the community to view a
planetarium show for free. Fun
crafts included painting river
rocks and creating “rocket ship”
bookmarks. Not only was there
space-themed face painting,
but every child left with at least
one free book! The planetarium
also offered coloring sheets and
space-themed library books for
students to read.
MISD Science Coordinator
Patrick Haney said, “It was a
huge success this year, and we
had a great turnout. We’ve really
enjoyed putting on this event for
the community. We’re looking
forward to hosting our third
annual event next May!”
Did you know that Mesquite ISD has its very own planetarium? Here are just a few facts about this
unique feature of our district, along with some little known space trivia:
Information gathered by Leslie Barnhill, MISD Planetarium Facilitator
Years in operation 40
Number of students visiting each school year ~20,000
Favorite Question If you make a wish on a shooting star,
does it really come true?
Extra-terrestrial objects on display Lunar rocks and meteorites
Stars you can see in the sky on a clear evening 2,000
Planets you can see in sky without a telescope 5
Brightest star in the sky (besides the sun) Sirius the Dog Star
Closest star to us (besides the sun) Proxima Centauri
How many planets have we discovered outside of our solar system? 3,458 (as of 3/2/17)
Photos provided by MISD Science Coordinator Patrick Haney and Science Facilitator Jan Wilson
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