QUICK TAKES - April 22, 2009

Elmo the “Elmonaut” donned a space suit Tuesday as the Muppet star of a planetarium show that will take children on an imaginary ride into space.

“This is one small step for a monster and one giant leap for monsterkind,” Elmo declared, eliciting smiles and stares from the children in attendance.

The popular “Sesame Street” character introduced a show at Washington’s famed National Air and Space Museum that helps children ages 4 to 6 learn about astronomy. In the show, “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure,” the Muppets take a journey from Sesame Street to China and the moon.

The planetarium show also recently began playing at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium and New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center. The creators are hoping to make it available at other science centers and schools.