Ignite Your Child’s Curiosity

Join us Saturday, May 15th, and Sunday, May 16th, at the Cradle of Aviation Museum as we celebrate National Astronomy Weekend with family-friendly STEM learning activities, including hands-on science solar observations, water rockets experiments, a gallery of space artifacts, and planetarium shows for all ages.

May 15th Only

Solar Observations - 12 pm-4 pm, Outside* - Free with museum admission
Get to know our star, the Sun, better with the help of the Amateur Observer’s Society (AOS). Using a sun spotter and a telescope, views of the sun will be projected onto a screen and ground so everyone can observe safely. *Activity is weather-dependent

Water Rocket Launch - 12 pm and 2 pm, Outside* - $5 add-on to museum admission.
The only way to get to space is on a rocket. Make and launch your own water rocket with one of our Educators. Sign-up at the Box Office upon arrival, limited spots available. *Activity is weather-dependent

May 15th & 16th

Planetarium Shows*
11:00am: One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
1:00pm: Current Night Sky, Spring Edition
2:00pm: Asteroid: Mission Extreme
3:00pm: Current Night Sky, Spring Edition
4:00pm: Asteroid: Mission Extreme
*Separate Admission Required for Theatre

Interactive Educational Projects, Atrium - Free with Museum Admission
Three science activities that will grow your understanding of the expanding universe:

Send a Postcard to Space with Blue Origin
Write or draw your dreams of the future and vision for life in space on one of our postcards and we’ll send it to Club for the Future, who will launch it to space and return it to you stamped “Flown to Space.”

Star Wheels
Constellations can be hard to find. Make a star wheel so you will always know what is in your night sky and where to find it!

Eclipses
A lunar and solar eclipse will be visible soon. Explore what causes them and the best way to view them. Supplies for pinhole projectors will be handed out.

Museum Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Admission
Adult: Museum: $16
Combination Museum and Theatre: $21
Child/Senior*: Museum $14
Combination Museum and Theatre: $19
*children ages 2-12, senior citizens ages 62+, Military, Volunteer Firefighters and non-ambulatory visitors

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WHY IS ASTRONOMY SO IMPORTANT TO LEARN ABOUT
Kerri Kiker, Planetarium Education Coordinator at the museum shares that “Learning about astronomy is important to kids because it gives them a sense of place in the universe. It makes them feel like a global citizen, a part of the world, and gives them a sense of responsibility for our planet and how their decisions impact more than just themselves. “