Catch a Flying Star at Starfest

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team

Telescopes, bottle rockets, Mentos geysers, gyroscopes and the space rover Curiosity are all part of the Aldrich Astronomical Society’s Starfest on Saturday.

Come for hands on observations of the solar system both through special space viewing telescopes and check out the Aldrich’s society scaled model of the sun and planets. After dark, the society will have night sky viewing of the stars and planets through telescopes and binoculars.

"Our goal is to promote the night sky. We want to encourage people to go beyond what is immediately around them and make it known to them there is more out there to explore," outreach coordinator Bruce Card said. "We try to reinforce to parents and encourage kids to understand there is a lot to explore in this world and beyond."

Starfest is perfectly timed for viewing the Delta Aquarids meteor showers, which peak from July 28-30, with the morning of the 29th being the best time to observe.

If you’re interested in learning about space exploration, check out the presentation on the nuclear powered space rover Curiosity, which is scheduled to land on Mars on August 5, or meet with Brian McKay of One Giant Leap, a non-profit organization that preserves the history of Apollo 11 and relates to current space exploration activities.

With indoor and outdoor activities, the family friendly event is always popular. Starfest will take place on July 28, from 6 pm to 10 pm, on the campus of Anna Maria College in Paxton.