Gwangju National Science Museum Operates Nighttime Astronomical Observation Program

The National Gwangju Science Museum will operate the Starlight School and Night Sky Observation Log as part of the April night celestial observation program at the Starlight Observatory.

The Starlight School, held on the 17th of next month, is an educational program focused on experiential celestial observation using the large telescope at the Starlight Observatory. Participants can embark on a space journey in the planetarium that recreates the night sky, find constellations, and observe various celestial bodies such as the Moon and Sirius through a 1.2m diameter mirror reflector telescope.

Generally, the longer the focal length of a telescope, the greater the magnification of celestial objects. The Starlight Observatory’s 1.2m main telescope is a long focal length large telescope with a focal length of 10,080mm, allowing direct observation of clear celestial images at magnifications ranging from approximately 250 to over 1000 times.

The Night Sky Observation Log is an experiential educational program where participants learn about celestial telescopes and use them firsthand, scheduled for the 18th of next month. Participants will set up the telescope themselves, freely operate it to observe celestial bodies, and use their mobile phones to photograph the celestial objects. They can also print the photos they take as keepsakes. The program includes binocular celestial observation experiences and uses various observation equipment to explore different celestial bodies.

If weather conditions on the program day make celestial observation difficult, alternative programs such as making miniature telescopes and indoor observation experiences within the exhibition hall will be provided.

The Starlight Observatory night celestial observation program is held monthly. The 2024 annual operation schedule for the Starlight Observatory, including astronomy education and special astronomy events, can be found in the notices section on the National Gwangju Science Museum website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.