RSS Feed (xml)Museum's new Planetarium show brings clarity to one of the most controversial science debates of recent years
Poor Pluto. For almost 80 years it was in the big time, the ninth planet in the solar system. But in August 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted the icy orb to a "dwarf" planet, igniting an uproar among scientists and amateur star gazers alike. Controversy flourished when the IAU defined a planet as a sphere orbiting the Sun that has cleared its "neighborhood" of debris. Although Pluto is relatively round and orbits the Sun, it's also part of the Kuiper Belt — a band of frigid, rocky chunks and a known source of comets. Experts believe that Pluto shares many features with comets, suggesting that if Pluto were placed near the sun it would develop a firey tail.
To help bring clarity to this debate, What Happened to Pluto?, a new show created by Museum of Science staff for the Charles Hayden Planetarium, explores one of the most talked about scientific issues of recent years. In this 45-minute presentation, audiences will get a sense of what it's like to become an astronomer searching for undiscovered space objects. Audiences will also explore why Pluto was reclassified and how classification techniques help scientists identify subjects in their fields of study. Viewers will have a front row seat on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft as it travels through our solar system to study Pluto's composition, topography, atmosphere, and light variations more closely than ever before.
By outlining the characteristics that identify a planet, the IAU changed a fundamental part of science education. Robin Symonds, manager of the Museum's Charles Hayden Planetarium, sees the bright side of Pluto's new identity. "This is what science is all about," she says. "We have to go where the evidence points. We constantly have to revise what we know and keep an open mind."
What Happened to Pluto? makes its debut on Saturday, April 19. Admission to the Charles Hayden Planetarium is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (60+), and $7 for children (3 - 11). For information and for show schedules, visit mos.org. The Charles Hayden Planetarium at Museum of Science is wheel chair accessible.
About the Museum of Science:
One of the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science takes a hands-on approach to science and technology, attracting approximately 1.6 million visitors annually with its vibrant programs and over 700 interactive exhibits. Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity, home of the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator; the Charles Hayden Planetarium; the Mugar Omni Theater, New England's only 180-degree IMAX® domed screen theater; and The Gordon Current Science & Technology Center (GCS&T), which offers breaking news stories to the public with interpretation by Museum staff. In 2004, the Museum launched the National Center for Technological Literacy® (NCTL®) — helping facilitate a nationwide expansion of technology literacy by working with regional schools, offering educational products and programs for pre-K-12 students and teachers, creating curricula, and supporting an online resource center. For more information, visit mos.org.
Press Contacts:
Mike Morrison: 617-589-0250 or mmorrison@mos.org, Sofiya Cabalquinto: 617-589-0251 or scabalquinto@mos.org
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