The National Air and Space Museum will present “Mars Day!,” its annual tribute to the “Red Planet” Friday, July 26, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Organized by the museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, the event enables visitors to interact with its team of staff scientists and experts from the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History and NASA.
See a meteorite that came from Mars, explained by scientists from the National Museum of Natural History
Learn about the history of water on Mars with planetary scientist Yo Matsubara
Discover how to see beneath the surface of Mars with scientist Bruce Campbell
Hear about geologic features that are common to both Earth and Mars and find out what can be learned from them with geologist Bob Craddock
Find out how Antarctica can be a laboratory for studying Mars with scientists Maria Banks and Michelle Selvans
Learn about NASA’s missions of exploration with the agency’s Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division, and Mike Meyer, lead scientist of the Mars Exploration Program
Discover amazingly detailed views of Mars from the HiRISE high-resolution imager on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter with scientist Patrick Russell
Explore radar mapping of Mars on the European Mars Express mission with scientist Tom Watters
Learn about Curiosity, the newest rover on the “Red Planet” with Mars Science Laboratory Science Team member John Grant
Tour Curiosity’s landing site and learn about the rocks and minerals there with scientists Steve Scheidt and Molly Johnson
Test their skills maneuvering a robotic rover or collect samples with a robotic arm in a hands-on activity featuring small robots
Participate in an out-of-this-world game with a prize, hosted by Martian of Ceremonies Kelsey Wood
Tour the terrain of Mars using an immersive Google Mars display and view the surface of Mars in 3-D with red/blue glasses
Participate in children’s art activities and story time for youngsters
See a full-scale model of the rover Opportunity and learn about the ongoing mission with scientist Ross Irwin
Learn about the National Air and Space Museum’s Regional Planetary Image Facility, a NASA-funded archive of imagery
See Mars from Earth and from orbit in an informative planetarium presentation with scientist Michelle Selvans
Learn how spacecraft find their way, with geographer Andrew Johnston
Learn how rovers drive on Mars, with scientist Ross Irwin
For more information and a detailed schedule of activities visit: http://airandspace.si.edu/marsday.