Passport Appreciation Night – We Heart Pluto!

Event Details:

On February 18, 1930 a young astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh discovered a new object in the outer Solar System, Pluto! Ever since, Pluto has been in the lime light… for its downgrade to a dwarf planet to its New Horizons fly-by. Celebrate the 90th anniversary of the discovery of Pluto as we invite you on a VIP guided tour to learn all about Pluto. Enjoy themed activities, shows and events to highlight Pluto’s uniqueness, place in our hearts and why we all love Pluto!

Passport Members!
Due to the weather and rescheduling of this event, we have encountered scheduling issues with Dr. Alan Stern.  We will have a presentation about all things Pluto.  We will have autographed bookplate copies of the book about the mission, “Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto!,” from co-authors Dr. Stern and Dr. David Grinspoon!

Be on the look-out for the Passport Members email with access to pre-purchase the book. There will be a limited supply at the Space Foundation Discovery Center store starting that evening.

Activities Include:
• 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.  • Snacks, Crafts, and Pluto Facts Scavenger Hunt
• 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. •  Science On a Sphere® presentation: All About Pluto!
• 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. •  Educational Pluto Activity
• 6:15 – 7:00 p.m. •  Dr. Alan Stern Interview and Autographed Book

February Night Sky Viewing brought to you by the Mobile Earth + Space Observatory (MESO) from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

What to look for in the February Night Sky:
• February 9: Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully
illuminated. This phase occurs at 07:34 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Snow Moon because
the heaviest snows usually fell during this time of the year. This is also the first of four Supermoons for 2020. The Moon will be at its
closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
 • February 10: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 18.2 degrees from the
Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet
low in the western sky just after sunset.
• February 23: New Moon. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This
phase occurs at 15:33 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is
no moonlight to interfere.

Passport Member Benefit- Special Event Just For You!

To Become a Passport Member: Discovery Center Passport