CIERA participation at the July 31^st, 2012 Astronomy Night at Ravinia was a huge success! The theme this year's event, organized by NU graduate Dr. Donald Lubowich, was "One Score, One Chicago: The Planets".

The park hosted many excited astronomy enthusiasts, both young and old, who came to enjoy a great evening with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and see a show dedicated to the planets in our solar system. Amateurs in astronomy brought their telescopes, set up in formation near the edge of the park. Families and friends arrived, some bringing chairs and tables, others blankets, which created a relaxing picnic environment. It was a memorable evening, with a musical score dedicated to each planet.

CIERA, along with Science in Society, Astronomy Magazine, The University of Chicago South Pole Telescope, and Dr. Donald Lubowich from Hofstra University had tables set up in a large tent at the north side of the park. We had several demonstrations available for children to teach them about astronomy. A couple of hours before the concert and throughout the evening, children poured into the tent, eager to learn about the planets! The children were treated to an assortment of props and our team of astrophysics kept them engaged. John Everett, Aaron Geller, Elizabeth Hicks, Kyle Kremer, and Laura Trouille thrilled these kids, and several of them came back a second and even a third time!

Below are pictures from the event. Click on a photo to see a larger version.

The Science Tent at Ravinia		Crowd in front of the Science Tent		The CIERA tables
Dr. Aaron Geller		Dr. Elizabeth Hicks		Dr. John Everett
Kyle Kremer		Dr. Laura Trouille		The CIERA tables
A young future astronomer		Dr. Donald Lubowich		The gathering by the Science Tent
Dr. Aaron Geller		Amateur astronomers by the Science Tent		Dr. Elizabeth Hicks
Dr. John Everett		Dr. Laura Trouille		Kyle Kremer

Photos by Ray Bailey and Dr. Laura Trouille.
Photo of Dr. Donald Lubowich by Ken Lubowich.
Photo of A young future astronomer by The University of Chicago South Pole Telescope Group.