Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library in Waimea is celebrating 60 years of space exploration and marking the end of the 2019 Summer Reading Program, A Universe of Stories, with Astrobash, a NASA@My Library space celebration.
Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library in Waimea is celebrating 60 years of space exploration and marking the end of the 2019 Summer Reading Program, “A Universe of Stories,” with Astrobash, a NASA@My Library space celebration.
This free, family-friendly event is slated for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 13, and is a collaborative effort with Canada-France Hawaii Telescope; James Clerk Maxwell Telescope/East Asian Observatory; Nancy Tashima, NASA solar system ambassador/master teacher, NASA New Horizons educator fellow and Onizuka Space Science program director; University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy; W. M. Keck Observatory; and West Hawaii Astronomy Club.
“As the only library in the state selected to participate in the NASA@My Library initiative, we’re excited about our special connection to this year’s Summer Reading Program theme, ‘A Universe of Stories,’” said Pamela Akao, branch manager at Thelma Parker library. “We are very grateful to our island observatories and science and community partners for collaborating with us to bring this theme to life for our community.”
The event will feature everyone’s favorite Aunty Mimi, who will present a spectacular live science show and Alka Seltzer rocket making and launching. CFHT will explore the amazing night sky in a planetarium presentation and library will lead a makerspace activity where participants can create and observe their own galaxy or nebula.
Other event highlights include the Institute for Astronomy’s black hole activity and sharing information about how two observatories on Maunakea recently helped capture the first image of a black hole; Tashima’s “Story Time from Space,” featuring astronauts reading books aloud from the International Space Station; Keck Observatory’s interactive infrared camera station; and viewing the sun through solar telescopes with the astronomy club. Attendees also can transform themselves into unique citizens of the universe at the space-themed face painting station.
For more information, call 887-6067.
