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
