Night Skies in the Observatory
The Joel N. Bloom Observatory is open for evening public observing on the 2nd Thursday night of every month. On these nights The Franklin offers 5 different telescopes for you to view celestial objects in the sky, including stars and star clusters, planets, nebulae, and if conditions are right a galaxy or two. The evening runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and includes a Fels Planetarium show and a lecture or presentation (appropriate for all ages) on an astronomical or space science topic. The Observatory is staffed with knowledgeable observers and free star maps are provided. Admission is $5, Members are FREE! Please note that some programs require pre-registration.
To learn more about the Joel N. Bloom Observatory click here.
May 8 - Space Weather: Brought to you by The Sun!
Thursday, May 8th, 7-9PM
Admission: $5
Members are Free.
*Registration required (walk-ups are welcomed) - 215.448.1254
On Thursday, May 8th, Solar Expert, Steele Hill, from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center takes us to the hottest spot in the solar system during his 7:30pm presentation in Musser Theater. The STEREO solar imaging satellite shows remarkable 3-D imagery of our sun in action. Come take a look!
To accompany the evening, two shows will be playing:
- 3D Sun (Franklin Theater, 7pm & 8pm)
- Heart of the Sun (Planetarium, 7pm & 8pm)
June 12 - International Space Station
» On-going construction must be completed by 2010. Then what?
July 10 - Kristen Qualls -Walking On the Moon
» Who were the men who went to the moon? How will we ever go back and what will we do when we get there?
August 14 - Hubble Space Telescope v4.0
» Space veteran and the original HST repairman Story Musgrave helps us understand the final upgrade/repair mission and what’s ahead in space telescopes.
September 11 - How To Buy a Telescope
» Thinking about a telescope as a holiday gift? Now’s the time to learn what to buy.
October 9 - The New World Space Race: East Beats West?
» Franklin Medalists look at how the ‘race for space’ has changed since the last century.
November 13 - The Pioneer and Voyager Space Probes
» Still going after all these year, where are they now and what are they doing?
December 11 - Space Materials and Space Spinoffs
» What kind of materials can withstand the rigors of the space environment?