The Night Sky

If your city kid’s only knowledge of the stars comes from
what she reads in Teen People, then get out on your balcony between August 9 and
August 14 for the real deal. The annual Perseid meteor shower, associated with the
comet Swift-Tuttle, will be at its peak, and the rate of meteors will hit up to 60 or
more per hour! If the meteor shower leaves you with a deeper thirst for up-above
phenomena, share the beauty and wonder of the night sky with your family from
vantage points throughout New York City. —%uFFFD

Every Thursday night until September 29,
members of the Amateur Astronomers Association guide stargazers through the
constellations using telescopes in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The stargazing runs
from 8:30 to 10:30pm, just after the sun sets and the air cools.The AAA also arranges viewings around the city at spots like the High Line, Pier 1, Inwood Park, Prospect Park and much more.

If you’d prefer
a simulated stargazing experience, the American Museum of Natural History is
hosting “Our Solar Neighborhood with Jackie Faherty” at 6:30pm on August 30
in Hayden Planetarium. Faherty, an astrophysics research scientist at the
Museum, will take visitors into the blue abyss for a three-dimensional
exploration of the night sky and its mysteries.

If you can’t make Fahey’s adventure, drop by the Planetarium
on a free afternoon to take in “Journey to the Stars.” Narrated by Whoopi
Goldberg, the short film uses breathtaking visuals collected from telescopes on
the ground and in space to tell the story of the stars in the sky. The film
leads viewers through the life cycles of various stars in the night sky,
including the most prominent – the sun.%uFFFD

Once you see the film, you’ll have a burning desire to spend
time underneath the open sky – trust us. Fortunately, the Bronx Zoo will host an outdoor sleepover for
MasterCard customers. The sleepover includes crafts, food and zoo fun, but
perhaps the most “priceless” activity will be falling asleep under the open
sky! The Queens Zoo also offers overnight zoo extravaganzas, with the next one
scheduled for September 24. If you’re not an animal person but
love the idea of snoozin’ in nature, the Parks Department hosts free camping
for families in the summer on Friday and Saturday nights. Just enter your name
in the lottery and keep your fingers crossed for a night of cookouts,
stargazing, night hiking and sleeping with the crickets!%uFFFD

For a more structured visit with the sky, get on board for
the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum’s All Hands On Deck activities. The
Intrepid sets up crafts and experiments revolving around sea and sea life, air
and of course, space. All activities are free and run on Saturdays and Sundays
from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. Don’t forget to check out the Enterprise,
the very first Space Shuttle Orbiter that has found a home at the Intrepid. And for budding astronauts this summer, Camp Intrepid’s weeklong programs are running through August. Sign up for Space Trekkers or A Pilot’s View and let your little ones run wild with flight deck challenges, bottle and straw rockets, a ride on the Circle Line’s Beast boat, and solar oven making.

To share the astronomical fun with your entire family, check out Alley Pond’s “An Evening with the Stars” on August 20. This workshop, led by astronomer Mark Freilich, focuses on the features of the moon, the summer Milky Way, the Red Giant Antares and
Scorpio,
the double star Albeiro and the summer triangle. Take in an educational lecture on basic astronomy and outdoor viewing before trying it yourselves with a professional telescope!

Soak up even more knowledge from Columbia University’s Astronomy Public
Outreach. A public lecture and stargazing will take place August 19
at 8pm. The free event, titled “Of Starquakes and Supernovae: A Story of
Neutron Stars” will include half an hour of lecture and an hour and a half of
telescope observation and an astronomical question and answer session.%uFFFD

If space camp is your little one’s ultimate dream, but it’s not within your budget, the Inwood Branch of the New York Public Library hosts Inwood Space Camp–a free experience for kids ages 10-18. Campers will make their own model planes, learn how to use solar telescopes and get serious space knowledge from NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Jason Kendall. Mission 1: The Sun and Moon! takes place August 20;
Mission 2: The Planets! will be held August 27.

Once the members of your family know enough about space and
the sky to try one-upping each other’s knowledge, get crafty in your home.
Spend a rainy afternoon creating a solar system out of paper mache and paint,
render the night sky in watercolor, or bake a chocolate cake and outline the
family’s favorite constellations in white icing. At bedtime, let the kids settle in with an astronomy book to keep the stars in their dreams. Our favorite? The Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book–chock-full of trivia, games and facts that will light up the night.