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Reach for the stars at The Albuquerque Astronomical Society Cosmic Carnival
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The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is bringing the night sky down to Earth with the Cosmic Carnival on Saturday, Nov. 1.
“It’s the celebration of science and astronomy,” Lynne Olson, The Albuquerque Astronomical Society publicity chair, said.
The event started as Astronomy Day in the ’90s and Olson said it kept growing into what it is today.
As the Cosmic Carnival expanded, Olson said, more and more high-level exhibits were added. The Cosmic Carnival has an array of participating contributors, all there to teach about the skies above.
Olson said one of her favorite exhibitors is the InterGalactic Cultural Relations Institute.
“It’s supposed to be sort of a whimsical take on what would you say to someone visiting our planet about what we are, what we’re like.”
Many exhibitors have programming aimed at kids. She said the event gets some children who challenge them with questions.
Eventgoers can partake in activities including frozen bubbles from the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, a water-and-air rocket demonstration from the Albuquerque Rocketry Society, a planetarium display from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and more.
A Star Party will end the evening, giving people a chance to look at the stars through telescopes.
“It works out just perfectly that the sun starts going down just as the exhibits are ending,” Olson said. “And it’s still it’s staying fairly light for people to start setting up telescopes at all, and then it gives a long expanse of observing.”
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Olson said events like this are important because they give people the chance to learn more about the night sky, light pollution and Dark Sky places.
“The awe of watching somebody who hasn’t looked through a telescope before look at the moon through a telescope, and you just almost every time hear, ‘Whoa,’” Olson said.
