Jersey
City, NJ - October 25, 2002 - We are in the midst of a decade of Mars
exploration which is providing insights into the past, present, and
future not only of Mars, but of our own planet Earth. As we explore
the Red Planet, its polar ice caps, sprawling extinct volcanoes, vast
meteorite craters, and huge canyons dazzle us. Uncover the mysteries
and explore the natural wonders of the Red Planet when MarsQuest, a
new traveling exhibition, opens at Liberty Science Center on January
25, 2003.
Providing guests with a first-hand sense of
exploration, MarsQuest is organized around several Mars sites, each
representing a different geologic formation: Olympus Mons, the largest
volcano in the solar system; Valles Marineris, a valley as long as the
United States is wide; and Ares Vallis, the Pathfinder landing site.
Each area makes comparisons between Mars and Earth, giving visitors a
real sense of Mars.
Sixteen hands-on interactive devices, five computer stations, and
seven models invite guests to play the part of explorers. Guests can:
- Send commands to maneuver a
rover over a simulated Martian landscape.
- Use NASA software to explore
the Pathfinder landing site in 3-D.
- Experiment with collage
puzzles to learn how scientists assemble larger planetary views from
many small images.
- Build model landscapes and
use a laser altimeter to create a three-dimensional image.
California artist Ned Kahn's large-scale interactive, Volcanic
Eruption, demonstrates a cross-section of an erupting volcano, and two
smaller versions allow guests to create shield volcanoes with flow
channels. Guests can also access current information on recent
discoveries about Mars. Additional components include a 30-minute
planetarium show narrated by Patrick Stewart and a self-contained,
high definition theater that provides a contemplative environment and
a series of "imagination trips" to the destination sites on Mars. s.
The Space Science Institute of
Boulder, Colorado developed the MarsQuest exhibition with major
funding from the National Science Foundation and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Additional support was provided
by Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., Hewlett-Packard
Company, and CBS Corporation.
It's
