October 18, 2006
MEDIA CONTACT: Caroline Witherspoon
or Jocelyn Collado
Becker Communications
(808) 533-4165
NEW PLANETARIUM EXHIBIT AT BISHOP MUSEUM FOCUSES ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
**Science on a Sphere takes you out of this world on Saturday, November 18, 2006**
HONOLULU - Hurricanes, heat waves, droughts and floods are all part of earth's delicate climate - a climate that is ever -changing. At Bishop Museum's new permanent exhibit, Science on a Sphere, visitors can explore how humans are affecting global climate change through interactive and inspirational displays that detail climatic significance. Science on a Sphere opens on Saturday, November 18, 2006 and will be on display in the Watumull Planetarium lobby.
"Scientists agree that Earth's climate is changing and it affects every one of us," said Mike Shanahan, director of education for Bishop Museum. "Through Science on a Sphere, visitors can learn more about how their everyday activities are affecting the climate and what they can do, as individuals, to help slow down this climate shift."
Science on a Sphere uses a mixture of wall graphics, interactive stations, and computer-based activities to educate visitors on the impact of global climate change on our planet. Visitors can compare the earth's temperature to their own body temperature at Earth Has a Fever; find out why carbon dioxide is Too Much of a Good Thing; learn about the greenhouse effect in Feel The Heat; and explore modern climate research and technology and test climate tools at the Remote Sensing display.
The centerpiece of the Science on a Sphere exhibit is a 68-inch, 40-pound white fiberglass sphere, suspended from the planetarium ceiling, enabling visitors to have a birds eye view of Earth. The sphere, which appears to be revolving on its axis but actually remains motionless, displays full-color animated images from satellites and other sources of geophysical and astronomical data, allowing visitors to track tropical storms and other weather phenomenon in nearly real-time.
Science On A Sphere was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Bishop Museum is one of the first four science and technology centers in the United States housing Science On A Sphere as a permanent display thanks to an Environmental Literacy Grant from NOAA's Office of Education, in partnership with the NOAA Pacific Services Center's B-WET Hawai'i Program. The NOAA grant includes both the installation of the exhibit and the development of related educational programming. Bishop Museum is the first of the four institutions to install and display the Science On A Sphere exhibit.
With nearly 400,000 visitors each year, Bishop Museum serves as one of Hawai'i's top destinations, providing hands-on educational experiences to help residents and visitors appreciate and embrace Hawai'i's rich culture. By combining education, history and culture, the Museum strives to fulfill its mission set with its founding in 1889, "to study, preserve and tell the stories of the cultures and natural history of Hawai'i and the Pacific." Located at 1525 Bernice Street, the Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14.95 for adults; $11.95 for youth 4-12 years, plus special rates for kama'aina, seniors and military; children under 4 years and Bishop Museum Members are free. For information, call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.