Discover the Universe: Traveling Astronomy Program

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium is offering eligible schools FREE astronomy presentations through our STEM outreach curriculum, Discover the Universe: Traveling Astronomy Program! All presentations are available on-site at eligible schools or virtually via Zoom or Google Meet.

These programs are made possible by a generous grant from the National Grid Foundation.

Discover the Universe provides an engaging and interactive educational astronomy experience. Our programs bring the excitement of the Planetarium to your classroom with visually stunning presentations and hands-on demonstrations. Students will receive a poster of the solar system and a pass to visit the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium for free.

To inquire about eligibility and to book a free outreach program, call our Education Department at (631) 854-5539. For questions about this opportunity, email our Planetarium Outreach Coordinator at charlie@vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Weather Report

Grades K
What are the different types of weather and what does the sky look like for each? How does it change throughout the year? Learn how to make observations about temperature and what affects how hot or cold we feel. Watch how high temperatures make ice melt and low temperatures make water freeze and discuss what we can do to protect ourselves from the weather.
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Click here for the New York State Science Learning Standards covered by Weather Report.

Space Adventure to the Moon

Space Adventure to the Moon

Grades 1 - 3
Explore the Sun’s properties and the energy it gives us. Discover the water cycle through a kinesthetic activity and learn about clouds, lightning, and rainbows. Then, study the Moon’s phases and journey to the Moon to conduct an experiment about gravity.
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Click here for the New York State Science Learning Standards covered by Space Adventure to the Moon.

Meet the Planets

Meet the Planets

Grades 3 - 5
On this trip through the Solar System, learn how the Sun affects the water cycle and seasons on Earth. Watch the planets rotate and revolve around the Sun, and contemplate the Moon’s phases. Learn how to distinguish planets from stars, then blast off to visit each planet.
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Click here for the New York State Science Learning Standards covered by Meet the Planets.

Otherworldly Forces

Otherworldly Forces

Grades 6 - 12
Examine the relationships between the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon. Explore the electromagnetic spectrum and how the Sun’s energy affects weather and seasons on Earth. Voyage to the Moon to learn about its phases, its pull on the tides, and watch mesmerizing eclipses.
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Click here for the New York State Science Learning Standards covered by Otherworldly Forces.

The Physical Universe

Grades 6 - 12
Discover the source of the Sun’s power and its influence on planets, discuss gravity’s effect on space, then witness how planets, asteroids, and comets orbit the Sun. Next, study the origins of our solar system and our universe and examine evidence of the universe’s expansion.
New York State Science Learning Standards Logo


Click here for the New York State Science Learning Standards covered by The Physical Universe.

  • An astronomy educator shows constellations to students in a classroom.
  • An astronomy educator shows the phases of the Moon, arranged in a ring, to students in a classroom.
  • An astronomy educator guides students through the water cycle. The smartboard in the classroom displays an image of Earth and a graphic depicting the water cycle.