By now, you probably already know that we are going to have a total solar eclipse here in Evansville on April 8th. For a total solar eclipse to occur, the Earth, Moon, and Sun have to fall into perfect alignment, circumstances that are not only rare, but also spectacular to witness. But something unexpected appears to be going on inside the Sun that may make the solar eclipse on April 8th a true once in a lifetime experience.
Read MoreAs 2023 fades into the rearview, I want to take a moment to reflect on some of the most groundbreaking and consequential scientific advancements that occurred over the past year. It was a big year for science, with major breakthroughs in the fields of artificial intelligence, climate change, medicine and more.
Read MoreIn this blog post, I want to take a moment to address common questions and discuss safe eclipse eyewear so that you can be prepared for the total solar eclipse in just a few months.
Read MoreFor those with a lawn or garden, cleaning up fallen leaves can sometimes seem like a sisyphean task. As soon as you finish raking all of the leaves into a neat pile, the wind blows and dozens more fall to the ground. So let me give you permission this year to skip this dreaded fall chore. Stop raking your leaves. Just stop. For yourself, for your lawn, and for the planet.
Read MoreIt is arguably the most famous equation in all of science (if equations can be considered famous, of course). You likely had this equation memorized well before you ever set foot in a physics classroom: E = mc2.
Read MoreIn case you haven’t heard the news, NASA is sending humans back to the Moon in 2025. But while experts in the field were already hard at work preparing for the 2025 Moon landing, the response by the general public could be summed up in a single dominant emotion: confusion.
Read MoreAs a newcomer to Evansville, I wondered if this was a typical summer here in the city, or if the high temperatures we are experiencing are uncommon, as they are for much of the country. So, like any good scientist would do, I took a deep dive into the National Weather Service’s database to find the answers. Find out what I learned!
Read MoreWhile the Tri-State has enjoyed the benefit of a planetarium since 1952, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the modern planetarium projector. This event will be celebrated as a year-long, global series of events, targeting both the public and planetarians worldwide.
Read MoreIf you were in Evansville during the last eclipse in 2017, you didn’t experience the event that we will experience next year. In 2017 in Evansville the Moon obscured a little over 99% of the Sun. The difference between a 99% eclipse is like the difference between night and day. Or put another way, the difference between seeing something mildly interesting and seeing something that utterly takes your breath away!
Read MoreHow our planetarium got to where it is today is just as remarkable. From our earliest beginnings as a display at the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival in 1952, to our canvas dome at our previous site on Second Street, to the third-floor planetarium remembered by many, it’s been quite a journey.
Read MoreThe Evansville Museum’s Dorothy & George Eykamp Director of Science Experiences, Mitch Luman, will retire June 30, 2023. Luman has served as head of the Museum’s science department for 37 years, joining the institution in 1985 after directing the planetarium at the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Nebraska.
Read MoreDuring the period 1960-2000, 35-mm slides were the prevalent means of visual communication in most planetariums. According to Maryann J. Riker, curator at Lafayette Collage Museum, “The 35mm slide was once a powerful recorders of art, memory, and time”.
Read More
