Finding Life in the Galaxy
1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12
Pima Air & Space Museum 6000 E. Valencia Road
574-0462; www.pimaair.org
The Pima Air & Space Museum has developed a great reputation as a great place to learn about aircraft advancements and the history of flight. But the "space" part of the name doesn't get as much attention, something education curator Mina Stafford hopes can be rectified with museum's latest 2nd Saturday Speaker Series event this weekend. "Finding Life in the Galaxy," a one-hour talk led by University of Arizona planetary science PhD student Rob Zellem, will shed some light on planets beyond our solar system (known as extrasolar planets) and the possibility that life exists out there. Stafford said Zellem will use a telescope to show some of those areas where extra-solar planets may be, and how important that is to space exploration and understanding of the universe. While Pima Air & Space gets plenty of attention for its more than 300 aircraft, not as much notoriety goes toward the large space hangar at the museum. However, Stafford said, the museum has a strong relationship with NASA and this past winter played host to the still-in-development Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle manned spacecraft. The 2nd Saturdays Speaker Series began in February, with previous events involving a U-2 spy plane pilot and the screening of a documentary on Pearl Harbor survivors. "Finding Life in the Galaxy" is included in the price of museum admission, which is $12.25 for Pima County residents and $15.50 for everyone else.
