The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium invites you to a special unveiling of two new breathtaking mural-sized images of the well-known Pinwheel Galaxy taken by all three of NASA’s Great Observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. The Planetarium is one of only 100 selected science centers around the country to receive this amazing display.
WHAT:One 6-foot-by-3-foot image shows three striking full-color images that showcase the galaxy’s features in the infrared light observed by Spitzer, the visible light observed by Hubble, and the X-ray light observed by Chandra. The images show not only the details of the grand design spiral structure for which the galaxy is famous, but also the underlying giant clouds where stars are born, as well as the hidden locations of black holes and exploded stars. These multi-wavelength views provide both stunning beauty and a wealth of scientific information not even dreamed of by Galileo. Another 3-foot-by-3-foot image of Messier 101 combines the views from all three telescopes into an amazing composite. It’s like seeing with your eyes, night vision goggles, and X-ray vision all at once!
WHEN:
Sunday, February 15, 2009 1:45 p.m. Additional information, photos and more can be found at http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/07/.
WHERE:
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, 2 Institute Drive Concord, NH 03301 WHY: The International Year of Astronomy 2009 celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo first turning a telescope to the heavens. From Galileo's first spyglass, telescopes have grown ever larger and ever better, and have moved to mountaintops and to space. NASA's Great Observatories represent the achievements of astronomy four centuries later and are honoring this legacy with a spectacular national image unveiling.
The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium will become the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center on March 6, 2009.
Ragged Mountain was looking for a hip new look; J Maze Design provided them with just that, using bold black and orange to create an edgy, modern feel. The site features information on both winter and summer happenings at the mountain, including skiing and golfing. It also features an events calendar, current conditions, and trail reports. To keep this information organized and current, J Maze Design provided a custom CMS that allows Ragged Mountain to add/edit/delete content as needed. This means that visitors to the site will always have the most up-to-date information. The redesigned site also features e-commerce abilities that let patrons purchase tickets and season passes online. For added interactivity, the site has photos, videos, and links to various social networking services.
