Astronomy Days bring stars to Museum
NSF supports innovative outreach, NASA/JPL brings Mars rover, Mission to Mars exhibit, AeroSpace Bus
January 24, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jon Pishney
at (919) 733-7450, ext. 304
RALEIGH -- From Mars rovers to solar telescopes, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences takes you on a tour of the stars' homes during Astronomy Days 2005 -- held Saturday, January 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, January 30, from noon to 5 p.m. This free, two-day event offers more than 60 exhibits, activities and presentations to bring the heavens into sharper focus for star-struck kids, novice astronomers and expert stargazers alike.
New this year, thanks to support from NSF (the National Science Foundation), members of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover team join the Museum to present Marsapalooza -- a lively, fast-paced presentation with video clips -- that features a team of young scientists and engineers (the "M-Team") who take visitors behind the scenes of the highly successful Mars Exploration Rovers mission and serve as role models to inspire the next generation of explorers. (SCIENCE Magazine recently named the Mars rovers the most significant science story of 2004.)
Educator workshops designed to connect essential life, Earth, space and physical sciences concepts with exciting real world phenomena are also being offered. Marsapalooza is the product of a unique partnership involving NASA, the National Science Foundation and Passport to Knowledge (P2K), as well as several museums, planetariums and science centers across the country.
Beginning January 29, the Museum will open Mission to Mars -- a 2,000-square-foot interactive exhibit from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that covers multiple aspects of the rover mission, including a full-size Mars Exploration Rover mock-up. The free exhibit will run through Sunday, February 20.
Also inside, Museum educators and members of the Raleigh Astronomy Club will make special presentations covering Weather on Other Planets, Animals of the Constellations, and the Spitzer Space Telescope: Seeing Through the Universe. Visitors can explore an astrophotography exhibit, test drive a Mars rover model, or test their skills in the video game arcade.
Additionally, researchers from NC State University will be on hand to discuss the secrets for growing crops on Mars and the dynamic engineering behind the Mars Tumbleweed project. Researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill will show you use a desktop computer connected to the Internet to focus their huge Chilean telescope on different parts of the sky. No astronomy event would be complete with telescopes, and many will be available to peruse, along with experts to offer tips on amateur astronomy.
Outside the Museum, on Bicentennial Plaza, visitors can safely view the sun through special telescopes provided by the Raleigh Astronomy Club, or build and launch their own air-powered rocket. Additionally, the NASA AeroSpace Environmental Traveling Exhibit Bus will be on the plaza to spread the word -- through videos and live presentations -- about environmental protection aspects of aeronautics programs and other areas of research being done at the Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Tripoli Rocket Association also will be on hand to show off their amazing 20-feet-tall high-powered model rockets.
Astronomy Days is a free, entertaining and educational event for all ages. A program guide listing events and activity times will be available at the door. Food and beverages will be sold on site. For more information, please call 919-733-7450 or visit the Museum's Web site at www.naturalsciences.org. Astronomy Days are co-sponsored by the non-profit Raleigh Astronomy Club. For more information about club activities, visit their Web site at rtpnet.org/rac, or call 919-460-7900.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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