Published Wednesday, May 18th, 2022
Open through December, the Sun, Earth, and Universe exhibition features our planet, the solar system, and the universe. The Natural History Museum is located in the Carhart Science Building.
How is Earth changing? What is it like on other planets? Does life exist beyond Earth? What’s happening on the Sun, and how does it affect us? Sun, Earth, Universe, now on display at the A. Jewell Schock Natural History Museum at Wayne State College, is a new exhibition about our planet, the solar system, and the universe, and questions NASA is trying to answer about each. Packed with engaging, hands-on interactive exhibits, and dazzling imagery, the 600-square-foot exhibition connects visitors with current NASA science research and launches them on a journey to explore the universe.
The exhibition is part of a nationwide effort designed to engage audiences in the fields of Earth and space science. Additionally, the permanent displays in the natural history museum that showcase the history of life are available for viewing.
Sun, Earth, Universe includes fun and compelling exhibits for visitors of all ages. Follow the design-build-test cycle of engineering and build a model spacecraft for your own mission to space. Spin a tumbler of 10,000 beads, representing all the stars we can see from Earth to search for the unique one that represents our Sun. Reveal hidden images using the same tools NASA scientists employ to explore the otherwise invisible forces and energy of the universe. Take a break in the seating area and play the “Your Mission to Space” board game or help younger visitors pilot rovers across the Mars landscape play table. These fun experiences (and many more!) introduce visitors to ongoing NASA research in the fields of heliophysics, Earth science, planetary science, and astrophysics, and encourage them to imagine what the future of Earth and space science might hold.
The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition was developed by a team led by the Science Museum of Minnesota, and 52 copies were fabricated and distributed nationwide by the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network).
The exhibition will run through December 2022 at Wayne State College. The A. Jewell Schock Natural History Museum is located on the first floor of the Carhart Science Building, Room 113, on the Wayne State campus. The exhibition is open during normal museum hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The museum will also be open 1 to 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of June, July, and August. There is no charge to view the museum exhibits.
For more information about the Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition or the A. Jewell Schock Museum of Natural History at Wayne State College, please contact Dr. Mark Hammer at [email protected] or the Carhart Science office at 402-375-7329. More information about the exhibition can also be found at www.nisenet.org/sunearthuniverse.