Archive for Latest News
Annular Solar Eclipse This Sunday!
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An annular solar eclipse will take place on Sunday, May 20. Most of North Dakota will be able to view the eclipse or part of the eclipse at around 7:00PM CDT. Sunday’s eclipse will not be your normal eclipse because the moon is farther away from the earth than usual. The angular size of the lunar disc isn’t quite wide enough to cover up the sun completely. So, at the peak of the eclipse, a very thin ring of the sun’s photospehere will be exposed around the moon’s dark circle. This is what is known as an annular eclipse! If you are planning on viewing the eclipse you will need to take some special precautions. Do NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, x-ray film, or photographic neutral density filters. You can purchase special eclipse glasses, or you can use #14 or darker welder’s glass, or if you’re feeling crafty you can make a pinhole camera. Several webcasts are also being planned, so you can view the eclipse from inside as well.
Gerri – Communications
Last week to register for Legos for Girls, Nature Camp
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Gateway to Science Summer Camps are filling fast. The registration deadline for two exciting new camps is quickly approaching! The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 23, for our first two camps of the season that will be held May 29-31.
Girls and boys who will be in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade next fall and who want to participate in our first Nature Camp should sign up soon.
For girls who will be in 4th, 5th, or 6th grade next fall and who want to build all kinds of interesting structures with Legos, check out Legos for Girls – but register by May 23!
There are plenty of other camps being offered in June, July and August. Check your calendars and register online today!
-Meredith, Programs
Final Preschool Discovery Hour!
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Final Preschool Discovery Hour this Saturday at 10:30 A.M. The students will learn about the cycle of butterflies and also a little about frogs and their metamorphosis. Through exploration of how webbed feet work, exploring what it is like inside a chrysalis, and a few more activities, we will wrap up our Preschool Discovery Hour for this 2011-2012 term. For families looking for preschool science activities this summer, we recommend our family day events, including the Sound of Science, on June 9th. We look forward to starting up Preschool Discovery Hour again next fall and thank everyone for attending!
Arin, Education Outreach Coordinator
The Dragon Makes History
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This Saturday, a historic event will take place. For the first time in space history, and after a few delays, a private built spaceship will dock with the International Space Station (ISS). The unmanned capsule, named Dragon, will be the first test to see if cargo can be successfully carried to and from the ISS. NASA has hired the company SpaceX, creator of Dragon, to be a part of their Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program. Eventually the company wants to start carrying passengers into space. Read more here!
Arin, Education Outreach Coordinator
Operation Science
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The Bismarck High School Science Olympiad team will present “Operation Science,” a fun-filled evening of hands-on activities and demonstrations, Saturday, May 12, 4:30-8:00 p.m. at Gateway to Science, 1810 Schafer Street, Bismarck. We invite you gather your friends and family for this fun event to support the team. Free will donations and concessions will be available. Proceeds to benefit the Bismarck High team in their efforts to attend the National Science Olympiad Tournament in Florida.
~Beth Demke, Executive Director
Butterflies are flying!
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Gateway to Science’s butterfly exhibit has returned! The painted ladies have come out of their chrysalid’s and are flying around the habitat waiting to entertain you. Each week our butterfly population will grow as more butterflies emerge from chrysalid. Stop by to take a look.
Gerri – Communications
The SCIENCE of Mother’s Day!
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Technology is just another aspect of Gateway to Science! Without it, what would science CREATE? With this in mind, why not use SCIENCE to give your Mom the ultimate GIFT this Mother’s Day. Click here for the Today’s Shows top list of TECH GIFTS for Mom this Sunday. Want to do something as a family? Get a membership here for Gateway to Science. All Gateway to Science members receive reciprocal privileges through the Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC). This includes free admission to museums around the country, such as the Oregon Museum of Science in Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. With a Gateway to Science membership, ALL of your vacations throughout the year will always include Free Science Opportunities! Mother’s Day is all about celebrating the family, and the contributions that YOUR MOM gives to the world. Make it extra special this year with SCIENCE!
Super moon makes an appearance
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Step outside for a few moments on Saturday night to enjoy this year’s Super Moon – a phenomenon where the moon is bigger and brighter than the other full moons of 2012. For more information, visit this NASA page. The moon rises around 7:35 pm on Saturday night, and will be the brightest around 10:35 pm. Check it out!
-Meredith, Programs
Local Teams Win ND Science Olympiad Tournament
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Our congratulations to local winners of the ND State Science Olympiad Tournament, recently held in Fargo. The Bismarck High team placed first at the high school level. The Bismarck/Mandan Homeschool Association won the middle school level. Both teams will be traveling to the University of Central Florida for the National Science Olympiad Tournament. Science Olympiad is dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education, increasing male, female and minority interest in science, creating a technologically-literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers.
The Bismarck High School Science Olympiad team will present “Operation Science,” a fun-filled evening of hands-on activities and demonstrations, Saturday, May 12, 4:30-8:00 p.m. at Gateway to Science, 1810 Schafer Street, Bismarck. Everyone is invited to join the team and learn how science can be more than just a textbook. Free will donations and concessions will be available. Proceeds to benefit the Bismarck High team in their efforts to attend the national competition.
Community support is critical for students to be able to attend national science competitions. Both of the local teams will be raising funds to help with expenses. If you would like to help local students, I would be happy to put you in touch with their team leaders. Call me at 701.258.1975 for more information.
~Beth Demke, Executive Director
