Each year on her birthday, May 26, the world celebrates the many achievements of the late American astronaut and astrophysicist (and first American woman in space) Dr. Sally Ride.

What are some of the challenges of living in space that astronauts face each time they leave Earth? And what technologies can help make things easier? This week we’re focusing on what it’s like to live in space and some of the problem-solving needed to help us embrace life out there.

You may have heard about astronauts baking cookies in space for the first time earlier this year- that was a very big deal because of the number of challenges those cookies had to overcome. Engineers and scientists worked together to address obstacles related to both zero gravity and living within a confined space.

This week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

You’ve probably seen a rainbow outside before, and this week, we’re learning why we see rainbows in the sky and challenging you to find as many rainbow-makers as you can!

Last week we talked about the role of pollinators and their importance to plants- now we’ll take a look at how one group of pollinators, bees, sees the world across the spectrum. You can even make your own UV light to help you see what they see!

This week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

It took scientists a really long time to calculate the speed of light—up until 1676 when Danish astronomer Ole Rømer provided the first calculation, scientists weren’t even sure if the speed of light was a finite number. But a few hundred years later, we can calculate the speed of light using not much more than a microwave oven, a bar of chocolate, and a ruler. Let’s try it for ourselves!

This week’s Distance Learning theme is optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum. In this activity, you will learn how water seems to bend light by taking the shortest path through water. First we will learn a little bit more about how light does this, and then we will test it out on our own!

This week’s Distance Learning theme is optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum. In this module, geared toward middle school-level learners, we learn more about spectroscopy—the study of how matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation—and how astronomers apply this science to better understand the composition of our universe.

This week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Join one of our museum educators as she reads the Scholastic children’s book COLOR, by Kay Manolis!

This week’s Distance Learning theme is optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Today we show you how to split sunlight into all the beautiful colors of the spectrum, with a simple homemade spectroscope! This activity takes just a few minutes, and utilizes common household items. Adult supervision is required—we’ll be cutting cardboard with a craft knife.

Every year since 1977, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has organized International Museum Day on behalf of the global museum community. On this day, participating institutions all over the world highlight the important role that museums play—in our communities and in society as a whole—as vital sites of engagement, education, cultural stewardship, and civic development. According to ICOM, participation in International Museum Day is growing all over the world. In 2019, more than 55.000 museums participated, in some 150 countries!

This week we’re diving into wavelengths as we focus on optics and spectra. Let’s start off with something that you may have wondered about, the color of the sky. You might think it has something to do with our atmosphere, and you’d be right- it’s a result of of the interaction between our atmosphere and the light from the Sun. But how does it work?

You don’t need to have a green thumb to try out this activity from home! Any kind of lettuce with the base intact will do for this activity. I used romaine, but did some research, and apparently Boston leaf, red leaf and radicchio work well too. This fun project is easy for kids to get involved with and is rewarding for them as they watch the lettuce grow. The best part? The lettuce will be ready to harvest in a few weeks and makes a healthy salad to enjoy!

In honor of National Wildflower Week, this week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on the plant world.

This week, we’re challenging you to flex your creativity! Learn about Earth’s biomes, and then imagine a distant planet and what it’s environment is like, and then create an alien plant that would grow on that planet.

As we look at the evolution and importance of plants this week, let’s focus on some flowering plants that took an interesting step back into the water. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) includes aquatic grasses- these are plants that grow almost completely in water (one genus produces flowers above the water- the rest have underwater flowers pollinated by water movement!) even though ancestral flowering plants evolved on land.

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship! These extraordinary young people were chosen from a host of applicants by a panel composed of Discovery Center staff, Alex Higgins’ family members, and community volunteers. Space Camp provides the opportunity for children and teens to engage in a science and engineering adventure that Alex Higgins truly enjoyed. Click here to learn more about this year’s winners.

In honor of National Wildflower Week, this week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on the plant world.

An animal that helps plants cross-pollinate is called a pollinator, and they are an especially important for farming and for the ecosystem as a whole. In New England, the most common pollinators are bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Let’s learn about why plants need pollinators and ways we can make the outside of a home an inviting space for this essential creatures!

In honor of National Wildflower Week, this week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on the plant world.

Join one of our museum educators as she reads A Seed is Sleepy, by Dianna Hutts Aston, with illustrations by Sylvia Long!