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 down for the season. Check back in Spring 2014!

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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, December 20• 7:00-9:00 pm Party With the Stars Dr. Jim Lattis will give a short presentation on what objects are currently in the night sky. Following that we will set up telescopes on our rooftop deck, weather permitting. 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 is over for the 2013 season. Please check back next spring for upcoming dates.
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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. December 7• "Make a Stickyometer" See how sticky different foods are by making a stickiness tester - the stickyometer! December 14• "To be announced" Please check back for more workshop information.
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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, December 10• 7:00-8:00 pm "Spacefaring Vegetables: Why Does NASA Launch so Much Lettuce?" by Simon Gilroy, UW-Madison Botany Department Plants and microbes keep us alive on Earth; they feed us and they purify our air and water. Could they do the same for a long duration spaceflight or a colony on Mars? But how does a lack of gravity in space affect plants, microbes and humans? Prof. Gilroy will try answer what happens to biology when it is in spaceflight and whether down always needs to be down and 1x gravity is always good.
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	Telescope Workshop Friday, December 20• 6:00-7:00 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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	Comet ISON Update Comet ISON made its closest approach to the sun on Thanksgiving Day. Did it survive its close encounter? Click here to read more.
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	Playtime Productions Theatre for Children at Space Place Tuesday, December 3 • 6:30 pm "Ali Baba and a Few Thieves" - Playtime Productions presents the classic tale of the mayhem, mischief and magic that erupts when a poor woodcutter finds treasures hidden in a mountain cave. Lively original songs, script, costumes, and sets make this a series favorite! Free admission (donations gratefully accepted); co-sponsored by the Friends of the Goodman South Madison Library.