We are excited to bring you a virtual edition of Astronomy Day this year! Astronomy day was first observed in 1973 in an event organized by Doug Berger, at that time the president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. It was envisioned as a way to bring astronomy “to the people,” eliminating what might otherwise be a long trip to a remote observatory site.
Special Thanks to
The Springfield STARS Club
These maps show what you can see in the night sky here in Springfield at the times and dates given in each map. The view will be similar over the subsequent days as well. We would like to thank our friends at Sky and Telescope magazine, skyandtelescope.org, for creating these maps for us and allowing us to post them today.
Out-of-this-world art and science activities for children and families, created by our Family Engagement Coordinator Jenny Powers.
About the Editor
Kaitlynn Goulette is a 6th grader at the Westfield Intermediate School in Massachusetts. She is a member of the school’s astronomy club and plays the saxophone and flute in her school band. Soccer and lacrosse are her two favorite sports. She is a Girl Scout and a member of the Girl Scout’s robotics team. Kaitlynn is also a registered Storm Spotter, (Spotter I.D. 17-546) with the National Weather Service. She is an active member of the Springfield STARS Club, Amherst Area Amateur Astronomy Association and Arunah Hill Science Club.
Space and astronomy have been special passions of Kaitlynn’s ever since she attended a Science Museum planetarium show presented by Jack Megas when she was five years old. Kaitlynn was gifted her first telescope when she turned six and has gone on to receive awards for completing several astronomical observing programs. Kaitlynn has hosted and co-hosted many stargazing events and has also presented astronomy programs for her school. Her most recent project is the “Starry Scoop” newsletter, which communicates current astronomy and space events.
Most clear nights, Kaitlynn can be found at the eyepiece of her telescope. She is too young to be an astronaut but feels that every time she gazes through her telescope, she is traveling the universe.
There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System by Tish Rabe
From the Cat in the Hat Learning Library – Features our favorite feline!
Hello, World! Solar System by Jill McDonald
Perfect for even ittiest, bittiest future astronomy enthusiasts!
DK Eyewitness Books: Astronomy: Discover the Mysteries of the World’s Oldest Science from Constellations to Moon by Kristen Lippencott
This book can keep older kids busy for hours!
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed (Author), Stasia Burrington (Illustrator)
A biography of the first African American female astronaut. She still dreams of improving life of Earth by studying space.
Give while you shop! Bookmark smile.amazon.com and select the Springfield Museums as your preferred charity. That way, when you shop through AmazonSmile, they’ll send us 0.5% of every order you place, at no extra cost to you.
Anytime, anywhere you can enjoy a variety of online programs, stories, videos, activities, virtual tours, and resources from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. They’ve compiled some great digital resources and continually add new content.
Smithsonian affiliation made possible by the MassMutual Center.
Want to explore more? Check out the links below, curated by our Astronomy Department.
Sky and Telescope magazine
Mass Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education STEM
Mass DESE list of STEM resources (XLS spreadsheet of links)
Lowell Observatory video library
Lowell Observatory image library
Lowell Observatory Women in Astronomy
Lowell Observatory library and archives
From MassAppeal
Springfield Museums Teach us About Gravity
Visualize temperature changes with this demonstration from the Springfield Museums
From The Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
How Big is Our Universe?
A website taking you on a journey out into the universe with models to visualize the distances. It includes a downloadablePDF.
Black Hole Explorer
Download and print a board game and learn how black holes affect the space and time around them.
The Incredible Two-Inch Universe
A downloadable PDF that guides you to create several scale models of objects in the universe.
