Education

8 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016 Sometimes the best learning experiences can be found in our own backyards — just ask Mike Jensen. Jensen has been fascinated with the night sky since he was a young boy. As an amateur astronomer and the Manitoba Museum's Planetarium and Science Gallery programs supervisor, Jensen gets to share his love of the stars with the public. He's the instructor of the museum's Eyes to the Skies: A Beginner's Journey Into Astronomy, a five-evening program that covers the basics of astronomy and navigating the night sky. The course, which is held in the Manitoba Museum's Planetarium, takes participants on an in-depth tour of the sky, including constellations, planets, the moon and more. Through the use of images and video, hands-on demonstrations, handouts and the technology of the Planetarium Star Theatre, even the most novice of stargazers will be able to navigate the night sky like a pro by the end of the course. "People have always been interested in the night sky. One of the biggest hurdles they have is they don't know where to go to learn more," Jensen says. "We peel away the layers a little more and teach you how to find your way around the night sky. It's the perfect gift for anyone who has expressed an interest, or who has a telescope sitting in their basement gathering dust." That said, you don't need a telescope to get a lot out of stargazing, which has led to a change in the way the museum offers the course. The Telescopes 101 session is now offered independently on a sixth evening. People can sign up for it alone, include it as part of the astronomy course, or opt out of it entirely. "There are many things in the night sky that you don't need expensive equipment to see. They're accessible to anybody who has an interest," says Jensen. "We've redesigned the telescope session so people can just attend that, or they can add it to the main course. It's not as long a commitment, and people can pick what they want to learn." The museum may make Eyes to the Skies even more customizable in the future by doing the same for other topics, such as constellations or planets. "People will be able to pick and choose what interests them most or what they can commit to. We've priced it so people can take the whole course or pick and choose," Jensen says. "The telescope session is perfect for people who've got a telescope but don't know how to use it." Although Eyes to the Skies was designed for beginners, more advanced astronomers will still get something out of it. "We're continually tweaking this program. There are always new updates, especially with Pluto and the information coming in from the New Horizons probe," says Jensen, adding that each course is easily customizable to the interests of the group. The Manitoba Museum was the first Planetarium in Canada to feature the Digistar 5 All-Dome digital projection technology. This projection system enhances the visitor experience by using two wide-angle video projectors to cover the entire dome with a single seamless video image. "It's such an amazing piece of technology. Four years later, we're still doing new things with it and still learning what it's capable of," Jensen says. "The course has definitely been upgraded with the new digital system. We've added more and more elements — it keeps getting bigger and bigger." The next Eyes to the Skies course runs on Wednesday evenings, beginning Jan. 18 and ending on Feb. 15. Telescopes 101 will take place Feb. 22. The main course costs $125 for the public and $100 for museum members, the telescope session is $30 for the public and $25 for members, and both the course and the telescope session are $150 for the public and $120 for members. Students enrolled in the January-February session of Eyes to the Skies will also get to see a new moon rock exhibit in the Science Gallery. To register, contact Jensen at 204-988-0613 or mjensen@ manitobamuseum.ca. Those who wish to purchase the course as a gift will receive a certificate, which can be dated for the January- February session or left open-ended. ❚ MANITOBA MUSEUM EYES TO THE SKIES By Holli Moncrieff for the Free Press CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY University 88% Avg. Employment Rate * While this is an impressive stat, it's actually only the beginning. With the industry-focused education you receive at MITT, there really is no limit to where your skills can take you. * 2015 student survey – first six months after graduating Jeff Ganczar President, Capitol Steel Class of '96 Find out more at mitt.ca COURSES IN: FITNESS LIFESTYLE & LEISURE COMPUTER EDUCATION GOURMET COOKING ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE LANGUAGE C O N T I N U I N G E D U C AT I O N FOR A LIST OF COURSES AND TO REGISTER ONLINE GO TO: www.lrsdconed.net • Phone 204-237-8130 Bon festival! Division scolaire Louis-Riel CLASSES BEGIN IN JANUARY Above: Mike Jensen, the Manitoba Museum's Planetarium and Science Gallery programs supervisor, stands in the Planetarium with a projection of Saturn in the background. Photo by Darcy Finley "People have always been interested in the night sky. One of the biggest hurdles they have is they don't know where to go to learn more..."

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