Through the gracious participation of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston (ATMoB), the PTA Science Enrichment Committee is pleased to offer an evening of stargazing, planet viewing, satellite siting, and more. We will arrange briefing discussions and activities in the Fiske Gym and viewing stations in Fiske Field, providing a look at - and through - telescopes trained on objects ranging from the Moon to planets and galaxies. Supplemental handouts, reading lists and activity sheets will also be provided by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Chandra X-ray Center.

Outside activities will take place in Fiske Field, and inside activities will be in the school gymnasium. Volunteers can look here for directions and maps.

(The Star Party is a school-wide event. Activities will be available throughout the night. Families with younger children may want to come at 7:00.)

Telescope Viewing

ATMoB members will bring telescopes for viewing of the Moon, Mars, and other spectacular sky objects. Do you own a telescope? Bring it!
• Check out Sky and Telescope for sky charts and the Sky at a Glance.
• Check the moon phase calendar.
• Learn more about what we might observe: the Moon, Mars, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Ring Nebula (M57), and the Globular Cluster M13.

Learn About the Stars

Presentations and demonstrations inside the Fiske gym will be ongoing. Participants can start at the telescopes and then come inside or vise versa.
• A 15 minute presentation "Learning About the Stars" will be delivered at 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 PM by Pat Slane, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
• Star charts will be available for identifying constellations and navigating the skies.
• Displays explaining how astronomers "fingerprint" stars to learn about their structure will be on-site.
• See X-ray pictures of planets, galaxies, and exploded stars from the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Fun Activities

Stations with activities and handouts will be located throughout the gym.
• Make a nocturnal - a clock that uses the North Star!
• Learn how to find satellites. Use software to see what satellites are passing overhead, then go try to spot them!
• View an animated fly-by of Mars. Learn about the upcoming Mars Exploration Rovers. See a great animation of the Rover!
• Play "Star Party Bingo!" Mark off each of the activities on your Star Party card and get a package of spacy pictures!

---



Cool Astronomy Links!



• The Space Place
• StarChild
• Astronomy for Kids
• Chandra X-ray Center Activities
• Astronomy Picture of the Day
• NASA Kids
• Space Science for Kids