University Park, Pa. - Whether someone may be interested in the rings of Saturn, black holes or gamma ray bursts or simply wants to know about space food, sailplanes or satellites, the Sixth Annual Space Day at Penn State, April 2, is the place to be. Moving this year to the Information Sciences and Technology (IST) building, the event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to the public.
A mix of exhibits, interactive activities and presentations, Space Day is an opportunity to let the mind wander into unknown realms in galaxies far, far away or experience a bird's-eye view of the planet. For star gazers, Penn State's planetarium, located in Davey Laboratory, will feature 30-minute tours. Free tickets are required and a free shuttle leaves the IST building every hour.
Also available for touring is the Space Shuttle Blake, a 4/10 replica of the Space Shuttle designed to show how astronauts have lived and worked in space.
A variety of multimedia presentations will cover Saturn's rings, gamma ray bursts, black holes, early Mars and human physiology on Mars. Hourly, hands-on workshops for grade-school and middle-school children will cover Saturn, exploring space and ultra violet and x-rays. Workshop and planetarium registration forms are available at the Web site listed below.
Space Day at Penn State is designated an Einstein Day to help celebrate the World Year of Physics 2005, a United Nations-endorsed, international celebration of physics. This year is the 100th anniversary of the publication of Einstein's influential works.
For more information go to http://www.psu.edu/spacegrant/spaceday or contact the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium at (814) 863-3608.