Children look to the sky through telescopes

A group of children waited in the WonderGarden Thursday for the sun to go down with hopes of being the first to see a star. About 10 children and their parents came to Family Astronomy Night at WonderLab, 308 W. Fourth St., for a chance to see the stars with a telescope that Daniel Cervantes, a NASA solar system ambassador, brought with him.\nThe event occurred nightly Monday through Thursday and attracted families from other states. Derika Mercer said she came with her family from Louisville for a chance to see "the real thing."\n"They are fanatical about planets," Mercer said. "We had to come."\nAfter looking at the moon through the telescope, Mark Benton's 6-year-old son said, "I can see bumps with a little bit of shadow mixed in."\nMercer's daughter could name the moon of Pluto, while wearing a hair bow the color of Jupiter's big red spot. The children explained different reasons why they liked the planets and stars. \n"I think it's really cool to study different things that are above us that we can't see," sixth-grader Christy Berndt said. Mercer's son said he liked them because "they're so big."\nBenton's son said he wants to be a scientist when he grows up but doesn't know enough to decide what kind. "Everything is so interesting to me," he said.\nJake Delph, another child attending the event, said the next major challenge in space is going to Mars, and he intends to be the one to accomplish the feat.\n"I love looking at the stars. I want to go there someday," he said.\nIf he ever does go to Mars, his sister Aly wants to ride along, she said. \n"When he becomes an astronaut, she's going with him," their mom Micki Delph said.\nMike Pritchett, president of Stonebelt Stargazers, said looking into space gives people a new perspective on the small world on which they live. \n"We get arrogant and high-minded," he said. "It gives us perspective."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ben Woodson at bwoodson@indiana.edu.