The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will host its free Astronomy Night after-hours stargazing and speaker series events on March 6, April 3, May 1, June 19, October 30 and November 6 at the Intrepid Museum located at Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue). Doors open at 7:00pm, talks begin at 7:30pm.

Astronomy Nights feature fun-filled and educational experiences for the whole family, including talks from leading scientists and activities from the Museum’s education department. Local astronomers will be on hand with their high-powered telescopes to help visitors navigate the night sky and answer questions about astronomy and star-gazing. Guests are welcome to bring their own binoculars or look through the telescopes of the experts.

The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and advanced registration is required. For more information, please visit www.intrepidmuseum.org.

The 2020 Astronomy Nights will take place on:

Friday, March 6: BEYOND ME, a Musical and Scientific Work in Progress

In a blend of artistic vision and scientific data, BEYOND ME is a multimedia installation that uses actual data from NASA’s Kepler mission and its discovery of over 4,000 exoplanets as the starting point for an immersive experience of our universe. French composer and Grammy Award-winning producer, Henri Scars Struck, and NASA Kepler researcher Dr. Steve B. Howell, will discuss how patterns of light are used to identify exoplanets and how light and sound is interpreted in the creation of this work.

Dr. Steve B. Howell was the head of space science and astrobiology for the NASA Ames Research Center until 2019. He previously served as the project scientist for NASA’s premier exoplanet finding missions, Kepler and K2.

Henri Scars Struck and Grace Palmer are producers and branding specialists that founded The Other Side of the Brain (OSB), a creative consulting agency that uses music and scent as additional means of communication. Henri Scars Struck has written, produced and recorded original music for artists, film, dance, art installations and corporate programs. He has also been previously commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture and by the city of Paris. Together with Grace Palmer, he founded The Other Side of the Brain to expand into large-scale multi-sensory installations.

The March Astronomy Night is recommended for ages 10 and older and will not feature telescopes and stargazing on the flight deck.

Friday, April 3: ORIGAMI…In Space!

Meet Manan Arya, a problem-solving technologist and origami expert at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Discover how NASA engineers are using origami’s paper folding techniques to design large spacecraft structures that pack small for launch and expand outward once deployed.

Dr. Manan Arya is a technologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology, where he developed origami- and kirigami-inspired methods of packaging large spacecraft structures.

Friday, May 1: Water on Mars

Dr. Vlada Stamenkovic is an Earth and planetary scientist and theoretical physicist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where he researches the planetary origins of life and the existence of water. Bridging the fields of astrobiology and sustainability, he will discuss how developing technologies to search for water on Mars also provides access to water for life here on Earth. His team is preparing for the 2020 Mars Rover mission.

Friday, June 19: Moonquakes

Astronauts from the six successful Apollo missions didn’t just plant flags, take photos, and collect samples–they also set the stage for continued lunar research by leaving behind a range of scientific experiments and instruments after the missions. Much of our current understanding of the lunar interior comes from 50-plus years of data recording thousands of events per year, including meteor impacts and moonquakes.

Dr. David R. Williams is a planetary scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the acting head of the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive, one of NASA’s deep archives for spacecraft data.

Friday, October 30: Deep Field – Views from the Hubble Telescope

The film, titled Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of our Universe, was inspired by Grammy® award-winning composer Eric Whitacre’s symphonic work Deep Field. The film features the Hubble Space Telescope’s stunning imagery, including brand-new visualizations and fly-bys of never-before-seen galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters that depict the awesome beauty of our universe.

The soundtrack and film feature a new Virtual Choir, with over 8,000 singers between 4 and 87 years old and from 120 countries. The group is accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eric Whitacre Singers.

Friday, November 6: 40th Anniversary Voyager 1/Saturn Flyby

On November 12, 1980, Voyager 1 passed by Saturn and provided high-resolution data that dramatically changed our understanding of Saturn and its moons. Join propulsion engineer Todd Barber, of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), as we mark the 40th anniversary of Voyager 1’s incredible achievements.

About the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum:

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a non-profit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Through exhibitions, educational programming and the foremost collection of technologically groundbreaking aircraft and vessels, visitors of all ages and abilities are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery.

The Intrepid Museum fulfills its mission to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth by connecting them to history through hands-on exploration while bridging the future by inspiring innovation.

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and tour the Museum virtually on Google Arts & Culture.

Museum Hours:
April 1 – October 31:
Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday-Sunday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
November 1 – March 31:
Monday-Sunday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Museum Cost of Admission:
Adult: $33.00
Seniors (65+): $31.00
Child (5-12): $24.00
Children under 5: Free
*Retired and Active U.S. Military and U.S. Veterans: Free
Free admission for U.S. military and veterans generously provided by Bank of America.
*Proper ID required.
Tickets are available for purchase on the Intrepid Museum website, www.intrepidmuseum.org.

Location:
Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue), Manhattan

Public Transportation:
Directions by NYC Metro Bus:
Take cross-town buses west. M34 (34th St.), M42 (42nd St.) or M50 (49th St.) to 12th Ave. and Hudson River. Intrepid is a short walk north from the M34 and M42. The M50 drops off directly in front of the Intrepid Museum.

Directions by NYC Metro Subway:
Take the A, C, E, N, Q, R, S, 1, 2, 3 or 7 train to 42nd St., then walk or take the M42 West bus to Hudson River (12th Ave). Walk north to Intrepid.

Directions from water:
Take New York Water Taxi to Pier 84 and walk one block north to the Intrepid Museum. From New Jersey, take the New York Waterway to Midtown (38th St.) and walk north on 12th Avenue to the Museum.