What a wonderful day it was to spend at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. We were lucky enough to find a Groupon when we went and we got in for a steal. The observatory is smaller than most we have been to, but the staff and the setup is spectacular. We enjoyed looking at a solar flare through a special telescope and even though the kids were young, that didn’t stop the staff from giving them a real explanation.
A and H had a lot of fun walking the to-scale model of the solar system. I feel it makes it easier for kids to understand concepts when their bodies are physically involved. It was also cool to see for us adults, how “close” the first 4 planets were to each other and how incredibly spaced out the last 4 planets were. Now, I say “last 4” planets, when in my heart I know Pluto should be included. If there was 1 way to destroy my childhood, it would be to take Pluto away from me and force me to violently destroy every last solar system I had built in my younger years. But lucky for my family, I did not cause a scene about my dear old Pluto until after we left.
The Lowell Observatory is actually the perfect place for us Pluto lovers. Did you know this is the location that Pluto was first discovered? Clyde Tombaugh discovered this 9th planet in 1930 and a few years later…like 2015, we all lost our minds and began hashtagging, #plutoisaplanet. Well no matter what side of the debate you are on, I would definitely recommend the Lowell Observatory!