UW Space Place

Space Place is located at 2300 S. Park Street in the Villager Mall,
which is just north of the Beltline Highway.

Space Place is the education and public outreach center of the
UW-Madison Astronomy Department.

Planet Trek Dane County,
our outdoor, scale model solar system, is back for 2012!

Follow us on:

Galileoscope
Telescope Kits
Galileoscopes are for sale ($20 cash or check only) at Space Place during any of our public programs or order directly from
the Galileoscope site.

saturday science workshops

Saturday Science Workshops

guest presentations

Guest Presentations

stargazing

Star Gazing

telescope workshops

Telescope Workshops

featured astronomical events

Featured Astronomical Events

special events

Special Events

Click here to sign up for email reminders upcoming events.

All Events are Free and Open to the Public


	Friday, May 18• 8:00-10:00 pm Party With the Stars A partial solar eclipse is coming up on Sunday, May 20 just before sunset (see "Featured Astronomical Events" below). Starting at 8:00 Dr. Jim Lattis will give a short presentation on how to view the eclipse as well as what objects are currently in the night sky. Following that we will set up telescopes on our rooftop deck (weather permitting). Glasses for viewing the eclipse safely will be for sale before and after the program for $1.00. The Evening Sky Map Click here to download a monthly sky chart from Skymaps.com. Washburn Observatory Click on the Washburn Observatory link for schedule information. Universe in the Park Universe in the Park schedule is now posted for 2012!
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	Space Place family workshops are offered every Saturday at 10 a.m. for children ages 6-10 and their parents. The workshops are free and open to the public. No registration is required for any of the workshops but attendance is LIMITED to the first 50 people. May 19• "Parachutes and Pinwheels" Learn more about the power of wind and air resistance. May 26• "Nature Hike for Kids at Olin -Turville Park" Join us for a guided nature walk through Olin-Turville Park. The walk will be led by Madison Police Sargeant, Jim Dexheimer.
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	Space Place guest presentations are always free and open to the public, and are offered the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Guest Presentation Tuesday, June 12• 7:00-8:00 pm *"Title to be announced*" by Alex Lazarian, UW-Madison Astronomy Dept. Please check back for more information on the talk.
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	Telescope Workshop (Workshop is filled. Please sign up for the next workshop on June 15th) Friday, May 18• 7:00-8:00 pm Build and learn to use your own telescope! We will construct the telescope, help you learn to use the lenses that are included, and give you some tips for observing. The fee for the workshop is $25 which includes the Galileoscope telescope kit. Please email kay@astro.wisc.edu to register for the workshop. Click to download flyer.
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	Partial Solar Eclipse, May 20, 2012 Sky conditions permitting, we will get a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse just as the Sun is setting on Sunday, May 20. The eclipse begins (in Madison) not quite an hour before sunset, at 7:21 pm. The event is still really getting started when the Sun sets at 8:15 pm. You will want to choose a site with a very low horizon toward the northwest. There will be public viewing of this eclipse from the top of Observatory Hill on the UW-Madison campus. Always follow safe viewing guidelines when observing the Sun, as direct sunlight can cause serious eye damage. Glasses for viewing the eclipse safely are for sale at Space Place for $1. You may get them during any of our public programs.
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	Observe the Transit of Venus at Space Place Tuesday, June 5• 5:00 pm - sunset (raindate:12/10/ 2117) Watch as Earth's orbit and Venus' orbit line up so that Venus appears as a dark dot that slowly crosses the Sun over the course of several hours. Telescopes will be set up on our rooftop deck so that you can safely observe the Sun. In case of clouds, we will broadcast a live webcast of the event in our lecture hall. You won't want to miss this since your next opportunity will not be until 2117!