Hula Hot List: Over 70 Free Ways to Play in January Near Bridgewater
Check Hulafrog's list of FREE ways to play in January. With options like a kids' music and movement class, video game tournaments, Lego builds, and trial Gymboree play sessions, your kiddos will be having fun all month long and it won't cost you a dime!
Chuck E. Cheese's now offers a sensory-friendly experience on the first Sunday of every month! Their trained and caring staff is there to make sure families who have children with autism and special needs have a fun-filled visit. The Sensory Sensitive Sundays experience includes: less crowding and noise, dimmed lights, lowered music, limited appearances by Chuck E., and permission to bring outside snacks. Everyone in the whole family can get in on the fun!
Make it a weekend with these great Somerset County Events!
1. Junior Naturalists 2018 Kickoff, Duke Farms
2. NJSO Sci-Fi Spectacular: Music from “Star Wars”, “Star Trek” & Beyond, State Theatre New Jersey
3. Winter Wedding Show, Basking Ridge Country Club
4. Skating & Pizza Party with Minnions & Gru, Bridgewater Sports Arena
5. Nature Through a Child’s Eye Exhibit (Opening Weekend), EEC
6. Central Jersey Twelfth Night – Boar’s Head Festival, Somerville United Reformed Church
7. Winter Animal Signs, Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
8. Laser Light Waves, RVCC Planetarium
9. Watchung Arts Center Invitational and Sarah Canfield Exhibit Opening Receptions, Watchung Arts Center
10. Palermo Winter Festival, Palermo Show Stable
Marina Sirtis hosts an out-of-this-world night of movie music!
Sci-Fi Spectacular: Music from“Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” & Beyond
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
MARINA SIRTIS host
BOB BERNHARDT conductor
KRISTEN PLUMLEY vocalist
PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE BROADWAY SHOW CHOIR
Shayne Austin Miller, director
THIS SUNDAY — January 7 at 3pm
Marina Sirtis, best known as counselor Deanna Troi on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the four feature films that followed, hosts a night of Sci-Fi film music. Blast off to music from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more! Highlights the music of John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, and other composers who have made great moments in science fiction come alive.
Cosplay Competition!
Dress up as your favorite sci-fi movie character and beam yourself into our costume parade and contest! Competition starts one hour before the concert.
Sci-Fi comes to life at The State
Read our article about the show in State Theatre Magazine.
Co-presented by State Theatre New Jersey and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
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STATE THEATRE NEW JERSEY
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NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08901
732-246-7469
SuperMoons, Blue Moon, and a Lunar Eclipse
There are two Full Moons in January 2018, one on January 1 and another on January 31. The first nearly coincides with Perigee, the point during the Moon's orbit where it is closest to Earth. The second is just over a day offset from perigee. There is a perigee every month, so what's the big deal about it coinciding with the Full Moon? Nothing. Does the Moon look bigger? Marginally, but you probably will only notice the difference between a "super" Full Moon and an average Full Moon if you take pictures and compare them. Will the "super" Moon be brighter? Yes, about 7% brighter, but again, that's not enough for the average person to notice. The Moon often looks large when it's rising or setting, but that is different. That's the Moon Illusion, an effect created by us having something to compare the Moon to (trees, buildings, etc). Up higher in the sky, there's nothing to which we can compare the Moon's size, so it appears smaller. But measure it against your pinky finger held at arm's length, and it's the same size no matter it's location.
The second full moon in a calendar month is called a "Blue Moon." It doesn't actually appear blue.
There will be a total eclipse of the Moon on January 31, but we won't be able to enjoy it. The partial eclipse begins at 6:48 a.m. The Moon will be setting. If you want to see it, you'll need an excellent view of the western horizon. By the time the total eclipse has begun, the Moon will be below our horizon.
What an astronomical bummer!
January's Astronomy Programs
Saturdays, January 6, 13, 20 at 3 pm
Join Jack and Annie as they discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, space travel, and more. Who can help them answer the questions left for them by the mysterious "M"? (for ages 5-12)
Saturday, January 6 at 7 pm
Using our Digital Sky software, we'll take you on a guided tour of tonight's night sky. (Recommended for ages 8-adult)
Saturdays, January 13, 20, 27
at 7 pm
The universe we see today is the product of explosive events. As the universe has transformed into its current state, even the more elementary particles have endured. The show follows the path of one of the particles, a proton, as it participates in nature's astounding events of rebirth and renewal. The program also includes a brief tour of the current night sky in our digital planetarium. (Recommended for ages 10 to adult)
Admission: $8 per person for one show, $14 per person for two shows on the same day.
Check our website for the full schedule.
Programs for Young Visitors
Our youngest visitors can enjoy age-appropriate programs on the last Saturday of the Month.
Saturday, January 27 at 3:00 pm
Put on your space suit and blast off into outer space to visit the Moon, Sun, and planets. A lively experience for young people with music from the CD "Journey into Space" by Jane Murphy. Recommended for ages 3-8.
SkyLights
Saturday, January 27 at 4:00 pm
Sing along with songs by mr. RAY (Family Ride, Kalien the Alien) and Jane Murphy (Moon Rock Rock, The Planet Song) as well as fun tunes like "Purple People Eater," "Let It Go," and "ABC-123" by the Jackson Five. Some songs are illustrated with lasers while others feature video images. Recommended for ages 3-8.
Observatory
Weather permitting, the 3M Observatory will be open to the public on Saturdays from 7:00 p.m. to about 10:00 p.m.
Please note, we will not open if it is too cold.
Sensory-Friendly programs
RVCC Planetarium offers special astronomy and music shows designed for families with children on the Autism spectrum or those with developmental disabilities. These sensory-friendly shows, which are appropriate for audiences of all ages, will provide a comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. During the show, the doors will remain open so children may freely leave and return if they choose. Lights will be left dim (instead of dark) and the audio will be lowered and kept at a consistent level.
The Sky Above
Saturday, January 6 5 pm
Enjoy music, laser lights, stories, and information about the planets, Moon, and constellations. Content is presented on a kindergarten level.
What's up in the Sky?
January sees four planets in the dawn sky: Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars. Saturn is just emerging from the glare of the Sun. Look for Saturn low in the southeast early in January, climbing higher each day. Mercury, at greatest elongation January 1, is to the lower left of Antares. Mercury and Saturn pass each other January 13. The swift moving planet Mercury drops lower each morning and is lost in the morning twilight before the month ends.
Jupiter and Mars are about 45 degrees to the upper right of Saturn and Mercury. Jupiter and Mars pass just 0.3 degrees of each other January 6. On January 11, the crescent Moon is next to Jupiter and Mars. By the end of the month, we are left with three morning planets, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter.
Venus is at superior conjunction January 9 and is not visible.
The Moon is near Mars and Jupiter on January 10 & 11. The waning crescent Moon is near Saturn and Mercury January 14 & 15.
Last Quarter Moon: January 8 5:25 p.m. EST
New Moon: January 16 9:17 p.m. EST
First Quarter Moon: January 24 5:20 p.m. EST
Full Moon: January 31 8:27 a.m. EST
Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College | 908-231-8805 | planet@raritanval.edu | www.raritanval.edu/planetarium
RVCC Planetarium, 118 Lamington Road, North Branch, NJ 08876
Harry Potter Fans -- Planning Ahead:
Harry Potter: A History of Magic Calling all Muggles, witches, and wizards! Mark your calendars and get ready to book your tickets to Harry Potter: A History of Magic, a British Library exhibition, on view at the New-York Historical Society October 5, 2018–January 27, 2019. Members of New-York Historical can reserve tickets starting February 14 at 12 pm. Tickets go on sale to the general public in April.
Capturing the traditions of folklore and magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories, Harry Potter: A History of Magic unveils rare books, manuscripts, and magical objects from the collections of the British Library, New-York Historical Society, Scholastic, and other special collections. September 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the U.S. publication of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, following the 20th anniversary celebrations of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the U.K. in 2017.
Explore the subjects studied at Hogwarts and see original drafts and drawings by J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter illustrators Mary GrandPré and Jim Kay. Whether you're Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, don't miss what's sure to be a magical experience!
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
at Richard Gilder Way (77th St)
New York, NY 10024
(212) 873-3400
nyhistory.org/harrypotter
Today (Tuesday 12/5) at 10 and 4:30 “Building Up” – STEM Playground. Join us for some construction stories then use our STEM toys to create your own structures.
Next Tuesday (12/12 at 10 and 4:30) Gifts and Giving – we’ll share stories then create our own imaginative “marvelous toy” or wrapping paper.
