Hands-On Family Science Day: Stargazing & Planetarium Shows (San Mateo)

College of San Mateo

College of San Mateo’s annual Family Science Day offers hands-on science activities for all ages, including maker projects, walk-in STEM workshops, hourly planetarium shows, solar-telescope viewing, and a firefighter demonstration. The evening program includes NASA scientist Dr. Brian Day’s keynote on lunar activity, followed by a reception, rooftop stargazing, and live music.

Original Event Description:
College of San Mateo will welcome community members of all ages to its annual Family Science Day on Saturday, September 26, for hands-on experiments, planetarium shows, firefighter demonstrations, a NASA scientist’s keynote presentation, rooftop stargazing, and live music.

The free event will take place from 11 am to 5 pm and from 7 to 11 pm across the CSM campus. Activities will be held in the Library (Building 9), Science Building (Building 36), and Theatre (Building 3).

Family Science Day has been a San Mateo County tradition since 2006, when CSM physics professor Mohsen Janatpour created the event to introduce young people to science through engaging, tangible experiences. It has since grown into one of the College’s longest-running community events, bringing families onto campus to explore subjects ranging from human anatomy and Earth science to astronomy, physics, and emerging technologies.

“Curiosity fuels our passion for science, and science, in turn, satisfies our curiosity. Together, they drive progress for all humanity. To create a brighter future, we must help our community, especially children, better understand science and nurture their curiosity. That’s exactly what the College of San Mateo’s Family Science Day event stands for, and it’s why I’ve devoted much of my educational journey to it,” shared Janatpour.

The day runs from 11 am to 1 pm in the CSM Library and Makerspace. Visitors can see 3D printers and laser cutters in action, create stickers and buttons, paint light-up miniature planets, and explore family activity stations featuring building toys, coloring, vintage technology, and games.

From 1 to 5 pm, CSM STEM faculty, students, and community partners will lead walk-in science workshops throughout the Science Building. Participants can explore electricity, magnetism, light, and motion; examine rocks, minerals, maps, and fossils; interact with anatomical models and human organs; build a virus model; learn how telescopes work; and observe the Sun safely through a solar telescope. Free planetarium shows will be offered hourly from 1 to 5 pm.

CSM Fire Technology students will take over the Plaza of the Sun from 3 to 4 pm for “A Day in the Life of a Firefighter.” The demonstration will give visitors an up-close look at the skills firefighters use on emergency calls, along with fire-safety information and an opportunity to join CSM firefighter cadets in spraying water from a fire hose.

The evening program begins at 7 pm in the CSM Theatre. At 7:30 pm, Dr. Brian Day will present “The Active Moon,” exploring evidence that the Moon may be more geologically active than scientists once believed.

Day is a staff scientist for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute and leads the institute’s work in lunar and planetary mapping and modeling. His presentation will examine how seismic and volcanic activity could affect future efforts to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.

A reception will follow the presentation from 8:30 to 9 pm. Family Science Day concludes with rooftop stargazing and live music from 9:15 to 11 pm at CSM’s rooftop observatory in the Science Building.

Family Science Day is sponsored by the San Mateo County Astronomical Society and CSM’s Math/Science Division. Admission is free, and no advance registration is required.

For the complete schedule and activity locations, visit collegeofsanmateo.edu/familyscienceday._

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.