Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS) Dedicates a Day to Celebrate All Things Space

Daytona Beach, FL – Bring the family out to the Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS) on Saturday, April 16, 2016 for MOAS Space Day! Starting at 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., the Museum will be hosting an out-of-this-world celebration for all things space. Learn about the science, exploration, and beauty of space through engaging lectures, shows, hands-on activities, blow-up portable planetarium shows, and exhibits held throughout the event.

Through the Museum, there will be displays from ERAU’s ERFSEDS Rocket Club, Commercial Space Operations Student Organization, and the Mars Desert Research Station student crew. Admission to the MOAS Space Day event is free for museum members or with paid museum admission. If you would like to just attend the event, pricing is $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for children ages 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under.

MOAS Space Day Schedule of Events

11:00 a.m. – The Little Star That Could planetarium show. This imaginative story follows Little Star, an average yellow star that is on a quest to find his true name and any planets that might be his companions. Along the way, he learns about planets, star clusters, nebula and even galaxies.

11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Space Music Videos in the blow-up Portable Planetarium. Ongoing every half hour.

12:00 p.m. – Live “Star Show and Flight Through the Universe” with Curator of Astronomy, Seth Mayo. The MOAS Curator of Astronomy will present a special show about the wonders of astronomy mixing together the popular live shows, “The Sky Tonight” and “Flight Through the Universe”. As you are whisked through the stars, you will learn about the current constellations and planets in the sky, be flown through the exotic worlds in our solar system, and take a journey to the very depths of the known universe.

12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Paper rocket building and launching

1:00 p.m. – “Discovering Gravitational Waves” with Dr. Mark Anthony Reynolds, Associate Professor of Physics at Embry-Riddle. Earlier this year, two laser observatories across the United States made one of the biggest discoveries in physics by measuring the elusive “gravitational waves” that were predicated to permeate throughout the universe by Albert Einstein 100 years ago. Dr. Reynolds will discuss these exciting findings, and how this will help astronomers understand the universe in a brand new way.

2:00 p.m. – “Simulating a Mission on Mars” with Embry-Riddle’s Mars Desert Research Station student crew. To prepare human-kind for an eventual trip to Mars, the space advocacy non-profit organization, Mars Society, has setup the simulated Mars surface habitat in Utah where volunteer teams are invited to do important exploration research. From December 26, 2015 to January 10, 2016, Embry-Riddle sent eight of their own students to take over as Crew 160 of this Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). The MDRS crew will discuss their exciting time on “Mars”, and how they have helped mold the future of exploration to this red world.

3:00 p.m. – “A Second Golden Age of Space Flight: Recent Milestones and What to Look Forward to” with Dr. Justin Karl, Professor of Applied Aviation Sciences at Embry-Riddle. To help grasp the importance of space exploration, Dr. Karl will give an immersive presentation about the exciting missions and research that has taken place recently to better understand our universe. He will take a look at missions to Mars, the New Horizons flyby of Pluto, the gravitation wave discovery, and the future of NASA and commercial spaceflight.

4:00 p.m. – “From Earth to the Universe” planetarium show. The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience this show.

5:00 p.m. – Electropop Laser Show Under the Stars – Electropop is a brand new laser show that exhibits the true potential of our newly acquired SkyLase laser projector by mixing recent pop music with an electronic vibe. The beautiful laser display will be coupled with scenic views of our universe, bringing a close to our celebration of the MOAS Space Day.

Exhibits and dates subject to change.

###

About the Museum of Arts & Sciences - The Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS) is the primary art, science and history museum in Central Florida. The area's largest museum, MOAS is nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate. Located on a 90-acre Florida nature preserve, the 100,000 square foot facility is host to over 30,000 objects including the Dow Gallery of American Art, one of the finest collections of American art in the Southeast, the Schulte Gallery of Chinese Art, the Bouchelle Collection and Gallery of Decorative Arts, the largest and most comprehensive collection in the South, the Gillespy Gallery of Sub-Saharan African artifacts, the Cuban Foundation Museum showcasing one of the most significant collections of Cuban paintings in the United States, the Prehistory of Florida gallery featuring Florida’s Giant Ground Sloth skeleton and the Root Family Museum displaying restored railroad cars, antique automobiles and the largest collection of Coca-Cola® memorabilia in Florida. The Helene B. Roberson Visible Storage Building exhibits thousands of objects from many donors which are owned by the Museum, while the Linda and Williams Children’s Museum presents an interactive experience for children. A new state-of-the-art planetarium and the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art showcasing the largest collection of Florida-based art in the world, rounds out areas to explore inside the Museum of Arts & Sciences.

Museum Hours are 10am-5pm (Monday-Saturday) and 11am-5pm (Sunday). Museum of Arts & Sciences admission is $12.95 adults; $6.95 children 6-17; $10.95 seniors and students; members and children 5 and under are free. Daily Planetarium shows and weekly laser shows. Museum of Arts & Sciences admission includes one Planetarium show. Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art admission is $10.95 adults; $4.95 children 6-17; $8.95 seniors and students; members and children 5 and under are free. Combo ticket admission is $18.95 adults; $9.95 children 6-17; $16.95 seniors and students; members and children 5 and under are free. Combo ticket admission includes on Planetarium show. Additional Planetarium shows are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children ages 17 and under. Parking is free. Admission is FREE for Volusia County residents the first Tuesday of each month (does not include Planetarium shows). MOAS is fully accessible to the handicapped. MOAS is located at 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach, Florida 32114. For more information call 386.255.0285 or visit the website www.moas.org.

MOAS is a not‐for‐profit educational institution founded in 1955 and chartered by the State of Florida in 1962. The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Programs sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the County of Volusia.

Exhibits and dates subject to change.