Cincinnati Observatory offering educational fun with classes this summer

WLWT NEWS FIVE. AND YOU KNOW, SUMMER IS WELL UNDERWAY IN THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. WANTS TO MAKE SURE FAMILIES HAVE A FUN PLACE TO GO WHERE KIDS AND ADULTS CAN ALL LEARN AT THE SAME TIME. AND THEY’RE DOING THAT WITH THE HELP OF THEIR NEW ASTRONOMER. HE’S JOINING US HERE ON THE COUCH TODAY, DOCTOR WES RYLE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU STARTED AT THE OBSERVATORY BACK IN MAY. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE? WHAT’S IT BEEN LIKE SO FAR? IT’S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE SO FAR. I’D ACTUALLY BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS BEFORE THEN, SO I KNEW THE PLACE. I KNEW THE FOLKS. BUT MAKING THE TRANSITION TO FULL TIME STAFF HAS BEEN REALLY SPECIAL, AND IT’S KIND OF BEEN A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO BRING SCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC. YOU CAN TELL HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT FOR MAYBE PEOPLE WHO’VE NOT VISITED OUR OBSERVATORY. TALK TO THEM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. SO MOSTLY IT’S THE HISTORY FOR THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. WE HAVE THE OLDEST PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TELESCOPE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IT WAS FIRST USED, FIRST SAW LIGHT IN 1845. SO WE’RE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE CELEBRATING ITS 180TH BIRTHDAY NEXT YEAR. AND THE REALLY UNIQUE THING ABOUT THE FACILITY IS THAT IT’S NOT BEHIND VELVET ROPES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT AT A MUSEUM. IT’S THE TELESCOPE THAT WE USE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING ON A REGULAR BASIS. YEAH, AND TELL US ABOUT THE SUMMER PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING OFFERED FOR FAMILIES AT THE OBSERVATORY. YEAH. YOU WERE JUST MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COOL OFF. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’RE PUTTING OUT THERE IS A SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY EVENT. THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THREE DIFFERENT EVENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. THE FIRST ONE IS THIS SUNDAY ON JUNE 30TH, NOON TO THREE. AND IT’S SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY BECAUSE, WELL, IT’S ON A SUNDAY AND WE’RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE SUN DOING SOME SOLAR VIEWING RIGHT SAFELY WITH THE TELESCOPES. TOURS OF THE TELESCOPES, INFORMATIVE LECTURES ON THE SUN. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THE KIDS, WE’RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE ICE CREAM SUNDAES AVAILABLE AS WELL. LOTS GOING ON. ARE THERE ANY OTHER WAYS THAT FAMILIES CAN GET INVOLVED? ABSOLUTELY. SO WE’RE TRYING TO HAVE KIDS EVENTS AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE WHO COMES TO THE OBSERVATORY THIS SUMMER. AND SO IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU COME FOR A DAYTIME HISTORY TOUR OR A NIGHTTIME TELESCOPE VIEWING, ANY EVENT THAT YOU COME TO, WE HAVE SOME SCAVENGER HUNTS. WE HAVE A REALLY FUN PLANET WALK ON SITE AND SOME MAKE AND TAKE CRAFTS SO THAT FOLKS CAN TAKE THEM HOME. AND THEY’RE ALL SCIENCE RELATED, YOU KNOW, GET A LITTLE LEARNING IN THERE ON THE SIDE. AND IT’S NOT JUST FOR THE KIDS. WHAT’S HAPPENING FOR ADULTS. THAT’S ABSOLUTELY TRUE. SO WE KNOW THAT THERE’S A LOT OF ADULTS OUT THERE THAT REALLY, REALLY WANT TO BE DOING THE FUN ACTIVITIES THAT THE KIDS ARE DOING. AND SO ONE EXAMPLE IS ADULT SPACE CAMP THAT WE HAVE THE NEXT ONE COMING UP ON JULY 11TH IS GOING TO FEATURE. ADULTS GET TO MAKE THEIR OWN WATER BOTTLE ROCKETS. AND IT’S ACTUALLY REALLY FUN. THEY LAUNCH REALLY HIGH. PEOPLE USUALLY AREN’T EXPECTING HOW HIGH THEY ACTUALLY LAUNCH, AND I’VE SEEN A LOT OF ADULTS WHO SEE THEIR KIDS GET TO DO IT, AND YOU CAN TELL THEY REALLY WANT TO DO IT THEMSELVES. I LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM. I MEAN, YOU SEEM LIKE CLEARLY YOU REALLY LOVE WHAT YOU DO. TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST THE EXCITEMENT YOU HAVE IN THIS NEW ROLE. SO I’VE BEEN DOING OUTREACH FOR A LONG TIME. I WAS AT THOMAS MORE PREVIOUSLY AND IT’S JUST THE IDEA ASTRONOMY ESPECIALLY REALLY DRAWS EVERYONE IN AND IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER I’M TALKING TO A FIVE YEAR OLD OR WHETHER I’M TALKING TO A 75 YEAR OLD, YOU CAN TELL THAT THEY HAVE A PASSION FOR ASTRONOMY. AND SO IT’S REALLY EASY TO ENGAGE FOLKS. IT’S REALLY EASY TO KIND OF SNEAK IN A LITTLE BIT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION ALONG THE WAY, AND JUST KIND OF FEED THAT EXCITEMENT THAT I KNOW THE COMMUNITY HAS. WELL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SEND OUR STEVEN ALBRITTON TO THE ADULT CAMP. WE’RE WE KNOW HE WOULD LOVE THAT. DOCTOR WES RYLE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. ALL RIGHT. WELL, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS AT THE OBSERVATORY AT CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. DOT ORG. AGAIN, THANKS AGAIN. DOCTOR RYLE. NICE HAVING YOU A PLEASURE. TODAY. YOU ACTUALLY MAKE ME EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND THAT’S USUALLY A SUBJECT I’M A LITTLE INTIMIDATED.