Great Lakes Science Center, with special guests from NASA, offers visitors insight into the last Transit of our lifetime – when the planet Venus passes directly between the Earth and Sun

May 30th, 2012

WHAT:
Join us and learn from NASA scientists about an extremely rare astronomical phenomenon! About three hours before sunset on June 5, the planet Venus will pass directly between the Earth and Sun, a phenomenon known as a “transit.” This Transit of Venus will be the last one in our lifetimes.

The Transit is more than just a curiosity – it is a wonderful illustrative example of how the process of scientific inquiry operates, with a 400+ year tradition of success, from Galileo’s study of sunspots in 1610, to today’s Kepler spacecraft finding hundreds of exo-planets today.

WHO:
Dr. Steven Williams
Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters

WHEN:
Tuesday, June 5
2 pm

WHERE:
Reinberger Auditorium
Great Lakes Science Center
601 Erieside Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44114

COST:
Presentation is free with paid admission to the Science Center. No reservations required.

MORE:
Dr. Steven H. Williams presently serves as the Planetary Science Division Education/Public Outreach Lead at NASA HQ, a temporary detail assignment. His “home” institution is the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, where he is Chief of Education Initiatives. He has a background in planetary geology, formal/informal education development and delivery, and education policy and management.

Also, Dr. Rodger Dyson of the NASA Glenn Research Center will be at the presentation. He is working on Glenn’s Extreme Environment Rig, or GEER, that can simulate the incredibly hot and dense Venusian atmosphere to test mission hardware.

For more information on this event, visit GreatScience.com.

Media Contact:
Kristen Shorkey
Marketing & PR Manager
216-696-3823
shorkeyk@glsc.org

About Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers and home to Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Its mission is to engage visitors through fun, interactive experiences to stimulate curiosity about and encourage understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discounted parking is available for guests in the attached 500-car garage. Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at 216-694-2000 or visit www.GreatScience.com.

###

Back to index