4 – 6pm MST
An exhibition featuring Pluto themed art from members of the International Association of Astronomical Artists.
The International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA), is a non-profit organization whose members implement and participate in astronomical and space art projects, promote education about space art and foster international cooperation in artistic work inspired by the exploration of the Universe.
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Glow Wall
Experiment with light and wavelength in this interactive activity.
7 – 8pm MST | Dr. Dan Durda | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
Imagining Pluto Before the Flyby: The Role of Space Art in Planetary Exploration
Space art has played an important and inspiring role in planetary
exploration since the dawn of the space age and it was no different
leading up to the New Horizons flyby of Pluto in 2015. Ever since its
discovery in 1930 artists helped us imagine what this icy world might
look like, drawing from the best science at the time. How is that art
done and how well did we do compared to the world we now know so well?
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Gravity
Experiment with escape velocity using a gravity table, witness the effect atmosphere has on the rate objects fall.
7 – 8pm MST | Dr. Roedolph Opperman | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
The Moon, Mars and Beyond
This talk shares some interesting facts about interplanetary exploration, including the latest robotic Mars missions, humans living in space and on other planetary bodies, and exciting prospects of the emerging commercial space age. Dive into what it takes to send a robotic explorer and its helicopter companion 300 million miles and land it on the red planet. Hear about our greatest obstacles to overcome in order to be a truly interplanetary species and relive the tense “7 minutes of terror” during entry, descent and landing on Mars. Learn about the fascinating changes that your body undergoes in the absence of gravity and how NASA endeavors to return humankind to the Moon and on to Mars (and possibly Pluto?) and beyond.
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Liquid Nitrogen Demonstration
We freeze flowers, play around with pressure, and simulate a cryovolcano in this demonstration in an attempt to imagine what standing on Pluto might be like.
7 – 8pm MST | Speaker TBD | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
Topic TBD
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Glowstick Photo Booth
Paint with light in this interactive activity to gain a better understanding of long exposure photography and why it is so useful in astronomy.
7 – 8pm MST | Tom Polakis | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
Astronomical Time-lapse Imaging: From seconds to Centuries
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Find Pluto
A family activity in which guests construct a small flipbook to ‘find Pluto’, the little moving dot amongst them. Learn why we used glass plates and why the blink comparator was so important.
7 – 8pm MST | Brian Skiff, Lauren Amundson, Dr. Stephen Levine | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
History Captured on Glass: The Pluto Discovery Plates
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educator
Rover Activity
Challenge yourself to pilot a rover on Mars in this educational game. Every minute of delay between Mars and Earth is represented as one second to make things a little easier on you- but not TOO easy,
7 – 8pm MST | Dr. Kelsey Moore | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
Searching for Signs of Past Life on Mars
On February 18th, 2020, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landed on the surface of Mars. One of the main goals of this mission is to search for evidence of past life on Mars. Jezero crater, the landing site of the rover, was selected as an exciting astrobiological target because it is the site of an ancient river delta and lake that may once have been habitable. To determine if Mars was once inhabited, scientists will search for biosignatures, traces of life that are preserved in the rock record. On Earth, scientists study ancient biosignatures to understand what the ancient biosphere looked like and how it interacted with the planet. Dr. Moore’s research investigates ancient biosignatures from Earth with the goal of providing a framework that scientists may use to identify and interpret similar biosignatures in Jezero crater if they are present.
Here, Dr. Moore will describe the astrobiological goals of the mission, what scientists know about Jezero crater and its potential past habitability, and the instruments that they will use to search for ancient biosignatures. She will present new insights into biosignature preservation on the ancient Earth and what they can tell scientists about how the biosphere and geosphere interacted on the early Earth. She will show how scientists can use instruments onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover to search for similar biosignatures in Jezero crater. If such biosignatures exist, the data that scientists collect during the Mars 2020 mission will also help them to interpret how ancient microorganisms may have interacted with the Martian environment in the past.
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Astronomer Dr. Joe Llama
Exoplanet Detection Demonstration
Learn the 3 major methods of planetary detection through hands on demonstrations.
7 – 8pm MST | Dr. Julien de Wit | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
Searching for Planets Around Other Stars
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Earth or Afar?
Try to spot the differences in geological patterns to determine if a river-like feature is on Earth, or a little farther away.
7 – 8pm MST | Dr. Taylor Perron | Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
The Rivers and Seas of Titan
Saturn’s moon Titan is the second known Solar system world with
active rivers and seas. Titan’s deceptively Earth-like landscape is
the product of a methane cycle akin to Earth’s water cycle, but there
are important differences between Earth and Titan that offer lessons
about planetary climate. I will illustrate this through a tour of
Titan’s landforms, including methane rivers eroding mountains of ice,
the search for waves on Titan’s seas, and the scarceness of river
deltas.
6:30 – 7pm MST | Lowell Observatory Educators
Spectroscopy
Learn how scientists use spectroscopy to learn more about stars and planets.
7 – 8pm MST | Dr. Brent Minchew| Hosted by Dr. Amanda Bosh
Lesson Learned from Observing Earth’s Cryosphere from Satellites
Over the past few decades, the quality and quantity of satellite observations of Earth have improved dramatically. Nowhere is this more true than in the polar regions. Over the past 20 years, a fleet of satellites operated by many different countries have provided unprecedented insight into the changes underway in the Arctic and Antarctic. In this talk, we will discuss some of the key observations and insights that inform our understanding of the response of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets to climate change and our projections of future sea-level rise.
5- 9pm MST | Lowell Observatory and Orpheum Theater present A Night of Discovery, a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of Clyde Tombaugh’s discovery of the icy world Pluto on February 18, 1930. Mingle with world-renowned scientists, explore a space art exhibit, and try a pint of special-edition Lowell Observatory Lager.
The Exploring the Universe Near and Far panel discussion highlights this event. Panelists will look at our human need to explore and discover, from nearby nooks on Earth to the far reaches of the universe. The panel includes:
• Dr. Donald Johanson, discoverer of the fossil hominid Lucy
• Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond
• Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg, astronaut who flew 4 times in space
• Dr. Cathy Olkin, Deputy Principal Investigator of the Lucy mission to study asteroids
• Alden Tombaugh, son of Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh
• Dr. Jeffrey Hall, Lowell Observatory Director, will moderate the discussion
The program will be followed by a panelist book signing. Books by several of the panelists, as well as commemorative posters and other items to be signed, will be available for purchase onsite.
Explore Space Art Displays
The International Astronomical Artists Association (IAAA) will display a variety of space-themed art throughout the Orpheum. The IAAA consists of artists and scientists-artists who implement and participate in astronomical and space art projects.
Quench Your Thirst with Lowell Observatory Lager
Back by popular demand is a Pluto-themed beer created specially for this event by Mother Road Brewing Company, Arizona’s third largest independent craft brewer. This year’s beer is Lowell Observatory Lager! Other drinks—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic—as well as food will be available for purchase throughout the evening.
*In-Person Events Subject to Change
12 — 13,
18—20
10am – 4pm Hourly | Lowell Educators
You’ll learn about Clyde Tombaugh, the tenacious 23-year-old Kansanite who discovered Pluto in 1930, as well as the arduous process that led to his historic discovery. Is Pluto really not a planet? Find out on this historic tour!
12 — 17,
20—21
6:30 – 7pm | Lowell Educators
Details to be announced.
Ham radio operators around the world can tune in to this celebration of Pluto by the Northern Arizona DX Association.
The Northern Arizona DX Association will air a special event on station W7P from Saturday, February 13 through Sunday February 21 every year until 2030 to commemorate the discovery of Pluto from Lowell Observatory by Clyde Tombaugh. Every year will feature a new QSL card and a special endorsement is available if you contact Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, Clyde’s nephew.
The VIP Experience includes access to:
*5-hour bus/walking tour on February 19
*All I Heart Pluto programs at Lowell Observatory
*February 18 Night of Discovery celebration at the Orpheum Theater
February 19 Tour Details
This tour includes stops at the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, Putnam Collection Center archives and plate vault at Lowell Observatory, downtown Flagstaff to retrace Clyde Tombaugh’s day of discovering Pluto, and Civano Coffee House and Night Club for a special Pluto-themed refreshment.
1pm
Tour of Putnam Collection Center and the Plate Vault. For 50 years, the two Pluto discovery plates were separated, with one in the Lowell archives and the other on display at the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum. The two were reunited last year and are now preserved together in the Putnam Collection Center. Join Archivist/Librarian Lauren Amundson as she shares these plates, as well as other Pluto-related items in our collections. You’ll also have the chance to explore the plate vault deep in the recesses of the Slipher Building. Dr. Stephen Levine will explain the new project that involves scanning the thousands of Pluto search plates and making the data available for researchers.
2pm
Tour of Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (USNO). We’ll ride in a bus to the USNO and visit several telescopes. Charon discoverer Jim Christy and his wife (and Charon namesake) Charlene will be on hand for pictures.
1) The historic 61-inch astrometric reflector was used in 1978 by astronomers to take photographic plates from which Astronomer James Christy discovered Pluto’s largest moon, Charon. This telescope has also been responsible for the measurement of thousands of accurate stellar distances and proper motions, as well as serving as a test-bed for the development of state-of-the-art near-infrared detectors.
2) The historic 40-inch telescope, completed in 1934, is the largest and last Ritchey-Chretien telescope designed and built by George W. Ritchey. This was the telescope used in the pioneering work on the polarization of starlight and today is used for a variety of imaging and photometric programs by the Flagstaff Station staff.
3) As an added bonus, you’ll get a peek at USNO’s newest 1.8-meter telescope. Originally designed as an outrigger telescope for the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, this telescope will soon see first light in its new location here in Flagstaff.
4pm
Tour Pluto Discovery Day. After the USNO tour, we’ll get back on the bus and ride to downtown Flagstaff, where we’ll retrace Clyde Tombaugh’s “Day of Discovery”. Along a half-mile walk, see the Orpheum Theatre, where Clyde watched a movie on the evening of discovery, Karma Sushi Bar Grill (it was then known as the Black Cat Café), where he ate his meals, and the old post office building (now Aspen Sports) where he picked up the observatory’s mail.
5pm
Pluto Drink at Civano Coffee House and Night Club. Pluto tours can make you thirsty, so from the old post office building we’ll walk a couple blocks to Civano, which is a coffee house during the day but transforms into a night club in the evening. After a refreshing “Pluto” drink here, we’ll return by bus to Lowell Observatory.
6pm
Back at Lowell Observatory
*Alden & Cherylee Tombaugh and Jim & Charlene Christy will join us for the VIP Tour. Alden is Clyde Tombaugh’s son and Cherylee is Alden’s wife; Jim discovered Charon in 1978 and named it in honor of his wife, Charlene. They will be glad to chat with you throughout the tour.
The VIP Pluto Experience requires advance reservation and has limited spaces available.