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Stargazing in the back yard, visiting a planetarium, and making your own telescope are but a few of the popular astronomical activities that people pursue today. Human fascination with and intense study of the sky go back tens of thousands of years, but astronomy has not always been a public pursuit. In Europe and the United States, astronomy became a feasible public pastime around 1750. Evening Amusements: Popular Astronomy 1750-1930 provides an opportunity to look not at the "great men" of science but at the objects that more ordinary men, women, and children would hold in their hands as they attempted to learn about the universe and to improve their lot in life. It is also the story of how new discoveries and advances in science excited public imagination. Evening Amusements is designed to get the whole family involved! A recreation of a Victorian-era parlor will allow families to play historical astronomy games. Weekend activities at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. will give you a more modern perspective on how astronomy and science became popular activities for the general public instead of just for the wealthy. Also on the weekends, kids will have a chance to become a part of the exhibit, as they design historic posters to announce new scientific discoveries. Join us after the holidays for Family Astronomy Week from December 26-30, for daily family-friendly games and activities. Evening Amusements at the Adler Planetarium is open daily to the public with your paid admission from December 7, 2002 until March 9th, 2003. |
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Did you know...? Can You Find...? The Answers Explore More: Books and Web Sites Credits All Evening Amusements images are of artifacts from the Adler Planetarium History of Astronomy Collection. |
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