Join NYSCI in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing at this late-night family affair we’re calling Apollo, A Party!
Visitors can enjoy space-themed music, solar observations and stargazing, a solar power workshop, space-themed hands-on activities, and an escape adventure created by an artist and astronomer.
Also included in evening is a special screening of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition and access to NYSCI’s summer exhibition Above and Beyond – The Ultimate Flight Exhibition.
Attendees can grab a bite or something to drink at the Queens Night Market, located in NYSCI’s parking lot. (Must be 21 or older to enjoy alcoholic beverages.)
Free with NYSCI admission, unless otherwise noted.
ACTIVITIES
Observe the sun through special solar-filtered telescopes and objects in the night sky with members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York.
Jupiter Joe’s Sidewalk Astronomy will bring astronomy and tech related hands-on activities such as a Mars Rover to maneuver.
Spherovers – Explore a maze through interstellar terrains by designing and iterating code using sphero.
Space Storms – Build a structure to protect you and your group from powerful solar weather.
SCREENING OF APOLLO 11: FIRST STEPS EDITION – 7:30 PM
Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of NASA’s celebrated Apollo 11 mission, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition is a thrilling 2D cinematic experience showcasing the real-life moments of the first lunar landing. With never-before-seen footage and a trove of newly discovered audio recordings, the filmmakers reconstruct the exhilarating final moments of preparation, liftoff, landing and return of this historic mission – one of humanity’s greatest achievements and the first to put men on the moon.
MEET-AND-GREETS: 7:15 – 8 PM
Andrew Scoville: Before taking your turn at this fun adventure, learn how Andrew worked with scientist, Moya McTier, to create Escape the Planet!
Ray LC: Meet this 2019 Designer-in-Residence and learn about computer vision and artificial intelligence and how these ideas come through his installation, Machine Gaze.
Krystal Persaud: Meet this 2019 Designer-in-Residence and learn about solar energy through her installation Solar Cat: The Cutest Solar Panel in the World!
Marco Castro Cosio: Meet this 2019 Designer-in-Residence and learn about his mobile garden project, Busroots.
WORKSHOP: DIY SOLAR POWERED MASON JAR LAMPS – 8:30 PM
Build and decorate your own solar lamp for outdoor entertaining and general lighting needs. Learn about solar energy and the benefits of solar power with NYSCI Designer-in-Residence, Krystal Persaud, designer and founder of Grouphug. $20 per person. (Members: $15 per person)
Limited capacity. Registrations will be accepted on the night of event on a first-come, first-served basis.
SPECIAL EXHIBITS AND PROJECTS:
Above and Beyond – The Ultimate Flight Exhibition – NYSCI’s summer exhibition that uses flight simulation, augmented reality, touch tables, design and skill challenges, virtual reality and more to immerse visitors in the wonders of flight, space travel and aerospace innovation, design and technology.
Busroots Landing – Meet NYSCI Designer-in-Residence Marco Castro Cosio and his Explainer collaborators, and learn more about this mobile project that presents innovative opportunities for urban gardening and green spaces, as well as food distribution.
Escape the Planet! – Experience this fun and educational adventure, and meet the artist and scientist who collaborated as part of the ACCESS project, to bring participants to outer space. Sign-ups begin at 7 pm, talk by the artist at 7:15 pm, sessions begin at 7:30 pm.
Solar Cat – Get excited about renewable energy with Solar Cat: The Cutest Solar Panel Ever Made, a project by NYSCI Designer-in-Residence, Krystal Persaud, designer and founder of Grouphug, in collaboration with NYSCI Explainers Kristian Roopnarine, Estefany Gomez and Sophia Madonia, with support from electrical engineer Kristin Salomon. The exhibit centers around a giant, 140-watt cat-shaped solar panel that is mounted to the window. The energy harvested by Solar Cat powers an adjacent interactive pedestal that features fun facts and diagrams about how solar panels work. Visitors can flip a switch to send Solar Cat’s harvested energy to power up a model house. Visitors can also charge their phones using one of two built-in USB ports that are powered by Solar Cat. This exhibit not only educates visitors about solar technology, but demonstrates how creativity and design can push technology to be more accessible.
Machine Gaze – This interactive installation invites audiences to step inside the machine. Current computer technologies are difficult to understand. Taking the perspective of a refurbished security camera that has been reprogrammed to read data of human surroundings, Machine Gaze is an exploration of how computer vision recognizes and displays faces. Machine Gaze was created by NYSCI Designer-in-Residence Ray LC, with his Explainer collaborators Aliyah Alcibar, Alejandro Baez and Stephanie Torossian.
INFO ABOUT OUR PARTNERS:
The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York was organized in 1927 to promote the study of Astronomy, emphasizing its cultural and inspirational value. AAA sponsors lectures at the American Museum of Natural History by leading researchers, provide economical classes in astronomy to members, plan free solar observing and nighttime sky observing, and offer a school outreach program.
Jupiter Joe’s Sidewalk Astronomy is focused on cultivating an interest in astronomy through the usage of the most advanced tools available. From computerized telescopes, robotics and VR integration we bring you the best astronomy outreach available.
