Press Room

Museum Launches Out-of-this-World Experiences

Blast off with the Museum's Astronomy Department!

CLEVELAND—May 28, 2024—This summer, gravitate towards the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for hands-on celestial programming designed for the whole family! The Museum’s astronomers are pleased to introduce a variety of learning opportunities that focus on deep space, solar activity throughout the season, and personal interactions with the Astronomy team.

Ask an Astronomer

No question is too astronomical! Every day between 11am and 2pm, visitors will have the opportunity to chat with one of the astronomers at the Museum’s new interactive experience, Ask an Astronomer. Located near the entrance to the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank, this atmospheric space will inspire future generations of stargazers and act as a community resource for upcoming celestial events. Plus, a Digistar workstation—the software program used in the Museum’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium—will be added to the public display, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how Museum astronomers utilize this cutting-edge technology.

Daily Solar Viewing

Join the Museum’s astronomers in the Thelma and Kent H. Smith Environmental Courtyard every day at noon for guided solar viewing. Visitors can safely observe active regions on the Sun’s surface using the Museum’s newly acquired Coronado SolarMax III telescope! This lightweight and portable double-stacked solar refractor is designed for seeing stunning, ultra-high-contrast hydrogen-alpha details of solar prominences, sunspots, flare regions, and surface granulation. With solar activity predicted to reach a maximum sometime between late 2024 and early 2026, this is the perfect time to watch the Sun put on a show. Guided sessions are weather permitting.

COSMO Meteorite

Now on display near the Perkins Wildlife Center entrance, this striking iron meteorite, dubbed “COSMO,” is a fragment of the Campo del Cielo (meaning “Field of the Sky”) group of meteorites originally found in Gran Chaco, Argentina. Meteorites are relics from the formation of the Solar System, making COSMO about 4.5 billion years old. It is the largest meteorite in the Museum’s collection and weighs in at a whopping 204 pounds!

About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Transformation Project 

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s $150 million transformation project is an unprecedented reinvention that will align the Museum’s architecture with its mission of instilling a passion for nature and science in all learners. The Transforming the World of Discovery campaign has raised $140 million for this project, which will expand the Museum's building to more than 375,000 square feet and its outdoor visitor areas to more than 2 acres. The transformation project aims to broaden community access and help all stakeholders understand their connection with the natural world and the relevance of science to their daily lives.

The latest milestone in this project was the opening in October 2023 of a welcoming new Visitor Hall, a free community space that showcases eight of the Museum’s most iconic objects and specimens. This dramatic, 14,650-square-foot gallery features ceilings that soar to 21 feet and stunning new exhibits placed along the Douglas McCreery and Dr. Laurie McCreery Timeline of the Earth, which marks key events in the history of the Universe. Slated for completion in late 2024, the Museum’s transformation encompasses a complete reimagining of the Museum campus and all its exhibits.

Pioneering a new model for natural history museums, the redesigned exhibits will highlight the Museum’s world-class assets while reflecting its role as a trusted community resource. The Museum appreciates the generous support from community members, corporations, foundations, and government grants that has helped to make this transformation a reality.

About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History  

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.

Media Contact

Samantha Guenther
External Communications Manager
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
 216.403.4557
sguenther@cmnh.org