Archive Index ... Column Index
By: Selena Littrell
The Astronomy Club will decode a message from Mars at their next meeting Saturday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Explorit Science Center. Dennis Smith will lead club members through an investigation of a 15 billion year old meteorite found near the South Pole.
Scientists announced on August 7 that after two years of examining this meteorite, they had evidence that life existed on Mars 3.6 billion years ago. This meteorite, which blasted off Mars as an asteroid, landed near the South Pole 13,000 years ago.
Saturday night, Astronomy Club members have the opportunity to review the evidence and discuss the impact it will have on space exploration. The meeting will also feature a demonstration of what an asteroid does when it collides with a planet and invite members to observe the autumn sky.
Dennis Smith announced in the Astronomy Club newsletter that the Orionid Meteor Shower will peak on the morning of Monday, October 21. If you are in a very dark site that morning, look to Orion which rises around 11:30 p.m.
The Astronomy Club is open to everyone. Call Explorit at 756-0191 to join. Explorit is located at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. Explorit Science Center's public hours are Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Regular admission is $3. Members, teachers and children under 4 are free. For more information, call Explorit at 756-0191 or visit Explorit's web site at http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/GO/EXPLORIT/.
--------------------
Explorit's 1996 Science Adventure Membership Drive and Drawing is underway. Become a member, renew your membership, or buy a gift membership for a friend, and receive multiple opportunities to win super science adventure prizes.
This year's Grand Prize is round-trip tickets for two to Hawaii on United Airlines courtesy of Davisville Travel. The Grand Prize also includes visits to nature parks, aquariums and a Polynesian museum. Other prizes include family admission to Marine World Africa USA, a family weekend for 2--10 people at a cabin in the Sierras, and a "Robotics of the Future" tour and demonstration courtesy of Schilling Development.
Benefits of membership include: year-round free admission to Explorit, free admission to over 175 science museums across the U.S. through the Association of Science & Technology Centers reciprocal free admission program, discounts on Explorit classes, discounts in the Explorit store, and the quarterly members' newsletter, "Science Centered."
Look for the flyer announcing the Drive, or call Explorit at 756-0191 to purchase memberships with Visa or MasterCard.
--------------------
Come to Explorit on November 7, when Explorit will have a celebration of National Chemistry Week sponsored by the Sacramento Section of the American Chemical Society.
On November 7 from 3--4 p.m., two guest speakers from UC Davis will amaze visitors with exciting chemistry demonstrations and activities. From 4--5 p.m., the same program will be presented in Spanish.
Last year's presenters did a great job making chemistry fascinating and fun for kids and adults. Call Explorit at 756-0191 for more information.
--------------------
Participate in Explorit's Members Only Night on November 14. As a special "Thank You," Explorit is opening its doors to members after hours. This is a great time to visit for those of you who have a difficult time coming during the daytime or weekends. For this event Explorit will welcome members from 5--8 p.m.