This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

By: Tom Wickersham

There’s a buzz around town. In case you hadn’t heard, the new exhibition at Explorit Science Center is a world of fun.

Actually, it’s more like several worlds of fun as visitors can explore various characteristics of the nine planets orbiting the sun in “2001: A Space Adventure.”

One visitor even took the time to write of their journey to Explorit: “This may be a two-and-one-half hour drive, but worth every minute.”

Sure, a journey from the Bay Area to Davis is nothing compared to, say, a journey from Earth to Mars. Just how far is that? Depending on where the planets may be in their journey around the sun, it could be as few as 49 million miles!

You can journey the solar system at Explorit in one of many ways. First, stroll the front walkway, taking stops at each planet from Mercury to Pluto. Placards tell you a bit of each planet and the walk gives you an idea on the relative distance between the planets.

Imagine all this much fun and learning and you haven’t yet paid admission!

Once inside, try the various activities and experiments. Learn about Saturn's rings and why they are not complete rings, but just appear that way. Take a trip to Mars and explore details of the landscape on Mars.

There’s even a video production that will further illuminate you on the heavenly bodies.

And not just planets, but learn about moons and stars. Visitors will even get a chance to explore the summer night sky indoors.

Compare the difference in gravity between the Earth and the Moon. Try out the various exhibits in which you design your own constellation, measure light energy through different filters, observe phases of the moon, and discover characteristics of Earth's magnetic field.

What are the similarities between Earth and Mars? Why is Neptune sometimes the most distant planet? Discover what life would be like on each of the nine planets in our solar system and then — at the make-n-take station — create your own alien!

All this and much more at “2001: A Space Adventure” now featured at Explorit. This exhibition will end April 7.

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While thinking about the solar system, mark your calendar now for the next meeting of the Astronomy Club. All Astronomy Club meetings are free and open to the general public.

“NEAR Eros” will be the topic of discussion on Saturday evening, March 31. Host Dennis Smith will trace the history of the NEAR space probe from its construction to its launch in 1996 and ending with its arrival at the asteroid Eros.

Why was NEAR sent to Eros? What has NEAR discovered about this asteroid, which is approximately the size of Manhattan Island? Stop by Explorit Mar. 31 at 7:30 p.m. to find out.

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