Enjoy a family-oriented open house that's out of this world! As
part of the International Day of Astronomy sponsored by the
Astronomical League, UM-Flint and Longway Planetarium have joined
for a night that is sure to make your imagination soar to the
stars. This April, help make and dissect a comet, discover how
rainbows help astronomers unravel the secrets of the universe,
create and examine your own craters, catch a show in Longway's
portable planetarium, and more! If the sky is clear, we will take
our telescopes outside Murchie Science Building to look at amazing
objects in the sky. Check out planets, the Moon, and star
clusters. If you would like to bring your own telescope, you may
set it up.
For more information, contact the University of Michigan-Flint Computer Science, Engineering, and Physics Department at (810)762-3131
Here is a sample of the awesome activities we have planned for
the April 2013 event!
(Download PDF April 2013
Draft Activities, Schedule, and Map
| Topic | Title | Description |
| Rainbow Forensics | "Invisible Light" | Investigate light our eyes can't see: ultraviolet and infrared! (All ages.) |
| Rainbow Connections | Discover how astronomers use rainbows to unravel the secrets of the Universe! (All ages.) | |
| Planetary Science | Craters | Make your own impact craters! (Recommended ages 6 and older.) NOTE: wheat flour in use and likely to become airborne. |
| CSI: Comet Science Investigation | Make a comet using (mostly) household ingredients. (All ages.) | |
| Mars Lander (7:30pm & 8:45pm) | You become the rocket scientist as your team designs, builds, and tests a vehicle to land your "astronaut" on the surface of another planet! (Recommended ages 8 and older.) NOTE: free tickets are required (first-come, first-served). | |
| Mars Rovers | Be a NASA engineer, drive your own Mars rover! (All ages.) | |
| Solar System Tour | Take a self-guided tour of a scale model of the Solar System down the hall of MSB. (All ages.) | |
| Big Explosions & Strong Gravity | Finding Black Holes (7:30pm & 8:30pm) | What is a "black hole" and how do astronomers find them? (Recommended ages 6 and older.) |
| Supernova! | Explore why the biggest stars in the galaxy go out with a "bang". (All ages.) Running continuously at times when Black Holes are not being found... | |
| AstroCrafts & Kids Activities | Constellation Projectors | Make a projector to project your favorite constellation on a wall or ceiling. (Recommended ages 4 and older.) |
| Make-your-own Constellation | Constellations are just pictures made up from patterns of stars, there is no right or wrong way to draw these pictures! Design your own! (All ages.) | |
| Rockets | Make and fly your own air-powered rocket out of straws! (Recommended for ages 4 and older.) | |
| Stars & Telescopes | Big Dipper Model | A scale model showing the positions of the brightest stars in the Big Dipper. (All ages.) |
| Cardboard Tube Telescopes (7:00pm-8:30pm if clear, all night if cloudy) | Construct and test a simple telescope made from a cardboard tube! (Recommended ages 6 and older.) | |
| Night Sky Show (8:00pm to 9:30pm on the hour and half-hour) | find out what's up in the sky with a current sky show in the Longway Portable Planetarium! (Recommended ages 4 and older.) NOTE: free tickets are required (first-come, first-served). | |
| Telescopes (8:30-10pm) | Weather permitting, telescopes will be set up for opportunities to view the Moon and other objects. (All ages.) |
View AstroNite in a larger map
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