Gifted Atlanta

There’s been a lot of excitement lately about the planet parade, so I thought I’d share a few resources for kids who are interested in stargazing.

The Georgia Tech Observatory hosts public viewing nights once a month throughout the school year. There’s one coming up this Thursday, Feb. 6.

The Atlanta Astronomy Club has a wealth of information about observing the sky, and is open to astronomy enthusiasts of all ages. They have an event planned this Friday night in Acworth, but unfortunately it’s already full (and has a waiting list). They also have a stargazing night planned in Dunwoody next week. I don’t know whether that one’s full.

Tellus Museum in Cartersville has an observatory which is open for special astronomy workshops and events. Your next opportunity there is an Evening Sky Watch program scheduled for Friday, Feb. 14. The observatory will also be open in the wee hours of March 14 for the total lunar eclipse. The museum and observatory will open at 1 a.m. that Friday (for clarification, some would consider this Thursday night), just before the eclipse begins, so this one might only work for older kids. The following day, March 15, they’re hosting an astronomy symposium. They’re recommending ages 8 and up for that, but bear in mind it’s a series of lectures, so you should decide if that’s right for your kid. Advance registration is required for the Feb. 14 and March 15 programs. If you want to get advance notice of future events at Tellus so you can register before they fill up, sign up for their email newsletter on their home page.

Georgia State University has an observatory at their Dunwoody campus (formerly Georgia Perimeter College) which occasionally opens to the public. It doesn’t look like they have anything on the calendar at this point, but the website has contact information if you wanted to request a time for your family, club, scout troop, or class.

The Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta (near Decatur), which is operated by DeKalb County Schools, opens its observatory for free public observations on Thursday and Friday evenings from 9 to 10 p.m., clear skies permittng.

Those are the local opportunities I’m aware of. If you know of others, please share in the comments.