Calling all scientists, astronauts and space geeks alike! The Schiele Museum is hosting a Webb Watch Party in celebration of the first-ever image from the James Webb Space Telescope! On Tuesday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., experience a live countdown of NASA’s most anticipated news, view the first image on a large screen, and discover space through special daily discoveries while at The Schiele.
“Our daily discoveries will explore the hidden details of exoplanets and how the Webb can look further back in time than ever before,” said Candice Jordan, planetarium administrator. “We’re excited to partner with NASA to share this historic moment with our local community!”
As one of 500 official NASA host sites across the country, The Schiele will display a countdown and premiere the first image in the lobby on a large screen for visitors. This is included with museum admission.
Planetarium intern Jacob Marcus said that it’s an opportunity to experience space history. “With each new image, we expand our knowledge built by previous missions,” he said.
Beyond these exciting activities during the watch party, The Schiele’s planetarium programs explore different celestial beings in space and solar systems.
“Our Summer Sky Tonight planetarium program gets people involved with space on a personal level,” Jordan said. “They’ll learn how to identify objects in the sky from their own backyard. We also cover the latest in space discoveries like how the Webb Telescope is going to help us see the universe even better than Hubble, Spitzer, Chandra, and others.”
Visitors can participate in daily discoveries, small space programs placed throughout the museum to learn more about telescopes and scientific research being done.
“It’s an exciting moment for space exploration,” Jordan said. “We get to be the ones to witness the James Webb Space Telescope’s first steps right here at The Schiele!”
The Webb Watch Party coincides with Duke Energy’s Free Tuesday on July 12. Visitors from noon to 4 p.m. will receive free admission to the museum’s exhibits and can also reserve free planetarium tickets online.
