Program times are available hourly on Monday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by reservation only. This program introduces the youngest stargazers to the sun and moon, the cause of day and night, and the stars and the pictures they make in the sky. Children's entertainer Fred Penner and his helper, Arnie the Arrow, set off to explore things large and small in Fred's backyard. Students observe sun, moon and planet motions and the Earth-moon system, meeting astronomy pioneers who helped us understand them. Through astronauts and space missions, students see their role as future space pioneers.
Students learn about the appearance and motion of planets while searching the current evening sky.
Then they blast off on a trip through the solar system for close-up views and the latest planetary information. Students learn about stars and their characteristics under the current night sky, and then travel into space for encounters with our sun, stars, galaxies, and the Big Bang. Students witness motions, changes, and cycles in the sky, during different seasons and from different latitudes on the earth. Stargazers explore the night sky visible from their backyards as Native Americans saw it. Features Native American star patterns and stories.