Starry Heavens Newsletter
April 2020
COVID-19 Affects on the Center for Aerospace Education and Hokulani Imaginarium
As you are aware, COVID-19 (commonly known as novel coronavirus) has become a more widespread concern with cases reaching our shores. As part of our commitment to the health and well-being of our Imaginarium/Aerospace Exploration Lab visitors, our CAE staff and the larger community, we will be following the new federal recommendations posted by the CDC that for the next 8 weeks, we cancel or postpone public events.
We look forward to when we can resume our normal operations and want our school and public patrons to know that health and safety protocols have been in place at our CAE facilities.
In addition, we have also taken the following steps at our facilities:
- Added visual reminders for proper hygiene and self-care
- Defined cycles for frequent cleaning and antimicrobial disinfection of all common areas, door handles/knobs, light switches, handrails as well as our Imaginarium headrests/seat arms and hands-on science demos and countertop surface in the Aerospace Exploration Lab.
We have contacted schools that had scheduled a field trip to advise them of the need to cancel. At this time we are hoping to resume public shows and field trips beginning May 13. If you choose to cancel a previously scheduled tour to our CAE facilities, please notify us by email to krissiekellogg@yahoo.com. As always, there is no cancellation fee or penalty. We can always rescheduled at a later date, if you wish. Your safety and well-being are our primary concern.
As we focus on doing what we can to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses, we ask all Imaginarium and Aerospace Exploration Lab visitors to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following the guidelines recommended by the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
"Glory nights" for Venus
Although we are in the midst of a pandemic there is still a lot to see in the night sky - Check out our calendar of Celestial Events for 2020 on our website.
The planet Venus has a conjunction with the Pleiades star cluster every year, but the best Venus-Pleiades conjunctions only come in early April and recur in cycles of 8 years. Watch on April 2, 3 and 4, 2020, as Venus grazes past this beautiful cluster. On the middle date – April 3, 2020 – Venus passes a scant 1/4 degree south of Alcyone, the brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster.
On the evenings of April 2 and 3, Venus will be on the edge of the cluster, and nearly overwhelm the naked-eye view of the Pleiades. With sufficient telescopic magnification, the dazzling, golden-white, thick crescent of Venus floating near the blue-white stars of the cluster will be visible.
Venus will also remain in the sky unusually late into the night. Depending on your location, it sets close to, or even after midnight. By late April, Venus will be approaching its awesome maximum brightness – but also its mighty fall – from evening skies.
"Supermoon" for 2020
On April 7 at 2 p.m. EDT (8:00 a.m. HST), the moon will arrive at its closest point to the Earth in 2020: an extreme perigee distance of 221,772 miles (356,907 kilometers) away. Eight hours and 35 minutes later, the moon will officially turn full. In addition, the near coincidence of this full moon with perigee will result in a dramatically large range of high and low ocean tides.
While this will be the "biggest full Moon of 2020," the variation of the moon's distance is not readily apparent to most observers viewing the moon directly but who doesn't love looking at the full moon regardless of its distance from Earth?
For more information about Imaginarium shows and events contact:
Manager, Dineene O‘Connor, at 808-235-7350 or dineene@hawaii.edu.
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Our admission prices are:
- $8 General admission
- $7 WCC students, military, seniors (65 years or older), with ID
- $6 Children (ages 4-12 years)
- Free for children under 4 years of age (1 per paying adult), and WCC faculty or staff with university ID
- CASH & CHECK ONLY.
Please pick up and pay for tickets at the Imaginarium Box Office at least 15 minutes prior to showtime.
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As always, we welcome your feedback or questions, feel free to phone (808) 235-7350 or email to dineene@hawaii.edu. If you would like information regarding our Adopt-a-Show sponsorship program please click here.
Dineene O'Connor
Manager, Hōkūlani Imaginarium
Windward Community College
Hale Imiloa 135A
Office (808) 235-7350
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