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News & EventsDaily through Sept. 5, 2008-Jan. 4, 2009
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UPDATE: YAHOO! News features discoveries made on NASA’s Chilean cave expedition with planetarium associate director, Dan Ruby. |
As the driest place on Earth and one similar geologically to Mars, the Atacama region is as close to conditions on Mars as can be found anywhere on our planet. Joining Phase ll of NASA’s Earth-Mars Cave Detection Program from July 15-Aug. 15, Ruby and scientists on the expedition in northern Chile will map and plant sensors in lava tube and salt caves similar to those expected on Mars.
“Martian caves have already been detected through techniques developed by this program, and are significant as a potential habitat for microorganisms and other extremeophiles that might exist or have existed on Mars,” Ruby said. “They may also serve as future habitats for astronaut explorers to the red planet, as they offer protection from radiation and the harsh environment of the surface.”
Funded by NASA-Ames and SETI-CSC and led by Jut Wynne of the USGS-Southwest Biological Science Center in Arizona, Phase ll of the NASA expedition is part of a larger three-year study of caves in the Atacama desert, where thermal imaging of cave entrances has helped refine techniques already proven successful in finding caves on Mars through remote sensing. Wynne and NASA’s Astrobiology/Exobiology Program intend to find whether it is possible to detect caves by studying the amount of heat they radiate. If the team can reliably pinpoint caves on Earth, Wynn believes it should be possible to do the same on Mars.
“Phase ll will use an instrument called a QWISP, quantum well infrared photometer — basically a high-tech thermal camera — intended for use on future Mars obiter, lander and rover missions,” Ruby said. "This project plays a small part to help lay the foundations for the next generation of Mars exploration, both manned and unmanned, which will have immeasurable payoff for humankind."
Fleischmann Planetarium’s involvement in the project stems from associate director Dan Ruby’s participation in Phase l as part of NASA’s Spaceward Bound program, which puts teachers and educators such as Ruby, in the field with planetary scientists to bring back and share current NASA research with their classrooms and the public. In spring 2007 Ruby spent a week in the Mojave Desert, working with a team using a hot-air balloon to photograph volcanic caves. He will serve as a mapping assistant during Phase ll and expects to return to Reno with plenty of new insights.
The 10 team members in Phase ll of the NASA Earth-Mars Cave Detection Program represent the Northern Arizona University; the University of Nevada, Reno; the University of New Mexico; the University of Virginia and other American agencies and organizations; a Chilean geologist from Universidad Católica del Norte is the logistics lead.
“I’m honored to be part of this expedition and excited to do the fieldwork,” Ruby said. “This opportunity provides the public with a connection to cutting-edge space research, and greatly benefits our planetarium programs, which attract more than 57,000 visitors a year, including the 15,000 students who visit on field trips. It contributes another link to the already-strong relationship the University of Nevada, Reno has with NASA projects, and opens the door for similar opportunities in the future for students and other scholars and colleagues.”
For more information about the Atacama Cave expedition and the Earth-Mars Cave Detection Program, visit the NASA Astrobiology website at http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ .
Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center is located north of Lawlor Events Center on North Virginia and 16th streets, on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, 1.5 miles north of the downtown Reno arch. Free parking is available in the West Stadium Parking Complex, level 3, just east of the Planetarium.
For more information about the planetarium and its involvement in the NASA program, call (775) 784-4812 or visit http://planetarium.unr.edu.
The first planetarium in Nevada, Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center at the University of Nevada, Reno has brought the universe to the community since 1963. Also the first planetarium in the world to project full-dome movies on a 30-foot-diameter dome, Fleischmann Planetarium has educated and entertained generations of school children and adults, inspiring imaginations and expanding horizons.
For more information, view or print pdf>>
Planetarium members to receive free admission to hundreds of ASTC-partner museums and centers worldwide
The Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center at the University of Nevada, Reno has become a new partner of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), an organization dedicated to furthering public understanding of science among increasingly diverse audiences. ASTC encourages excellence and innovation in informal science learning, in part by serving and linking its members worldwide.
Founded in 1973, ASTC numbers more than 540 members in 40 countries, including science centers and museums, nature centers, aquariums, planetariums, zoos, botanical gardens, space theaters and natural history and children’s museums.
Members of the Fleischmann Planetarium and any of the ASTC’s partnering organizations also benefit from the ASTC’s Passport Program, which provides free admission to hundreds of partner museums and centers around the world.
“The planetarium’s membership in this important organization means our own members will benefit directly, with free entrance to all sorts of great museums,” said Dan Ruby, associate director of the Fleischmann Planetarium. “We think it’s an awesome opportunity for our members and for other ASTC members visiting us.”
According to Ruby, the Passport Program is just one of many benefits of the partnership.
“In addition to providing our members access to a vast range of resources and member benefits at hundreds of our partner institutions worldwide, this new partnership will help Fleischmann develop exhibits and services to better serve the community,” Ruby said. “Our staff now has access to membership and visitor data and statistics that will help tremendously in our program development.”
Like Fleischmann Planetarium, a large percentage of ASTC institutions are part of a university or affiliated with one, and as such, can offer valuable data for program development to meet the University of Nevada, Reno’s needs.
“This will give us insights into how to develop increasingly effective collaborations with the University and community,” Ruby said. “I can’t tell you how excited we are to be able to offer so many benefits to our members, the University and the community as a result of this new partnership.” For more about the ASTC Passport Program and participating museums and centers worldwide, click here.
Aspiring scientists ages 10-14 are invited to engage in hands-on learning and fun during two-hour mini-robotics sessions
Join science teacher and robot-building expert Paul Nagelkerke for a two-hour mini-robotics workshop at the University of Nevada, Reno Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, held Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m., or 4-6 p.m.; Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m., or 4-6 p.m.; or Monday, May 19, 10 a.m.-noon or 1-3 p.m. The fee for each two-hour workshop is $35 per participant age 10-14, and includes a souvenir t-shirt.
Workshop participants ages 10-14 will build a small LEGO© Mindstorms Sumo Robot (one per participant) and learn how to program the robot to battle in a sumo competition at the conclusion of the class. Concepts explored include balance and speed versus force, and traction versus power. All parts and equipment must be returned at the end of the workshop. Parents are encouraged to attend to watch the construction and competition at no charge.
The instructor for the Planetarium’s LEGO© Robotics Workshops is Paul Nagelkerke, M.Sc., a science teacher at the Silbury Education and Resource Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nagelkerke has presented robot-building classes at schools, summer camps and science centers throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to teaching, he builds robot props for films and television in southwestern British Columbia. Visit http://www.geocities.com/PantomimeRobotics for more information about Paul Nagelkerke.
Advance registration is required. To register, download the LEGO© Robotics flier, fill out the registration form and return to Fleischmann Planetarium at the University of Nevada, Reno by mail or in person, or call (775) 784-4812 for more details or to register by phone. No drop-in participants will be admitted. Registrations cannot be reserved until payment of $35 per participant is received in full. A 10 percent discount is available to Fleischmann Planetarium Nova Team members. Each session is limited to 10 participants; early registration is recommended. Classes will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will be contacted by phone to confirm registration.
Join Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center at the University of Nevada, Reno the third Thursday of every month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for Planet-X Friends of the Planetarium Night featuring performances from KTHX-FM 100.1 DJs and spectacular light shows utilizing Fleischmann’s state-of-the-art digital planetarium.
The event is free for Friends of the Planetarium members, or $5 for nonmembers. Tickets are available at the door. Come down and consider the benefits of membership including exclusive invitations to new show previews, discounts on telescopes and gift shop merchandise, reduced or free admission to feature films and star shows, and much more.
Planet-X Friends of the Planetarium Night features:
• A series of 20-minute shows in the Star Theater featuring music from KTHX and visuals from the edge of space
• Out-of-this world music performances from KTHX DJs in the Exhibit Hall
• Giveaway drawings for T-shirts, software, science-themed gifts and more
• Libations from renowned local sponsors including Great Basin Brewing Company, Red’s Little Waldorf, Tahoe Creamery, Sierra Wine & Spirits and others
• A children’s science craft studio facilitated by Planetarium staff
• Classic sci-fi movies recovered from the vaults of time
• And more!
Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center is located north of Lawlor Events Center on North Virginia and 16th streets, on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, 1.5 miles north of the downtown Reno arch. Free parking is available in the West Stadium Parking Complex, level 3, just east of the Planetarium.
For more information about joining Friends of the Planetarium, Planet-X Night, and upcoming exhibits, events and shows playing in the Star Theater, call (775) 784-4812.
Events include opening reception and presentation by Stuart Anstis, author and world-renowned scholar on human perception
What does it mean to see? “Perceptual Relativity,” an interactive exhibition developed by the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Psychology and on display at the University’s Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, explores individual perception through visual illusions — images that distort our perceptions in remarkable ways. An opening reception, Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, at the Fleischmann Planetarium will kick off with a presentation by world-renowned scholar, Stuart Anstis, Ph.D., from the University of California, San Diego. The lecture, reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.
The multimedia exhibit will be a permanent installation in Fleischmann Planetarium throughout 2008, enhanced with several changing displays and new content during the year. The exhibit allows visitors to explore dozens of illusions where stationary figures appear to move, lines and colors are warped by their surroundings, and entirely new perceptions emerge simply by turning the picture. Reaching far beyond the surface of perceptions, these illusions provide a powerful window into the workings of the human mind.
Guest lecturer Stuart Anstis, Ph.D., is an award-winning professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego and a world-renowned expert on human perception. He has published more than 120 papers on a wide range of discoveries in vision, hearing and touch, and has given more than 250 invited presentations on his research throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. His work has been featured in Discover magazine and on numerous television programs. He has won awards as an outstanding teacher at York University and at Earl Warren College, UCSD.
The “Perceptual Relativity” exhibit was created by faculty and students in the graduate program in cognitive and brain sciences in the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Psychology, and is supported by grants from the Optical Society of America and the University of Nevada, Reno College of Liberal Arts.
The opening lecture, “Illusions are Not What They Seem,” by Stuart Anstis, will be held Friday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. in the University’s new Joe Crowley Student Union movie theatre, third floor. A reception follows at the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center from 5-7 p.m. The exhibition will be open daily, Sunday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 9 p.m., and closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. All events are free.
The Fleischmann Planetarium is located north of Lawlor Events Center on Virginia and 16th streets, on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The Crowley Student Union is located just east of Lawlor Events Center. Free parking is available for both events in the West Stadium Parking Complex, level 3, just east of the planetarium.
For more information about all the events and shows at Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, call (775) 784-4812 or visit: http://www.planetarium.unr.edu.
Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center is part of the University of Nevada, Reno and Extended Studies, offering science-related exhibits, public star shows and large-format films, as well as public star observing courtesy of the Astronomical Society of Nevada. The planetarium’s uniquely shaped building was designed by famed Reno architect Ray Hellman and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Built in 1964, it was the first planetarium in the world to project full-dome movies, and is currently one of the first of a handful of planetariums around the world to utilize the Spitz SciDome digital projector, a high-resolution, state-of-the-art immersive visualization tool. The projector is also adaptable to a number of disciplines and uses, supporting collaborations among the planetarium, other University departments and programs, and community organizations. Fleischmann Planetarium serves more than 40,000 visitors a year, including hundreds of school field trips that introduce students, K-12, to the wonders of the universe.
Join the Planetarium and KTHX-FM 100.1 at the Nevada Museum of Art the first Thursday of each month, 5-7 p.m., for live music and refreshments.
$10 adult • $8 seniors, students • $2 children • NMA members FREE
Visit www.nevadaart.org for details.
Attention sky-watchers! Tune in to “Stars Over X-ville” on KTHX-FM 100.1 every Tuesday morning at 7:45 a.m. for an update on happenings in northern Nevada’s skies, with Dan Ruby, planetarium associate director. See the latest report.
• Climb along the “The Alps ” and discover “Extreme Planets”! more >>
• Investigate the “Mystery of the Nile” and explore the “Ultimate Universe”! more >>
• The 1st Reno Interdisciplinary Festival of New Media will feature a selection of full-dome videos, Nov. 16. more >>
• Discover What's "UP" at Fleischmann Planetarium's Grand Re-opening! more >>
• NEW! Special birthday party packages for children! pdf >>
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