planetary science It just opened in May 2023 and is open to anyone with an interest in science. Located on North Leroux Street, across from Heritage Square, the store brings science to the heart of the Flagstaff community.

Planet Science is backed and supported by Meteor Crater Enterprises, but the store carries a very different product than what customers find in the Meteor Crater Gift Shop.

A love of science has been a constant presence in Flagstaff for the past 100 years, through its rich heritage and history. Kent said that when he first discovered Flagstaff’s scientific community, he immediately saw buzz around Lowell Observatory and Meteor Crater.

“I think the natural curiosity and adventure that science brings us is woven into us,” says Kent. “We want to take it back, we want to reconnect with it, and we want to give everyone the chance to find the young scientist in them.”

While the store is lined with memorabilia for generations with fond memories of the Apollo and Artemis eras, Kent explained that there is an area that caters to a younger audience as well.

“We call it the junior scientist area, and it has low tables, and we encourage kids to color these coloring pages,” Kent said. said. “There are puzzles, toys, dinosaurs, etc. They can just hang out there while their parents look at other items in the store.”

The area is also equipped with flat-screen TVs, and the store will stream events such as the solar eclipse and SpaceX launch, and will serve as a general gathering place for people to gather and watch these events. was set up for the purpose. Kent also said he would like to host presentations and guest lectures.

This space has great potential to be a beneficial addition to the downtown vibe, especially when combined with Kent’s idea of ​​making the junior area a utilitarian space.

“I send out a challenge, an invitation,” Kent said. “Dear Science Festivals, I plan to organize children’s events for the entire Science Festival, leveraging the Lowell Observatory, the Northern Arizona Museum, and Meteor Creator’s Education Department to dedicate a large event to our young scientists and to our scientists. I want to bring it all together.” Organizing science attractions for children. So I put out a challenge, let’s get it together and make it happen. ”

of science festival is a free annual 10-day event that brings together a variety of themed events for the year.

A portion of Planet Science’s proceeds will be donated to the Meteor Crater Education Foundation, which is dedicated to young people, Kent said.

Bringing classrooms to Meteor Crater, creating scholarships, and organizing school curricula are some of the ways Kent hopes to bring science to students of all ages in northern Arizona. said there is. Kent explained that the store is part of laying the groundwork for the children’s future.

From the beginning, Kent said he always wanted to work with other Flagstaff groups for the store. In addition to the Northern Arizona Museum and Grand Canyon Youth, Kent also reached out to the Lowell Observatory.

Lowell Observatory Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Daniel Adams elaborated on the convenient location of the new downtown store.

“We want visitors to Flagstaff to come to the observatory, but sometimes they don’t have enough time,” Adams said. “Maybe even wandering downtown might bring something back from Lowell.”

Adams said the STEM-focused store will bring gifts and science-related memorabilia closer to the community.

Adams also explained how Planet Science addresses a niche in the tourism industry called space travel.Flagstaff City has already started market the city While serving as one of the central locations for space tourism, Planet Science serves as a physical space for science and public interest.

“The store is not focused on the scientific research community,” Adams said. “There is a strong focus on general science consumption and science evaluation. I think what that really means is the growth of the space tourism movement. .”

Stargazing is the main attraction of space travel, and Flagstaff is world-renowned for its stargazing. international dark sky city.

This is not the first time Lowell Observatory has worked with Meteor Crater on this mutually beneficial partnership. Last year, he organized an Arizona version of the international event in which two science-minded groups worked together. asteroid day.

Asteroid Day is an event we host around the world Raise awareness of asteroid impact risks with general information about the scientific community.

Kent said the one-day event allows visitors to buy a common pass and spend the day exploring Meteor Crater, then travel to Lowell Observatory to spend the night learning about the stars.

Lowell Observatory products now at Planet Science include T-shirts, mugs, and a Percival Lowell Martian globe with a picture of Percival Lowell, Adams added.

Kent hopes Planet Science will be able to sell Lowell Observatory and Meteor Crater tickets soon, but in the meantime the store sells everything from clothing to photo books. increase.

“We have telescopes that are important, and we have telescopes that are recognized and appreciated by amateur astronomy enthusiasts and enthusiasts alike,” Kent said. “We have microscopes, but we also have Star Wars Lego. What we’re trying to do is cover a wide range, but it’s not just a range of interest, it’s different demographics.”

In the future, the store’s offerings will be determined by what the community wants, but for now, Kent said the main goal is simply for Planet Science to become Flagstaff’s regional science hub. It is said that

Planet Science is just the beginning of bringing the scientific community to the heart of Flagstaff.