Astronomy Day at The Renaissance Center, April 8, 2000

Release Date: 3/10/2000. Expired: 4/8/2000

Stargazers of all ages will find a universe full of activities during Astronomy Day at The Renaissance Center in Dickson.

The Dream Mission Space Shuttle

From the chance to participate in a simulated space shuttle mission to a brand new CyberSphere show explaining how ancient civilizations used the sky to navigate, Astronomy Day promises a full day of reaching for the stars.

Astronomy Day is being celebrated across the United States on Saturday, April 8, and is a day for bringing astronomy to the public. It was in April 1973 that the first Astronomy Day was held. It had been suggested by then Astronomy Association of Northern California President Doug Berger (still a member of the Eastbay Astronomical Society), at an AANC board meeting held at Chabot Observatory. Astronomy Day is now celebrated across the U.S. and Canada.

The Renaissance Center will be observing Astronomy Day with special programs that include planetarium and laser shows in its CyberSphere, hands-on Space Art for kids, science shows in the Faraday Science Theatre and a special appearance by Dream Mission, the 63-foot space shuttle replica operated by The Jackson Foundation.

Inside the Dream Mission Shuttle

The Astronomy Day activities will be in addition to the regular Saturday activities planned at The Renaissance Center that day, including the weekly Storytime, two professional theatrical presentations of “Pippi Longstocking” and The Renaissance Center Repertory Company’s production of “School House Rock.”

“We want to make Astronomy Day a fun and educational day for children and adults with a variety of activities,” said Kevin Scott, CyberSphere director at The Renaissance Center and coordinator for Astronomy Day. “We will have a wide range of activities that appeal to different ages and a couple of different ticket packages that will make a day of fun very affordable for entire families.”

The two ticket packages are both $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. The Stargazers package is recommended for children 10 and under and includes:

  • 10 a.m. CyberSphere show of “Larry Cat in Space;”
  • 12:30 p.m. Space Art, a hands-on art project;
  • 1:30 p.m. Faraday Science Theatre show, and;
  • 2:30 p.m. A performance of “Pippi Longstocking.”
The Astronomers package is designed for children of all ages and adults and includes:
  • 1 p.m. The new CyberSphere show “The Explorers;”
  • 2 p.m. “The Sky Tonight,” a live astronomy program in the CyberSphere;
  • 3 p.m. Faraday Science Theatre show, and;
  • 7 p.m. A performance of “Pippi Longstocking.”
Scott said “Larry Cat in Space” is “a special program for the youngest stargazers. They join Larry Cat, a rather adventurous feline, as he tells you about his life on the moon.” The CyberSphere’s new interactive planetarium show, “The Explorers,” will make its debut on Astronomy Day.

“Viewers will learn how ancient Polynesian voyagers used the stars to navigate the Pacific Ocean thousands of years ago,” Scott said. “Then, using keypads at each seat, they will try their hand at navigating our CyberSphere sky on a voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii.”

“The Sky Tonight” explains just what you see when you look at the sky at night.

“Ever wish you could ask an expert to explain in plain English what you see each night?” Scott said.“ 'The Sky Tonight' is your opportunity to hear about the things you can see in that night’s sky, and ask all the questions you want.”

The three CyberSphere shows will be available each Saturday during April and can be viewed individually for $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under and seniors 60 and over. “Larry Cat in Space” shows Saturdays at 10 a.m. and “The Sky Tonight” shows at 2 p.m. “The Explorers” can be seen Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. “Where in the Universe is Carmen Sandiego?” shows at 3 p.m. Saturdays and allows viewers to participate in tracking down the rings of Saturn after they are stolen.

The Faraday Science Theatre is a replica of the Royal Institution of Great Britain from the 1800s when Michael Faraday launched science instruction. Complete with gas lanterns, cobbled streets, wooden benches and a costumed Michael Faraday, the program is a live, interactive science presentation of experiments on various subjects. Faraday Science Theatre shows will be held each Saturday after Astronomy Day at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for the same admission price as CyberSphere shows. Single-show admission to the Faraday Science Theatre is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.

In addition to the two ticket packages, Dream Mission, a 63-foot space shuttle replica, will be at The Renaissance Center 9 a.m.-6 p.m. for free public tours and three simulated missions for 48 lucky winners on Astronomy Day.

Part of a specially designed curriculum for sixth graders across Middle Tennessee, Dream Mission has conducted launches at hundreds of schools across the state and even was displayed on the Capitol Mall in Washington D.C. during the annual Space Week observances.

In the two weeks leading up to Astronomy Day, Dream Mission will be on display in four different locations for tours and to register entries for the three Astronomy Day missions. Dream Mission will be open for tours 2-5 p.m.:

  • March 29 at Wal-Mart in Waverly;
  • March 31 at K-Mart in Dickson;
  • April 3 at Wal-Mart in Dickson, and;
  • April 5 at Bellevue Center in Nashville.
Each mission places 16 children in specific roles at computer stations within the shuttle while astronauts Rhea Seddon and Hoot Gibson fly them on a mission to rescue a satellite. The astronauts-for-a-day communicate with each other over headsets and work together through more computer power than the actual shuttle to rescue and repair an environmental satellite.

Three missions will be flown at The Renaissance Center on Astronomy Day (9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.) with the 48 astronauts selected from those who registered at one of the four appearances. The shuttle will be open the rest of the day for free tours. “Dream Mission is on the road constantly during the school year with trips as part of our curriculum,” said Dream Mission Director Brad Beaubien. “This means that sixth-grade students at schools we visit are usually the only people who get to go inside the shuttle. Astronomy Day is the perfect opportunity for us to open Dream Mission to tours for the public and to allow students of other ages to get the chance to participate in a mission.”

Astronomy Day at The Renaissance Center wraps up with a free astronomy lecture in the CyberSphere.

“In celebration of Astronomy Day, our very own staff astronomer, Terry Johnson, will be giving a free public lecture on the current state of space exploration,” Scott said. “Terry will give a fascinating overview of the major probes and spacecraft currently traveling through the solar system, showcasing some of the amazing discoveries of this past year.”

In addition to the Astronomy Day activities, The Renaissance Center will present “School House Rock” at 10 a.m. in the Performing Arts Theatre. Presented by the center’s own Repertory Company, the play takes the familiar tunes from the 1970s Saturday morning television and turns them into a live action musical. Admission for “School House Rock” is $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under and seniors 60 and over.

The Renaissance Center Repertory Company will be presenting children’s theater shows every Saturday after Astronomy Day at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The Virtually Unlimited Bookstore also will host its free weekly Storytime with the April 8 feature to be “The Velveteen Rabbit.”

The day also will include The Renaissance Center’s regular Friday and Saturday night CyberSphere laser shows. For the month of April, the shows are Laser Beatles at 8 p.m. and The Metallica Laser Experience at 9 p.m. as the Omniscan laser projector brings light and 3-D images to the four-story domed theater to go with more than 14,000 watts of amplified sound featuring these two groups. Laser show admission is $6 for all seats. For more information on Astronomy Day or other events at The Renaissance Center, call (615)740-5600.

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