Clarksville, TN – From now through January 8th 2012, the Customs House Museum has a great exhibit called “A View from Space”. Since the launch of the world’s first artificial satellite Sputnik in 1957, satellites have dramatically changed the way we study our planet.
A View from Space, a new, bilingual (Spanish and English), highly interactive, hands-on science exhibit, will allow visitors to see the world from a satellite’s perspective. They can track a hurricane from space, send a satellite spinning into orbit around a model Earth, study incredible images of our planet captured by NASA’s Earth Observing System, and more.
“A View from Space is designed to introduce visitors to the latest and greatest of the Earth observing satellites and give them an appreciation for the value of studying Earth from space,” said Terri Jordan, Curator of Exhibits. “Visitors will be challenged to become the scientist, study satellite images, and try to answer important questions about the workings of our dynamic planet.”
A View from Space includes numerous hands-on activity sections such as the Satellite Activity Area. This area encourages families to learn about space and satellites together through creative, open-ended play and exploration. The area features a drawing station with satellite stencils, a free-play activity table with space-themed toys, and a reading area.
Other hands on areas include “Satellite Orbit”, where with the turn of crank visitors send a satellite spinning around a rotating model Earth while an ultraviolet light from the satellite leaves a phosphorescent trail, painting a clear picture of the satellite’s path.
These are just some of the many areas visitors can enjoy in this educational and inspiring exhibit as they lean more about those mysterious “eyes in the skies.”
A View From Space was created and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, Oregon. The exhibit was made possible with funds provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (NASA).
The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street, Clarksville, TN and is open Tuesday Through Sunday. For more information call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at: www.customshousemuseum.org
