Camp Explore the Universe
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Camp Explore the Universe
Are you ready to explore the universe? Then this five-day, overnight astronomy camp is designed for you! Campers will participate in different hands-on activities designed to expand their astronomical knowledge and enhance their observing skills, using state-of-the-art telescopes and cameras to view and image the night sky. By the end of the camp, campers will have developed a journal and an observation plan to further their exploration of the final frontier.
Sign up today — the universe awaits!
2023 Camp Dates & Details:
June 25th – 29th – Enrollment Filled
Five-day overnight camp
For students entering the 9th – 12th grades
We have the perfect setting for Exploring the night sky
Details
Campers will experience the wonder of the night sky and learn about astronomy at the largest public observatory in Montana, located on Montana Learning Center’s Canyon Ferry Lake campus. Weather permitting, students will observe the Moon, galaxies, nebulae and star clusters during nightly star parties. They also will safely observe the Sun during the day. For those nights when clouds limit the skies’ observability, there are other planned activities.
Students will learn about the phases and features of the Moon and how to observe Jupiter and Saturn. They will create images of Pluto and other deep-sky objects. A unique daytime activity will give campers the chance to view the Sun safely through a solar telescope. Fun activities include going on scavenger hunts, engaging in astronomy games, sketching planets and enjoying our lakeside environment.
The cost is $825 per camper, and includes housing, meals, snacks, supplies and all activities.
Special thanks to Peter Detterline, the director of the Mars Society Observatory and a college astronomy professor, for helping to design and co-teach the astronomy camp at the Learning Center.
The Learning Center’s Executive Director, Ryan Hannahoe, also will be co-teaching this camp. Ryan had a long career in astronomy before coming to MLC.
“What a great place! I grew up with some of the greatest educational institutions of my generation (including the Field Museum in Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium…) The Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake is right up there with the best.”