Hi everyone!

This blog is a list of resources for our June 18, 2020 webinar, “Virtual Night Sky Programs for ‘Imagine Your Story’” – you can find out more information about the webinar here. 

Presenters: Brooks Mitchell (STAR Net), Christine Shupla and Sha’Rell Webb (Lunar and Planetary Institute), Belinda Calvillo and Liliana Alonso [with Sofia] (Pasadena Public Library, TX)

Contact: Brooks Mitchell (bmitchell@spacescience.org) or Christine Shupla (shupla@lpi.usra.edu) for questions.

Invite your patrons to join us for My Trip to Mars, a live Webcast, June 30: www.starnetlibraries.org/my-trip-to-mars

Join the STAR Net Community: https://www.starnetlibraries.org/register/

Follow the STAR Library Network

Stellarium is free open source planetarium software, which shows a realistic sky in 3D. https://stellarium.org/

Shortcuts: http://space.rice.edu/MST/ASTR503/Stellarium_controls.pdf

Recordings of planetarium virtual night sky programs:

Activities to include in Virtual Night Sky Programs

Sky Heroes: Participants celebrate their heroes by creating connect-the-dot star patterns to represent them. We demonstrate a simplified version that can be conducted with families at home. http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/astronomy-and-space/218-sky-heroes-an-activity-reinventing-the-constellations.html?search_query=sky+heroes&results=1

Constellation Detectives: This simple paper-based activity guides learners in identifying constellations such as Orion, the Big Dipper, and Sagittarius. We will modify it for virtual use.

http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/astronomy-and-space/219-constellation-detectives.html

Make a Pinwheel Galaxy: Patrons cut-out and assemble their own pinwheel galaxy. Participants can conduct at home; best if libraries provide paper copies in advance. http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/astronomy-and-space/230-make-a-pinwheel-galaxy.html

Starwheels: Patrons can make an inexpensive star map, adjustable for any time of night or month. A blank version invites families to draw their own constellations. www.lawrencehallofscience.org/do_science_now/science_apps_and_activities/star_wheels

Draw Your Thoughts: Invite children to illustrate the constellation story — or one aspect of the story, or to create and illustrate their “own” story. www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/constellations/activities/conclusions

Constellation Stories:

comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html

www.windows2universe.org/mythology/stars.html

Story of Tanabata/ Qixi Festival: earthsky.org/brightest-stars/vega-brilliant-blue-white-is-third-brightest-star

Constellation Storytime Book Resources

FREE STAR Net Resources

CSLP Resources