Fridley High School hosted the Minnesota Planetarium Society's International Year of Astronomy (IYA) Kick-off, which was sponsored by the University of Minnesota. The IYA marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first astronomical observations with a telescope and will involve more than 125 countries to encourage a global interest in astronomy. Participants at the event could visit the Exploradome, a portable, black igloo-like structure, in which images from space were projected onto the walls and ceiling. U of M students pursuing doctorate degrees were on hand to display demonstrations and answer questions about physics and astronomy. The event also featured telescopes inside and outdoors followed by a "domecast presentation" from partner planetariums around the world. Partners involved in this event include the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Como Planetarium in St. Paul, Minnesota and the Parque Explora in Medellin, Colombia.
