Rocket launches and sunspot viewing are among the highlights of Astronomy Day, a family-oriented celebration being held on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus on Saturday, April 24.
Fiske Planetarium and Sommers-Bausch Observatory will offer activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the planetarium and observatory. All activities are free and open to the public.
Astronomy Day is intended to bring astronomy to the public and is an annual event celebrated at planetariums and astronomy clubs around the world, according to Rob Morris, an education specialist at Fiske Planetarium.
Visitors will get to view planets through telescopes in broad daylight, take part in various science experiments and launch water rockets outside the planetarium.
Weather permitting, visitors will be able to look at sunspots using the Sommers-Bausch Observatory's heliostat -- a specialized solar telescope that transfers the sun's light via a series of mirrors and lenses and projects it on a flat surface for safe viewing.
Fiske Planetarium is located on Regent Drive and Kittredge Loop Drive on the CU-Boulder campus. Sommers-Bausch Observatory is adjacent to the planetarium.
For more information call (303) 492-5002 or visit the planetarium's Web site at or the observatory's Web site at .