CHARLESTON, S.C. - Who wants to explore the universe this fall?
Vacations turned into staycations this year, and this ongoing pandemic really made it difficult to get out and find fun things to do. But Charleston County Public Library is teaming up with the South Carolina State Museum to explore the universe!
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 23 we've lined up a weekly series of programs to take you on a trip around the solar system. Whether you've wanted to see the sun up close, see distant stars, or fly by our neighboring planets, we have the perfect program for you. We'll even make balloon cars!
All of the events will take place on CCPL's Zoom server and our Facebook page, so you can join the program from either platform. To join on Zoom, you'll need to register for the event by clicking on the program links below.
Check out the schedule of events.
Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. - Visiting the Sun: Join Matthew Whitehouse, Observatory Manager at the South Carolina State Museum, as we experience a live view of the Sun from the museum's telescope. If it's cloudy, we'll show you awesome pictures we've taken of the Sun instead!
Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. - Fly By of Other Planets: Join Liz Klimek, Planetarium Manager at the South Carolina State Museum, as we take a virtual tour of the stars and planets up in the sky tonight.
Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. - Make Your Own Balloon Rover: Join Laura Ybarra Kane, Education Manager at the South Carolina State Museum, as we learn how to make our own balloon cars! You’ll just need to gather a few materials ahead of time:
- 2 straws
- 2 sticks or skewers that fit inside the straws easily (we sometimes use plastic coffee skewers, too!)
- A balloon (or extras just in case they pop!)
- A body for your car (I like to use a small box or mini berry basket from the grocery store)
- 4 wheels – these can be bottle caps or you can even use some thick craft foam or cardboard cut into circles!
- Tape – lots of it. I prefer masking tape because it is a little stickier and easy to cut!
- Then any decorations or extras you might want to add!
- If you can’t blow up a balloon on your own we can also show you a version with 2 magnets instead
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. - Take a Trip to Saturn: Join Matthew Whitehouse, Observatory Manager at the South Carolina State Museum, as we experience a live view of Saturn (and other night sky objects) from the museum's telescope. If it's cloudy, we'll show you awesome pictures we've taken of night sky objects instead!