News

Sun, Earth, Universe exhibit opens next week

A mover sets up the Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition at 429 N. Main St. The exhibit runs Sept. 4-Oct. 24. [PHOTO COURTESY OF BYRON COLLINS]

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 26, 2020

Although Team ECCO has lost its revenue from aquarium visits since March, the nonprofit is getting back in the exhibit business next week. This time the children’s museum is looking up in the sky and instead of down in the sea.

Designed by the National Informal STEM Education Network in cooperation with NASA, the Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition is an interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science for family audiences.
Through hands-on exhibit experiences, visitors will learn about how NASA missions are designed to help answer the big questions about Earth, solar system and wider universe. Visitors have the chance to engineer their own model spacecraft and test its durability for surviving the forces of a rocket launch. They’ll get experience using tools that help researchers see the non-visible aspects of space. And visitors will see how data collected can be presented in different forms to help broaden their understandings of what’s happening in space.
Individual panels answer questions such as Are We Alone? and How is Earth Changing? and provide information on the Sun, “our star,” Antarctica, rain cubes, Juno, the NASA spacecraft that studies Jupiter; and life on other planets. ECCO founder and director BJ Ramer and young volunteers from the aquarium will decorate the walls for the exhibit this week.

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The Sun Earth Universe exhibit opens Friday, Sept. 4, and runs through Oct. 24 in the former Shelley’s Jewelry space at 429 N. Main St. Hours are 1-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $3, free for children under 5. The exhibit may be reserved at other times for private groups or families. To reserve a visit contact bjramer@teamecco.org. Visits are limited to 10 guests at one time. Masks and gloves are required.