Schumer tries to land astronaut for Walkway
With Congress in recess this week, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer was at the Walkway Over the Hudson on Tuesday, calling on NASA to send an astronaut to one of the upcoming “Starwalk” educational programs on the popular pedestrian span.
“Providing our students with all the tools necessary to learn about and become interested in scientific research and the environment has always been a top priority of mine, which is why I am calling on NASA to help the Walkway Over the Hudson continue their great work in inspiring our next generation of scientists right here in the Hudson Valley,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said in prepared remarks. “Walkway Over the Hudson has a phenomenal history of getting students in the Hudson Valley area engaged and hooked on the sciences, particularly astronomy. That is why it is vital that NASA sends an astronaut to a Starwalk event as soon as possible.”
Starwalk, which is free and open to the public, is an astronomy-themed program that’s held once a month and is designed to be educational and interactive for both beginner and advanced stargazers.
Schumer — speaking at the Highland end of the Walkway while wearing a Starwalk T-shirt over a long-sleeve dress shirt and tie on a blistering hot day — said Starwalk offers “a unique opportunity to learn more about the stars and for the community to enjoy the staggering horizon-to-horizon view of the night sky on the Walkway Over the Hudson.”
The presence of an astronaut would inject additional scientific knowledge into such events, Schumer said.
Upcoming Starwalk events on the Walkway are scheduled for Sunday, July 15, at 8:30 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 12, at 8 p.m.; and Friday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
Starwalk events typically include introductions to the night sky, viewing constellations through telescopes, and nighttime photography tips.
For more information and to register for upcoming Starwalk events, go to bit. ly/2KJLclk.