Science museum and astronomy society invite public to watch Saturn on Oct. 14

The National Gwacheon Science Museum and the Korean Astronomical Society will hold a public astronomy event, "When the Universe Speaks to You," on Oct. 14 from 7 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., the science ministry said.

The evening at the museum's planetarium and outdoor exhibition grounds, tied to the society's fall academic conference, combines lectures, a panel discussion and music with public telescope viewing under the theme "A Story Connecting the Universe and You: Humans and the Universe."

Min Tae-ki, an engineer and science historian, will open with a lecture titled "People Fascinated by Telescopes," tracing when humans began looking at the sky and how science and technology advanced that exploration. Writer Lee Ji-yu, who studied astronomy and has written science books for young readers, will then hold a discussion on "What It Means to Look at Stars." The two speakers will go on to take questions, including why humans explore space, in a session meant to let the audience join the conversation. Between the talks, a traditional Korean music ensemble made up of society members and violinist Kim Kang-hoon, a public relations ambassador for the event, will perform against planetarium visuals.

The 90-minute program in the country's largest planetarium is open to the public as well as society members, with attendance recommended for ages 9 and older. Tickets are available through online booking, and details are posted on the museum's website.

From 7.30 p.m., a public observation session will run in the plaza behind the planetarium and at the observatory, where participants can view the night sky through telescopes. No advance registration or age restriction applies, and visitors can join on site. Participants will be able to observe Saturn, this autumn's planet visible to the naked eye, and, weather permitting, see double stars and star clusters through the observatory's telescopes.

During the conference, which runs from Oct. 14 to 16, middle and high school students will be able to meet astronomers directly in a career mentoring program called "Encounter with Astronomers (Rendezvous)."

"The universe is not something only scientists study, but the most open stage of science, one that anyone can look at and ask questions about," said Lee Chung-won, director of the National Gwacheon Science Museum. "I hope this event becomes a time when citizens go beyond 'knowing' the universe to 'experiencing' it."

Chae Jong-cheol, president of the Korean Astronomical Society, said, "Astronomy is not the preserve of scientists but one of the oldest sciences, one that anyone can begin by looking up at the night sky." He added that the society will keep expanding cooperation with institutions such as the museum so that astronomy and space science move closer to daily life.