- Date: Saturday, May 21
- Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Location: Carl F. Eyring Science Center, BYU
- Cost: Free
- More: astrofest.byu.edu
BYU’s Astrofest brings physics and astronomy to life with rockets, robots and planetarium shows.
Astrofest, first held in 2009, is a free annual festival hosted by the BYU Department of Physics and Astronomy that features demonstrations and activities emphasizing the fun and importance of science.
Guests can attend exciting physics and acoustic demonstrations held routinely throughout the day, which include exploding balloons, gravity-defying orbs and more. Many of the activities are meant to provide children who have never been exposed to physics and astronomy with an opportunity to experience these sciences for the first time.
- Rockets - Make and launch your own rockets, build and fly paper airplanes, and make star charts with supplies provided at the Eyring Science Center.
- Planetarium Shows - Watch a planetarium show in the Royden G. Derrick Planetarium in the Eyring Science Center. Shows will occur continually throughout the day. Admission is free.
- Solar Observing - Observe the sun through telescopes with special filters that make it safe to look directly at the sun.
- Physics Demonstrations - Learn about physics from the Society of Physics students, who will use fun shows to demonstrate electromagnetism, gravity, Newtonian physics and more.
- Acoustics Demonstrations - Learn principles of acoustics through inventive shows and take a tour of acoustics research facilities, including the anechoic chamber and reverberation rooms.
- Astronaut Training - Prepare to be an astronaut by climbing up a simulated Mars canyon on the rock wall and practicing on the blow-up obstacle course.
- MAGICC Lab Robots - Take a tour of BYU’s Multiple Agent Intelligent Coordination and Control Lab, which focuses on research about the control of autonomous vehicles (particularly Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).
Photo by Josh Siebert
