Memphis Pink Palace “Family Science Night — Astronomy” was Successful Despite Cloudy Weather


Memphis Astronomical Society is grateful to have been a part of Family Science Night at Memphis Pink Palace on July 28, 2017. This unprecedented event in Memphis was an amazing success. Over one hundred families spent the evening touring inside and outside the museum filled with exciting science activities mixed with pop culture. Event attendees safely experienced the effects of gravity outdoors and co-mingled with fictional characters while on a scavenger hunt indoors.
Dedicated Memphis Astronomical Society volunteers worked the event indoors and outdoors. Indoors volunteers were Bill Wilson and Mike O’Rourke. Bill Wilson was stationed near the T-Rex display talking to visitors about the upcoming solar eclipse. Mike O’Rourke set up a telescope upstairs in front of the large array of glass windows at the top of the main stairway and showed visitors what a 12" Dobsonian telescope looks like and how it worked.

Ric Honey, Mark Matthews, David Jones, Amber Jones, Steve Ermert, and Keith Latiolais were prepared outdoors to set up and operate telescopes despite the slight chance of clear skies. Sarita Joshi and I were there to hand out brochures and pamphlets, and spent a little time helping Pink Palace staff prepare for the event. Deepak Joshi, Brian Love, and Barbara Latiolais provided additional support to the Pink Palace and MAS. A few telescope operators stayed until after the rain ended in case the skies cleared well enough to show viewers an object or two after dark.

Although the observing plans were cancelled due to weather, the indoor excitement, including Sharpe Planetarium and the food trucks, kept everyone well occupied. Thank you everyone who participated in Pink Palace Family Science Night — Astronomy. Memphis Astronomical Society looks forward to new opportunities to work with Memphis Pink Palace.
