This summer, middle school students can experience the thrill of discovery with hands-on experience as they explore the cosmos with captivating astronomy workshops at a professional observatory. Curious students with an interest in astronomy are encouraged to apply!

182 Bayberry Ln, Westport, CT 06880

Workshop I
The Sun:  7/13-7/16

Activities include:

1. Structure of the sun, building sunspot viewers 
2. Magnets and magnetism, solar prominences and solar wind
3. Understanding the aurora, spectrometers
4. Graphing the sun’s path through the year 

Workshop II
The Night Sky :  7/20 – 7/23

Activities include:

1. Identifying constellations and prominent stars
2. Tracking the paths of the sun and moon, graphing
3. View of sky from poles, equator, and mid latitudes
4. Locating nebula, galaxies, star clusters, exoplanets

Workshop III
The Solar System 7/27-7/30

Topics include:

1. Hubble photos of nebulae and stellar nurseries
2. Rotational motion and gyroscopes, gravitation
3. Inner rocky planets, gas giants, dwarf planets 
4. Moons, asteroid belt, Oort cloud, comets

Workshop IV
Meteors and Comets 8/3-8/6

Activities include:

1. Locating comets, asteroids, and meteor showers using planetarium program
2. Identifying impact craters (using Google Earth) 
3. Composition of meteorites, igneous rocks
4. Metamorphic rocks and impact environments