Ever eaten a marshmallow that's been to space?

Ever eaten a marshmallow that's been to space?
Ken Stage, owner of St. George Observatory in Schriever, posed that question to about a dozen local home-schooled students Tuesday as he loaded up a vacuum chamber with marshmallows and a balloon.
Those marshmallows weren't going up in a NASA rocket, but they were about to enter conditions that few on Earth have experienced.
Stage has spent more than a decade trying to spark interest in the universe through his work at St. George Observatory. His goal is to send some of them off into careers in science and technology.
The observatory was highlighted in the February issue of Astronomy, the top-selling magazine focusing on the science. The story examined the decreasing focus on science in the nation.
The St. George Observatory was featured alongside a handful of clubs and programs from across the country that are working to reignite interest in astronomy among children.
Stage said he is honored to be featured in the story.
“It was a recognition of all the hard work undertaken over the years,” Stage said.
It's through his collection of high-power telescopes and hands-on experiments that Stage tries to show kids how much there is to learn about the universe.
The marshmallows in that vacuum chamber are meant to show the kids what happens to Earth-born objects in space. Absent the pressure of Earth's atmosphere, the marshmallows and the balloon expand perilously, seeming on the verge of explosion.
The kids exclaimed in delight as they watched the change. Each kid got a post-vacuum marshmallow to munch on after the experiment.
Stage opened his observatory off La. 311 in 1999, in hopes that local kids, scouts and schools could come to learn about the universe.
Situated in Stage's two-and-a-half acre backyard, the St. George Observatory includes a lecture hall, mobile science unit and a variety of telescopes.
Stage holds no formal degrees in astronomy, but it's a passion that he's nurtured over the years through private study, communication with astronomers and astronauts and the purchase of sophisticated telescopes.
That's a passion he hopes to pass on to local students.
He often discusses the need for better science education in Louisiana classrooms.
It's a need that's evident nationwide. American students score 23rd in math and 31st in science when compared with 65 other top industrial countries.
Stage regularly hosts school groups and clubs at the observatory for programs that aim to inspire with lessons on famous astronauts, discussions about the speed of light, the possibility of life on other planets, the limits of space travel and fun experiments about the basic laws of the universe.
He's hosted lectures by Story Musgrave, the only U.S. astronaut to fly missions on all five Space Shuttles, Charlie Duke, one of the first men to walk on the moon, and Joe Kittenger, a space and aviation pioneer.
Michelle Walters, 38, of Thibodaux, visited with the group of home-schooled students Tuesday. She said she's brought her sons Russell, 13, and Austin, 10, to the observatory several times.
“It's very interesting and educational, and the kids enjoy themselves immensely,” she said.
Her sons love peering through Stage's seven telescopes, which include some impressive models, like a 14-foot-long solar telescope with a 10-inch refractor that allows you to safely observe the sun's surface.
“They're asking if we can get one now,” Walters said, laughing.
If you're interested in visiting St. George Observatory, contact Stage at 448-1934. It is open by appointment only.
