State Museum to offer Family Astronomy Workshops
January 10, 2018
The State Museum is offering a new workshop on Jan. 20 and Feb. 24 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning how to set up telescopes, how to use them, purchase them and how to locate celestial objects in the night sky. Each workshop will be led by museum astronomers in the Boeing Observatory classroom.
Museum astronomers will show guests the basics of telescope observing and how to assemble their own star wheels to help them navigate the night sky with ease. Guests can bring in their own telescopes to practice setting up and viewing with help from State Museum astronomy educators. The State Museum will have additional telescopes for guests that do not own one, but still wish to attend the workshop.
“Our team of astronomers have years of practical experience with small telescopes,” said Matthew Whitehouse, State Museum observatory manager. “This is the perfect opportunity for families to get professional advice and hands-on experience on not only how to use telescopes, but advice on purchasing one as well.”
In the event of inclement weather, guests will experience the basics of telescope observing in an indoor format. Each ticket includes a night-vision friendly red flashlight to take home. (Please note: The same workshop will be presented on both dates.)
Children must be accompanied by an adult for each workshop, but parents and chaperones do not need to purchase tickets to the workshop if they are not receiving a take-home item. Tickets for each workshop are $20 for general public, $15 for museum members and $5 for Astrokids members. Tickets can be purchased online at scmuseum.org.
About the South Carolina State Museum: As the state’s largest and most comprehensive museum, the South Carolina State Museum, offers a unique, entertaining and educational experience to visitors throughout its 225,000 square foot facility located in the heart of downtown Columbia’s Congaree Vista. The State Museum is housed in one of its greatest artifacts, an 1894 old textile mill full of character and charm. In addition to beautiful meeting spaces throughout the facility, guests can explore outer space in one of the largest planetariums in the Southeast, watch an interactive 4D movie and look through a vintage telescope in a one-of-a-kind observatory. These exciting opportunities are all in addition to the four floors of South Carolina art, cultural history, natural history and science/technology that guests can experience. For more information about the museum, visit scmuseum.org.
