Super Stellar Fridays

On the 1st Friday of the month, enjoy an evening of astronomy with Discovery Center educators and special guest speakers. Topics vary, covering new discoveries, historical events, scientific concepts and more. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Our evening's feature presentation begins at 7 PM, followed by an optional Tonight's Sky planetarium show. Recommended for ages 8+.  Our all-inclusive price for Super-Stellar Fridays: Free for members, $11.50/Adults, $10.50/Seniors & Students, $8.50/Children; children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. 

If the skies are clear, not only will our observatory be open, but members of the NH Astronomical Society will be out on the Discovery Center's southside front lawn, ready to provide a FREE skywatch. Gaze through their telescopes - or your own - at the wonders of the night sky. The skywatch begins at dusk during daylight savings time or 7 PM during standard time.

July 6, 2018: Mysterious Mars
J. Kelly Beatty, Senior Contributing Editor for Sky & Telescope

Check out his bio here.


Why are we so fascinated with Mars, our neighbor in space? Why is it so like our own Earth in some ways — and so utterly different in others? This presentation lets you explore the "Red Planet" from afar and up close. You'll learn where to find it in the night sky (it won't be hard to spot) as it comes especially close to Earth in the coming months, and get a sense of what you'll see through a backyard telescope. Meanwhile, spacecraft from NASA and the European Space Agency are scrutinizing every bit of its globe — both from orbit and from the ground — to determine the planet's geologic history. And you'll delve into the real odds of finding life there. Part of our interplanetary tour will put you right on the dusty Martian surface, thanks to 3-D imagery (glasses provided).

 

 

Summer STEM Day Camps

Does your child or teen love space? Our seven Summer STEM Day Camps offer a full week of exciting hands-on science and engineering adventures for kids ages 5 - 14, from June 25 through August 10.

June 25 – June 29                    Destination: Earth (ages 10-14)

July 9 – July 13                       Coding, and Programming, and Robots… Oh Yes! (ages 10-14)

July 16 – July 20                     Junior Flyers on Earth and Beyond! (ages 5-7)

July 23 – July 27                     Engineering Expedition (ages 10-14)

July 30 – August 3                  Astronomy 101 (ages 8-12)

August 6 – August 10             Blast off! (ages 8-12)

For more information, check out our STEM Summer Day Camps Page.

 

Classroom Outreach

Can't come to us? We can come to you!

We will adjust the content of any of our programs to suit your students' grade level. The programs actively involve your students in exciting, enjoyable learning experiences. Some involve hands-on activities for every student. Others utilize volunteers from the audience. We will be happy to answer questions after each show. Name a topic in space science and we'll deliver a program to your students in a fun and educational way! Learn more about all the outreach possibilities.

 

Scouting

Girl Scouts
We offer 2 hour workshops for girl scouts that include a 1 hour workshop activity and a planetarium show. Our offerings currently include:

  • Juniors - "Get Moving!" Journey Workshop - learn about energy use and light pollution.
  • Telescopes 101- learn the basics of optics and telescopes; then, try them out for yourself! (Recommended for grades 4 and up)
  • Final Frontier- learn about how astronauts live and work in space and other worlds (Recommended for grades 3 and up)
  • Solar System Explorers- learn about our little neighborhood of the galaxy in terms of size, scale, and composition (Recommended for our youngest audiences, grades K-3)

We are currently in the process of developing more workshops, particularly those that will line up with the new Astronomy badges currently in development. If you have a particular request, we may be able to tailor a customized workshop. 

Boy Scouts

  • Astronomy Merit Badge
  • Aviation Merit Badge
  • Space Exploration Merit Badge

We can also help with Cub Scouting! Please call and we will help set up the perfect workshop for your troop.

Overnights

Looking for a fun bonding experience with your troop? We offer overnight experiences! Overnights include 2 planetarium shows, snacks, breakfast, and exploration of the entire museum. The cost is $50 per attendee and we require a 45 participant minimum (or $2,250 minimum charge) to book an overnight experience.

 

To find out more about our scout opportunities or make a reservation, please contact Elizabeth Pappas at epappas@starhop.com or (603) 271-7827 x104.