Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Subscriber Login
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Renew subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Renew subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home Capital District Family Now Senior Spotlight Senior News

Learning about the stars: Senior Science Day program educates people about the latest discoveries

Rob Jonas by Rob Jonas
February 23, 2016
in Senior News, Senior Spotlight
0
Learning about the stars: Senior Science Day program educates people about the latest discoveries
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Dr. Valerie Rapson
Dr. Valerie Rapson

SCHENECTADY — Seniors now have an opportunity to learn about what’s going on in the universe.

The Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci) and the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady is offering Senior Science Days on the first Monday of every month.

The object of this new series is to educate seniors about new discoveries astronomers are making about the galaxy around us, said program founder Dr. Valerie Rapson.

“We discuss whatever current events are going on in outer space,” she said.

Rapson said she wanted to develop an astronomy program specifically geared towards seniors.

“I’ve been doing outreach for children for years, but there aren’t as many programs for their parents and seniors,” said Rapson. “I really wanted to create a more cohesive program for adults.”

Rapson started the program as a graduate student in her hometown of Rochester in 2011. She traveled to different senior communities every month to educate and update people about the latest astronomical discoveries and what they mean.

“People really liked it a lot. They really liked to learn about astronomy and outer space,” said Rapson.

Now as Dudley Observatory’s outreach astronomer, Rapson has taken her program to a facility that best fits her out-of-this-world presentations. The domed ceiling gives her a bigger canvas to work with than what she used with her PowerPoint presentations while she drove from place to place around Rochester, and she can use miSci’s other exhibits to demonstrate what is going on around us.

“We have the tools and the space here to accommodate seniors,” said Rapson.

Rapson kicked off her Senior Science Day program in November with a presentation about the discovery of water on Mars. Her most recent topic was centered around Pluto — the planet that was redefined as a planetoid before being classified as a dwarf planet last year.

Future topics include the following:

March 7 — Life in our Solar System Beyond Earth

April 4 — Earth-like Planets Outside our Solar System

May 2 — Searching for Intelligent Life

June 6 — How Big is the Universe?

July 4 — Near Earth Asteroids

Aug. 1 — Explosive Stellar Deaths

Sept. 5 — Galaxies and Galactic Cannibalism

Oct. 10 — Gravity and Black Holes

Nov. 7 — The Creation of the Universe

Dec. 5 — Updates from the Robots on Mars

The two-part program about life on other planets is something Rapson said should be of special interest to the generation that grew up during the “space race” of the 1950s and 1960s, when people began looking beyond our own planet to see what was up there.

“Science has been hoping that there is (life on other planets), and now we’ve developed the technology to see if we can discover it,” said Rapson.

Each program starts at 3 p.m. at the Dudley Observatory at miSci, 15 Nott Terrace Heights in Schenectady. Programs are accessible for those with hearing, walking or vision problems. For more information, call 382-7890 or visit DudleyObservatory.org.

Share this to twitter or facebook:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Tags: asteroidsblack holesDr. Valerie RapsonDudley ObservatorygalaxiesgravityMarsmiSciSenior Science DaySolar Systemuniverse
Previous Post

Retiring Retirement: Reflections about telling seniors’ stories

Next Post

Indian Ladder Farms to unveil new cidery and brewery March 1

Next Post
Indian Ladder Farms to unveil new cidery and brewery March 1

Indian Ladder Farms to unveil new cidery and brewery March 1

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

  • 7.1k Fans
  • 4.7k Fans
  • 610 Fans
  • 357 Subscribers

Recent News

Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

Murder-suicide bodies identified in Colonie; domestic violence help is available

April 12, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Garage Kings is the forefront company for epoxy floor installations

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Delmar Dental is a pioneer in dental health

April 12, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Garage Kings is the forefront company for epoxy floor installations

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Don’t remodel your home without GNH Lumber’s Design Showroom

April 12, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Garage Kings is the forefront company for epoxy floor installations

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Organize Senior Moves has 15 years of experience with downsizing

April 11, 2021

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

April 10, 2021
Court upholds decisions to dismiss charges brought by Justice Center

Court of Appeals rules against Justice Center

April 7, 2021
Filmmaker’s new indie movie is inspired by his late teen daughter

Filmmaker’s new indie movie is inspired by his late teen daughter

February 19, 2020
Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

January 22, 2021
Apparent murder suicide in Colonie

Murder-suicide bodies identified in Colonie; domestic violence help is available

April 12, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Garage Kings is the forefront company for epoxy floor installations

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Delmar Dental is a pioneer in dental health

April 12, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Garage Kings is the forefront company for epoxy floor installations

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Don’t remodel your home without GNH Lumber’s Design Showroom

April 12, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Garage Kings is the forefront company for epoxy floor installations

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS: Organize Senior Moves has 15 years of experience with downsizing

April 11, 2021
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949