WASHINGTON — Call it a star party with real star power.
The White House set up 20 telescopes, an inflatable dome with a three-dimensional video tour of the universe, and displays of moon rocks and meteorites as President Barack Obama hosted a South Lawn star party for about 150 middle-schoolers Wednesday evening.
It was a nearly cloudless night, ideally suited for looking into the cosmos — if only the city lights weren’t around to obscure the best views.
And if the moon, Jupiter, the stars and the entire universe weren’t enough, the party also was to include the president, his family, two pioneering astronauts and science teachers dressed up as Isaac Newton and Galileo.
The White House star party — which may be a first for the president’s home, according to U.S. Naval Observatory spokesman Geoff Chester — is part of a worldwide emphasis on astronomy.
This year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first observations of Jupiter and its moons with a telescope, and has been designated the International Year of Astronomy. People around the world are being encouraged to look at Jupiter and the moon this month.
The idea is to emphasize science, math and technology education, said Sally Ride, the first female U.S. astronaut, who stood with the first black female astronaut, Mae Jemison. That’s why the 150 middle schoolers were invited — the most Obama has had at the White House, said White House science adviser John Holdren.
“Upper elementary and middle school is where most students happen to lose interest in science,” Ride said. She saw her female friends lose interest in science at that age. Though, she added, “I never did.”
The heavy emphasis on the skies is about “inspiring these kids to go on to become scientists,” Holdren said.
So with the telescopes, astronomers and costumes, was there an element of geekiness on the White House lawn?
“Does the geekiness need to be questioned?” answered Dean Howarth, a suburban Virginia high school science teacher, who hadn’t quite donned his Newton costume yet. “The nice thing is that people are paying attention to geeks.”
On the moon
