The sky is falling.

That’s what Chicken Little had to say but how can that be?

Visit the Meteorites Exhibit at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery,

now through Nov. 26 to fiind out!

People have always observed rocks falling to Earth and most early cultures valued these special rocks.  It is now understood that meteorites are rocks from space that reach the Earth’s surface.  Since the birth of our solar system celestial objects have collided with other objects.  Most of the time these particles remain in space but if they cross Earth’s path, the Earth’s gravity pulls them toward Earth.  Although most meteors disintegrate while passing through Earth’s atmosphere many do reach Earth’s surface.  While most meteorites are remnants of asteroids, there are meteorites of the Moon and planet Mars. 

Over 200 meteorites as well as a few dozen “meteorwrongs” are featured in the current exhibit, “Meteorites; Rocks and Stones from Space” at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery through November 26.  On display are four of the eleven Ohio meteorites and a few lunar and Martian meteorites. 

This exhibit is located in Fraze Gallery and is open to the public from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday, 11am to 5pm Saturday and noon to 5pm Sunday.

The exhibit is a collaborative effort between the Director of Astronomy, Cheri Adams, Assistant Curator of Geology, John Zinck, local amateur astronomer, Ron Whitehead and Al Mitterling of Mitterling Meteorites.

Team Up! Explore Science and Sports,

September 30 – December 31, 2006

Monday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm; Sunday, noon – 5pm

$8.50 adults; $7 kids and seniors; free to children under 2 and to members

How fast is your fastball? Do you know how to make a perfect bounce pass? Have you always wanted to snowboard…without getting cold? Come test your skills and explore the scientific principles that make sports a reality. Through interactive, hands-on exhibits, you will study the trajectory of tennis balls, use a professional radar gun to measure the speed of your pitches, and look for the “sweet spot” on your baseball bat. You can also create and practice a routine on the balance beam, try on actual uniforms and equipment from your favorite sport and attempt to block goals as you are bombarded by soccer balls in a virtual reality system called “Get in the Game.”