Galaxy quest

Field trips to observatories and planetariums await the more ambitious students of the sky. The Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History offers lectures, exhibits and star shows in the Hayden Planetarium. Kids can also step on a scale that calculates their weight on the moon and touch a real giant meteorite. The city’s academic observatories, like the one at Columbia University (astro.columbia.edu/outreach), have nights when little ones are invited to explore the sky with a powerful telescope.

Whether kids take in the moon through a window or use high-tech equipment to spot distant galaxies, astronomy inspires a sense of wonder about the universe beyond the city limits. “Our boys come away with a better appreciation of where things are in the sky and their connection to nature,” says Roberts of his sons. And that awe about the stars can engage young minds in fresh ways. “It’s an entryway into subjects like science and technology,” Roberts says. “Kids start learning to ask the ‘why’ questions. How does it work? Why is it like that?”