It's one challenge to take pictures of the celestial bodies in the universe and quite another to take pictures of atoms, but believe it or not, the change in scale is about the same. Atoms make up everything we touch and see, but understanding -- and seeing -- atoms is something we've only accomplished in the last 30 years. Join us online Friday, November 5th at 7 pm to hear Dr. Shawna Hollen of University of New Hampshire talk about how her team takes pictures of atoms in their lab and how they can use those images to understand strange behavior in matter and design next-generation materials.

This event will happen by zoom webinar and is free and open to the public, but registration is required- you can register here.

Tom Mortimer gave us a great introduction to the mineral environments in New Hampshire and showed some amazing pictures from his collection- if you’d like to see the full recording, the link is here.

Over three hundred different minerals have been identified in New Hampshire. Join us via Zoom webinar on October 1st at 7 pm as Tom Mortimer introduces the different mineral environments within our state and provides some guidelines for amateur prospecting and collecting minerals. Although the exposed bedrock in NH may appear uninteresting to the casual observer, a remarkable diversity of colorful and crystallized minerals may be found by the diligent collector. The talk will be illustrated with dozens of examples from Tom’s collection. References will be provided to assist viewers in exploring this rewarding hobby.​

This online event is free and open to the public, but registration is required- you can register here.

We got a wonderful introduction to the legacy of the Hubble Space Telescope and potential of the James Webb Space Telescope on Friday. If you didn’t have the chance to join NASA Solar System Ambassador Sally Jensen for her talk, no worries- you can find the recording of her presentation here.

If you are looking for more information on the Webb Telescope, Sally took the time to answer a few final questions:

We are excited to announce that our September 3rd Super Stellar Friday will feature NASA Solar Ambassador and Educator Fellow Sally Jensen as she leads us on a tour of the Hubble’s history and the James Webb’s future. For the past 30 years the Hubble Space Telescope has given us an incredible view of the universe to study and explore. This presentation will take you from the origins of placing a telescope in orbit around the Earth, through the technical issues over the years, and the amazing findings that this scope has given us.

Want to know how sailors use the stars to find their way? This virtual presentation is designed to make the subject of Celestial Navigation, as practiced by the average blue-water sailor, understandable to the beginner. UNH Marine Docent Nate Hazen will remove some of the mystery and lay out the logical steps in this skill - for those just interested, or for those who wish to embark later on a more serious study.

We saw some amazing images of Pluto on Friday night with Dave McDonald and also got an update on New Horizons’ latest work. For those who missed it, the recording is here

The most favorable time to actually see Pluto is this July. We’ve got the lowdown on viewing plus the latest from New Horizons in our next virtual Super Stellar Friday event “Pondering Pluto & What's New with the New Horizons Mission” on Friday, July 2 at 7 pm. Participate with senior Discovery Center educator and amateur astronomer, Dave McDonald, as he guides you on a quest to find the dim planet. "Planet"? What is the current planetary status of Pluto? What have we recently discovered about Pluto? Learn what New Horizons has been doing as it speeds on towards the boundary of our solar system. All this and more in this engaging interactive presentation. Don't miss it.

This online event is free and open to the public, but registration is required- you can register here

On Friday we saw some fantastic hermit crab photos and learned how you determine if something is a new species and then defend that decision with Dr. Cate Craig- if you missed that presentation and want to see the animal kingdom through the eyes of a taxonomist, the link to the recording is here!

Sometimes we hear in the news about a new species being discovered- but how do researchers know it's really something different? And why is it important? Join taxonomist Dr. Cate Craig to learn about how we describe and classify species, figure out species relationships, and use that information to help us better understand the world.​

This event is free and open to the public, but you must register here.

In case you didn’t get a chance to join us Friday night for the latest on Perseverance and Ingenuity from our own Dave McDonald, here is the link to the recording!

Are you curious about the latest developments in NASA's work on Mars? 2021 has opened with some amazing moments on the Red Planet! Join STEM instructor and senior Discovery Center educator Dave McDonald on Friday, May 7th at 7 pm as he gives us an update on the efforts of both Perseverance and Ingenuity and talks about what's next for their missions.​ This online event is free and open to the public, but registration is required- you can register here.

We hope you can join us for our next virtual Super Stellar Friday on April 2nd at 7pm as the Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies’ VEX Robotics Team shares their robot; design, construction, and refine process; and their experience in competition! This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

In case you didn’t have a chance to join us for Super Stellar Friday last week, here is the link to the recording- lots of amazing images and fascinating information!

Get ready for our next virtual Super Stellar Friday event on March 5th at 7pm- Mystery & Majesty of Saturn’s Rings!

Captivating people for more than four hundred years, Saturn’s rings have long held many mysteries. Where did they come from? What are they made of? Why are they so big? Why don't other planets have rings like this? Thanks to studies and imaging from the Cassini Mission to Saturn, scientists were able to improve decades old theories to better answer these questions and more. Join Tufts graduate student and McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center intern Amanda Leith as we embark on a journey across our solar system to discover the secrets of the rings.

This program is free and open to the public, but registration is required- click here to sign up!

Sure, it’s exciting to see a moose, but what about the megafauna that roamed New Hampshire thousands of years ago? Join us on Friday, February 5, 2021 at 7 pm for our latest Virtual Super Stellar Friday, New England’s Long Ago Elephants: Woolly Mammoths!

Come discover the long lost lives of New England’s forgotten elephants. Find out about woolly mammoths that once roamed our world. Discover who these ancient relatives of modern day elephants were, what the differences are between mammoths and mastodons, and what happened to them. Join Harris Center naturalist and woolly mammoth lover Susie Spikol, for this special night with the lost elephants of New England.
This event is free, but registration is required

We’re excited to announce our next virtual Super Stellar Friday event on December 4, 2020 at 7 pm- The Science of Nor’easters!

Even if you’re not from the Northeast, you’ve probably heard of the classic “Nor’easter” storm- but what exactly is a Nor’easter and how do they form? Join Mount Washington Observatory’s Director of Science & Education Brian Fitzgerald, as we explore these classic storms and their associated impacts in New England and on the summit of Mount Washington.​

We’re excited to announce our topic and speaker for November’s Virtual Super Stellar Friday! On November 6 at 7:00 PM, Wallis Boram will be talking to us about invasive jumping earthworms and their role in Northeast forests. Join us for Invasion of the Jumping Worms and learn how earthworms arrived in the Northeast, what their unique life cycle involves, and how their presence influences soil characteristics.

We’re excited to announce our topic and speaker for October’s Virtual Super Stellar Friday! On October 2 at 7:00 PM, Dave McDonald, M.Ed will be giving you a window into the night sky. Join us for Understanding the Night Sky and learn about patterns in the sky, how to find planets, and how stars are described.