Jefferson Kindergarteners Visit Vanderbilt Planetarium

Jefferson Primary School kindergarten students recently enjoyed an exciting field trip to the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium in Centerport. During the Let’s Look Up program, students explored the wonders of the sky, learning about clouds, storms, rainbows and the beautiful colors we see above us.

The Jefferson youngsters love learning about all things related to science. The Vanderbilt’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium opened its doors to the public in 1971.

“The planetarium enhanced museum offerings and now offers cutting-edge programming in the most technologically advanced theater of its kind on Long Island,” according to the facility’s website. “We serve local school districts, our community, and out-of-town visitors. The Planetarium has diverse programming that includes full-dome films, live star talks, laser shows, concerts, and special events. In 2013, the planetarium and its William and Mollie Rogers Theater with a 60-foot dome underwent a $4-million dollar renovation – including 147 oversized comfort seats, a powerful 5.1 surround sound system, and one of the finest star projector and full-dome video projection systems in the world. The theater’s  hybrid Geministar III system  can show an incredibly realistic starry sky that seamlessly cross-fades with the full-dome video system to lift audiences off Earth and have them travel anywhere in the known universe! Audiences can  visit planets, moons, stars, exoplanets, black holes, stellar nurseries, galaxies, and even the entire universe itself from the farthest vantage points known.”

The  planetarium has a rooftop observatory which is open to the public every Friday night, weather permitting. There, guided by an astronomy educator, visitors can examine the night sky through the Vanderbilt’s 16-inch Meade reflecting telescope.

“Our kindergarteners also discovered how Earth’s rotation causes the change between night and day and had a wonderful time observing the Solar System alongside their teachers,” Jefferson Principal Valerie Capitulo-Saide said.