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This exhibition available for outreach
and special programs.

Made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Outreach to Space was designed as a collaborative project between ten museums and the respected exhibit designers at San Francisco’s Exploratorium. Built to withstand the rigors of children’s experimentation, the Outreach to Space exhibits have traveled to 35 fairs, festivals, and community events.

The twelve exhibit pieces were each designed to teach adults and children about a principle related to Space or Space travel through hands-on exploration. With a focus on visiting rural and underserved communities, Outreach to Space was viewed by 21,985 people during its three years of grant-supported touring.

Outreach to Space is comprised of the following exhibit pieces:

1. Gloves in a Box

Practice using a wrench to fasten a sign onto the exhibit base while your hands are inside thick gloves. Astronauts must perform many tasks while wearing heavy space suits and bulky gloves…it’s not as easy as it looks!

2. Different Worlds, Different Weights

Most people know that they would weigh less on the Moon than they do on Earth, but it’s hard to grasp just how drastic the differences can be from planet to planet. With this exhibit, children can compare the weight of an apple on Earth against the weight of an apple on other bodies in the Solar System.

3. Gravity Well

How do spacecraft enter into orbit around planets and moons without crash landing due to gravity’s pull? Can you get a marble to stay in “orbit” around our gravity well, or will your marble spiral down into the center?

4. Big Dipper

The constellations that we view from Earth are a matter of perspective. If we traveled to another planet, the night sky would look very different! Take a look at a 3D model of the Big Dipper…how does it change when viewed from a direction other than head-on?

5. Star Spectrum

Many people assume that all stars are white and twinkly, but if you observe the night sky, you can often find stars that are red, orange, yellow, and even blue. By analyzing the light that shines from stars, scientists can learn a lot about each star’s temperature and chemical composition. Compare the spectra of three elements to see how they differ.

6. Pressure Suit

The space suits worn by astronauts serve many important functions, including shielding the body from the vacuum of Space. Without a pressurized suit, the human body would expand to about two times its normal size. Pump air out of the exhibit chamber and see what happens to the two “Bug Out Bob” aliens inside, one fitted with a pressurized helmet and one exposed to the dropping pressure.

7. Space Colony

NASA hopes to send astronauts to Mars by the year 2035. What will their vehicles and equipment look like? Will humans someday establish a colony on Mars or another body in Space? With LEGOs and a little bit of imagination, children can construct their own visions for the future of Space exploration.

8. Aim for Orbit

When launching a spacecraft into orbit around the Earth or another body in Space, NASA must calculate carefully. If the spacecraft is traveling too fast, it can continue on past orbit into Space. If the spacecraft is going too slow, it can be pulled down by the object’s gravity. A customized pinball launcher simulates the challenge of finding just the right velocity to enter into orbit around a planet.

9. Steering with Thrust *

Flight is different in Space, where there is no air for wings to use for banking and turning. Spacecraft use thrusters to change direction, and it’s not as simple as it sounds. Use currents of air to simulate steering a Space Shuttle with thrusters. Can you stay on target?

10. Mars Rocket *

Launching a spacecraft to another planet is not as simple as counting down and lifting off. The spacecraft must be launched at just the right time so that it arrives at the target’s orbital path just as the target itself is arriving. The launch window for Mars is briefly open on a period of 780 days. If a spacecraft misses its chance to launch, it has to wait just over two years to try again! Simulate the careful timing it takes by launching a marble “rocket” from Earth to Mars.

11. Rocket Launch ^†

Space flight is a little different from airplane flight. In order to escape Earth’s gravity, rockets must be propelled upward with a lot of force. For a real rocket, this propulsion is generated by hot pressurized exhaust generated by the combustion of rocket fuel. In our exhibit, the propulsion comes from pressurized air. Pump up your “fuel tanks” and launch your rocket up to fifty feet in the air!

12. Sunspotter ^†

Everyone knows that it’s never safe to look directly at the Sun. The Sunspotter scope projects an image of the Sun onto a blank white base, allowing safe observation of sunspots and solar flares as they occur.

* Mars Rocket and Steering with Thrust require electricity

† Sunspotter and Rocket Launch can only be used outdoors

 

The entire exhibition requires a 25' x 25' space with 120-volt electrical service. Outdoor venues require the use of a 15' x 15' tent within the 25' x 25' space. We can work with you to accommodate smaller venues upon request. If you would like to book Outreach to Space for your group or event, please contact Gena Garrett at (812) 425-2406 ext. 228 to discuss available dates and pricing.

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This Exhibition Available for Rental to Other Institutions

 

WILD WEATHER

How wild is your weather? This set of eleven interactive exhibits, based on the physics and mathematics air, heat, light and sound is an exciting hands-on approach to understanding the science behind everyday weather. Using devices such as a working weather station, a simulated tornado and a Doppler radar, visitors can explore science concepts that are the foundation of meteorology such as the water cycle, lightning and heat. Includes a stocked demonstration kit and Demonstration Guide and sample Teachers Guide. Additional Teacher Guides are available for purchase. Each venue is responsible for supplying approximately 7-gallons of distilled water per week of operation.

Requires a minimum of 750 foot ² space, four sturdy pediments (alternately two eight-foot tables) and a 110 volt power for each exhibit. All exhibits either roll though or can be carried though a standard size door. Movable by two people (Tornado will require a heavy duty hand truck). Ships in custom fitted blanket wrapping.

Cost: $4,600 for 12-week venue. Certificate of Insurance, inbound and outbound shipping are the responsibility of the borrower. Email, write, or telephone Mitch Luman at the address and telephone number below for more information, or to book this display.

Mitch Luman
Evansville Museum
411 SE Riverside Dr
Evansville IN 47713
mluman(at)emuseum.org
812-425-2406  x227

Our Wild Weather Exhibits

The links below include an image of each exhibit and the interpretive text which accompanies each display.  These museum-quality exhibits are among the most economical currently being circulated in the U.S. How can we afford to send these exhibits to you at such a low cost? We've been renting exhibits like these for over five years, our overhead is low and we are committed to see that these exhibits go to as many places as possible. See what you and your audience could be experiencing!

Hot Air Rising Watch the windmill as the air below it is heated by the light bulb. What’s going on? Hot air rises as a result of convection. As the air is heated, it expands and becomes lighter, or less dense, than the cooler, heavier air around it. The Weather Connection. Wind is created when air flows from an area of high pressure to an are of lower air pressure. The greater the difference, the stronger the wind will be. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 31"x27"x28" 78 lbs 110 volts Sets on tabletop
Lightning Press one button repeatedly until lightning strikes. What’s Going On? Charges gather in a cloud while opposite charges gather on the ground. When the build-up of electrical charges becomes large enough to overcome the air’s resistance, a spark (lightning) occurs. The Weather Connection Lightning starts when energy jumps from the charged cloud to the ground. The charge from the cloud is met by an opposite charge from the ground, moving along the same path. Lightning seems to flicker because the process occurs several times in less than half a second. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 38"x26"x49" 103 lbs 110 Volts Sets on tabletop
Microburst Try It. Squeeze the rubber bulb to make a single "burst." Squeeze softer or harder. What happens? What’s Going On? The bulb and tube represent a thunderstorm cloud; the fluid represents air. When you squeeze the bulb, you are forcing the cool air out of the storm cloud. This air hits the warm ground, creating the pattern you see. The Weather Connection. Microbursts start with the very dry air below a thunderstorm. As the rain falls, it evaporates, cooling the air. This cool air falls quickly and slams in to the ground, spreading out in all directions. The swirling patterns show how the air reacts when it strikes the ground. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 37"x31"x63" 103 lbs 110 Volts Rolls on locking castors and requires occasional topping off with distilled water.
Radar Tracking Try It. Press the "Start" button to start the blower. Aim the radar gun to the right of the globe and check the speed. Point the gun to the left and compare. What’s Going On? The radar gun sends high-frequency radio waves toward the moving ball, which represents rain, hail or ice. The waves that bounce off the ball will tell you if the ball is moving toward you (+ number) or away from you (- number). This is similar to Doppler Radar. The Weather Connection. Doppler Radar is used to determine the movement of precipitation. Meteorologists use it to track which direction and how fast a storm is moving. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 39"x31"x57" 152 lbs 110 Volts Rolls on locking castors
Snowdrifts Try It. Press the button and turn the box to direct the wind. What happens? What’s Going On? The wind from the fan blows the beads across the landscape. When the air hits a structure, it slows down and may change direction. A decrease in the wind speed causes the air to drop some of the beads, making a drift. The Weather Connection. Snowdrifts are formed when blowing wind deposits snow onto the ground. The amount of snow that the wind carries depends on its speed. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: Snow Drift 31"x31"x35" 160 lbs 110 Volts Rolls on locking castors
Thunder Push the button, look for lightning and listen for thunder.  When you see the lightning, begin to count (one Mississippi, two Mississippi…).  Stop when you hear the thunder.    Sound travels one mile in five seconds.  Estimate the distance the storm is from you by counting the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder.  Divide that number by five to determine the distance.  Lightning heats air to more than 43,000 degrees F, which causes it to quickly expand, cool, and contract.  The rapidly moving air molecules make sound waves, creating thunder.  EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 38x26x49 103lbs 110 Volts Sets on tabletop
Tornado Try It Put your hand inside the spinning column of air and feel its motion. What’s Going On? A fan at the top of this exhibit pulls up the water vapor from its base. The air blowing from the holes in the black tubes causes the rising vapor to spin, creating a vortex. The Weather Connection A tornado forms when cool, dry air meets hot, humid air. The hot air rises quickly and creates strong winds. These winds spin and create a vortex that becomes tightly wound like a funnel. The vortex becomes a tornado when it touches the ground. Note: This exhibit uses a cool mist humidifier and fan and shows the direction of rotation for a THREE FOOT TALL tornado in the southern hemisphere. A real crowd pleaser! EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 49"x31"x73" 200 lbs 110 Volts Requires approximately 5 gallons distilled water per week. Best moved with a heavy duty hand truck and TWO people. Fits through a standard door.
Uneven Heating Try It. Press the "start" button to turn on the lamp. Select a location (yellow buttons). Compare the temperature changes on land to those on water as the Earth completes its rotation. What’s Going On? The lamp acts as the sun, providing an equal amount of radiant energy to land and water. Land heats faster than water during the day and cools faster than water at night because it takes more energy to heat water than land. The Weather Connection. The air over land warms during the daytime and rises. Cooler air over the water moves inland to replace the warm air. This motion creates wind. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 40"x30"x57" 163 lbs 110 Volts Rolls on locking castors .
Water Cycle Push the button. Wait to observe the water droplets and fog. What’s Going On? The heater below warms the water, causing it to evaporate, or change from a liquid to a gas. As this gas – water vapor – moves across the cold upper surface of the window, it condenses to form tiny droplets of water, which may appear as fog. These droplets combine to form precipitation – rain or snow. The Weather Connection Water moves continuously in the three-part water cycle. The precipitation that falls has fallen billions of times before and will fall billions of times again. EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: Water Cycle 31"x25"x37" 107 lbs 110 Volts Sets on tabletop and requires approximately 2 gallons of distilled water per week.
Weather Station Start the blower. Change the wind speed by turning the control knob. Use the "Mode" buttons to change the display on the digital instrument console. What’s Going On? Weather instruments are tools used to gather information for a weather forecast. Meteorologists use this information like pieces of a puzzle to assemble a picture of the weather and to make weather predictions. The Weather Connection Thermometer – measures air temperature. Barometer - measures air pressure. Hygrometer - measures water vapor in the air. Wind Vane – Measures wind direction. Anemometer - measures wind speed. Rain gauge - measures rainfall. Compare the analog instrument readings to the digital instrument readings on the console to the right. How do the readings compare? EXHIBIT SPECIFICATIONS: 37"x26"x56" 92 lbs 110 Volts Rolls on locking castors. Exhibit instruments functional (digital raingage for supervised demonstrations only). Air blower moves anemometer and wind vane.