Planetariums Near and In NYC Where Kids Can Stargaze
Submitted by Fiona Taylor on
Stargazing in New York City is more likely to mean a celebrity sighting than watching actual celestial bodies. I grew up in the suburbs and have fond memories of standing in my yard with my dad and my telescope, talking about constellations. Even if you’re lucky enough to have outdoor space here, the light pollution precludes seeing anything but the brightest stars. If you can’t book a trip to some remote, rural location, the next best thing is a planetarium—especially since you also get expert guidance as to what you’re seeing.
While the next solar eclipse isn't due till 2024 (on April 8, if you want to really plan ahead), we will have a lovely lunar eclipse on July 4, 2020, and meteor showers happen quite frequently. The constellations are great story-telling vehicles, and discovering how to use the stars to navigate is a fun (if not necessarily practical) life skill to develop. If your child is fascinated by the night sky, we've rounded up some excellent options to help them explore the universe, and beyond!
Happy stargazing!