Fascinated by the night sky on a clear night? Wonder what's really going on up there - and what it means to us here on Earth? Bring the family and join others who share your attraction to celestial happenings at a special event - SkyDay Night - at the Science Museum of Virginia, Friday, July 16, 5:30-10 p.m.

             "People have been curious about the heavens for thousands of years. We will be fueling this curiosity even more with lots of cool ways for families to discover something meaningful in the night sky," says Science Museum of Virginia Director and CEO Richard Conti. Meet astronaut Roger Crouch who will tell stories of his two trips into space and answer your questions about orbiting our planet. Astronomer Leslie Bochenski takes you on a guided tour of the current sky in the IMAX(r)DOME. You'll learn about the upcoming Perseid meteor shower with the capacity to light up the sky with natural fireworks and find out whether meteors will ever translate into the disasters we see in Hollywood movies. Take the Gravity Well Challenge and go on an astronomy
scavenger hunt. Play our new game Astropardy and round out the evening stargazing with members of the Richmond Astronomical Society at Star Watch.

            Design and launch your own water rocket and make sure to catch our planetarium show Destination Universe. While you're here, take a quick trip to the beach with a visit to the new exhibit Beach Science: It's a Shore Thing. Swing by the National Geographic Maps: Tools for Adventure exhibit where you can explore Mars and learn how a sextant can help you use the stars to find your way.

            Tickets for SkyDay Night are $10. LiveSky only is $5. Admission for members is free. Outdoor stargazing activities are held weather permitting. For more information call 804.864.1400 or 800.659.1727 or visit www.smv.org. The Science Museum is located at 2500 West Broad Street in Richmond.