Science museum celebrates International Year of Astronomy

Explorit Science Center will observe the culmination of the International Year of Astronomy in two ways:

• A special event Nov. 14, in which spectacular images from NASA's Great Observatories -- the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory - will be unveiled.

• A space-themed exhibition, "What's Out There? Exploring Our Universe," opening Dec. 12 and continuing through Feb. 22, 2010.

Explorit was chosen by a NASA affiliate to be a site for a national unveiling of the new images this fall. One enormous poster will display combined multi-wavelength Hubble-Spitzer-Chandra images. A second print will display the three high-resolution images from Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra side by side.

The images will be unveiled during a "Family Exploration" program from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 14 at Explorit, 2801 Second St. The Davis Astronomy Club at Explorit is preparing supplemental activities for families to enjoy, including viewing the skies through a telescope with a solar filter.

As a partnering organization with the NASA affiliate, Explorit has committed to helping members of the Sacramento region discover the universe for themselves. Part of the commitment is displaying the giant images for an extended period, so those who can't see it Nov. 14 can visit at a later date.

Explorit's space exhibition will be staged in the Gumerlock Gallery upstairs at Explorit. Visitors will be able to investigate the planets and other objects in our solar system and find out what lies beyond.

The International Year of Astronomy is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society, highlighting the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo. Much more information for astronomy fans is available at http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/ .

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Explorit is now open on Tuesday mornings beginning at 10. We welcome visitors of all ages but especially the youngest ones on what we're calling Toddler Tuesdays.

To kick off our new Toddler Tuesdays, we have some extra fun planned for Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to naptime. Our youngest visitors can enjoy special activities for little hands, science songs by Music Matt, science story time courtesy of the Yolo County Public Library, a clown, and a visit with one of our resident reptiles. Refreshments will be served.

Also, parents and caregivers are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to eat on our patio.

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Explorit Science Center is at 2801 Second St., Davis. New visiting hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays, 2-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission is $4 general, free for members and ages 3 and under. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or http:// www.explorit.org