here at the Abbitt Planetarium until Labor Day rolls around.  This summer is certain to bring three things to the Virginia Living Museum...heat, humidity, and Dinosaurs!

Indeed, as the days lengthen, the dinosaurs are moving in to the changing exhibit gallery.  We'll once again be featuring the big moving and roaring critters that have always been so popular here at the museum.  An added bonus this year...non-dinosaurs!  You might not be aware of this, but all dinosaurs lived primarily on land.  Flying reptiles, like pteranodon, we not dinosaurs.  Neither were marine reptiles like elasmosaurus and mosasaurus.  You can see all three of these "dino-buddies" at this year's exhibit.

1916 Pteranodon painting by Harder.  Courtesy Wikimedia.

Want some extra dinosaur fun?  Consider joining us overnight on June 1 for Dinosaurs!  The Camp-in!  Yes indeed, you'll get to sleep overnight in the museum and learn more about dinosaurs than you ever thought possible.  It's going to be a whole lot of fun.  To get more information or to register, call Betty or Julia at (757) 595-9135.  There are only a few spaces left available - trust me, you don't want to miss this.

The planetarium will be getting in on the dino action as well, with our featured program "Dinosaur Prophecy."  We've got a brand-new opening segment focusing on the wonders of the summer night sky, and then we investigate four fossil sites to learn how dinosaurs lived and died, and what their demise might say about the fate of humanity.  It's a pretty amazing show...especially the parts where dinosaurs thunder across the dome thanks to some amazing animations!

For those not ready to walk with dinosaurs, we've got some other options in the planetarium as well.  With this year being the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we take you on a journey through the final days of the doomed vessel with "Night of the Titanic."  As always, "Virginia Skies" will take you on a live, guided tour of the evening skies for the day of your visit.  Rounding out the planetarium offerings through the end of June will be an all-new laser show especially for kids - "Here Come They Might Be Giants."  If your kids like the albums and videos produced by these awesome rockers, they'll be entranced by this laser show.  And if you've never experienced TMBGs kid-friendly music...don't miss this show.  You're in for a real treat.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the successful launch of the Dragon capsule currently in orbit around the Earth by private space exploration company SpaceX.  Currently America's only means of getting into low-earth orbit, we're excited to see this program moving forward.  Watch the news on May 25th, as the Dragon capsule will be attempting to link up with the International Space Station on that day.  Best of luck for a smooth docking, guys!

SpaceX's Dragon capsule launches with their Falcon 9 rocket on May 22, 2012.  Courtesy NASA.

There's a lot happening here at the museum this summer, astronomically speaking and otherwise, and I'll be posting updates as needed to keep you informed about it all.  If you're not already signed up to receive updates from my blog, you might want to do that now, as I might be running a bit off my usual every other week schedule for a while.  But right now, I've got more work to do to get ready for the dinosaurs.  See you in two weeks!

Carpe noctem,
Kelly

The Fast and the Norovirus

Hello folks.  Sorry to be so late in posting, but last Tuesday night, my daughter came down with the stomach flu.  So I've been a very good mommy for the last couple days, but a very bad blogger.  It's amazing how much stuff you have to catch up on when this kind of thing happens!  But I'm back, and since I've just spent a couple days with my kiddo, let's talk a little about astronomy with kids.

Some kids are totally into astronomy, and are willing to stand around in the cold waiting for that perfect view of Jupiter.  They'll watch with amazement as you realign the telescope four or five times in a night.  They'll ask you great questions about the Moon, black holes, galaxies, and half a dozen other astronomy topics.

And then there's my daughter.


Don't get me wrong - she loves to look at the sky!  She loves that her mom is an astronomer, and knows lots of things about objects in space.  But being outside in the cold is not her idea of fun.  And standing and waiting while I get everything set up is REALLY not her idea of fun.  She's a typical (gorgeous, brilliant, fun-loving...sorry, that's the mom in me again!) seven-year-old girl.  Space is cool...but not if you have to stand around waiting for it.

So how do you share astronomy with a kiddo who may not want to sit still for it?  Simple!  Try a little "drive-by astronomy."  Headed to the car to go out for dinner?  Challenge your child to identify a bright celestial object (Margaret now knows the Moon, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn by sight.  This spring we'll work on Mars!).  Walking back to the car after grocery shopping?  See if your little one can identify a bright constellation (Margaret knows Orion and Leo...and almost Taurus).  It's a really easy way to get a kid interested in looking up, and it's kind of a fun game to play too!  Try to identify the bright objects in the photo below...and click here for the solution.

The sky of January 9, 2009 by Tamas Ladanyi.  Courtesy Astronomy Picture of the Day.

If the "drive-by" sparks a question or two...or maybe if the little one seems willing to stand and look up for a couple moments - expand on the idea.  Did you just show your tyke how to spot Taurus?  Show them the Pleiades - the little open cluster of stars on Taurus' back.  How many tiny stars can they see there (you'll be amazed how much better their eyesight is!)?  The Pleiades is the tiny bright blue cluster in this image:

 The Pleaides above Morby Castle by P-M Heden.  Courtesy Astronomy Picture of the Day.

We call those stars the Seven Sisters...so why can't we see 7 of them anymore?  And now you can talk about outdoor lights, light pollution, and how much more we used to be able to see in the night sky.

Not sure you know enough yourself to teach your kiddo?  Come on out to our monthly star parties.  We've got astronomers on site who will be happy to spend time with you and your kids.  Telescopes will be set up and ready to go (minimal waiting!), and everyone always has a great time, no matter what their age.  Our next star party will be on February 11th, and on the second Saturday of every month thereafter.  Mark it on your calendar and plan to join us!  Got a telescope that you and your little one need help figuring out how to use? - bring it along!  We'll be glad to give you a primer on your new equipment.

Until then - how about a question or two from you?  Please leave me a comment and ask anything you like.  I love taking questions from people - and it lets me speak to things that you're really interested in.

Carpe noctem!
Kelly