MARS Truck -Earth Day 2015 - Louisiana State University · 2018-11-01 · MARS Truck Transports...
Transcript of MARS Truck -Earth Day 2015 - Louisiana State University · 2018-11-01 · MARS Truck Transports...
MARS Truck Transports Science to Louisiana Earth Day
The Mobile Astronomy Resource System (MARS), operated by The Louisiana
Space Grant Consortium (LaSPACE) in partnership with the LSU Cain Center, the
Highland Road Park Observatory (HRPO), and the LSU Department of Physics and
Astronomy, is a light commercial box truck containing computer controlled telescopes, a
digital portable planetarium, and other equipment and materials to provide an astronomy
/ space science learning experience to audiences at remote sites. A MARS truck
program typically includes telescope sky viewing, a digital planetarium show, and
science activities and demonstrations, staffed by LSU faculty, LaSPACE staff, and LSU
students. The MARS vehicle can travel to sites such as parks, shopping malls, and
schools around the state to support public outreach events.
On Sunday, April 19, 2015, the MARS truck was stationed at the Old Governor’s
Mansion in the designated children’s area for Louisiana Earth Day. LaSPACE staff and
faculty, LSU LaACES students, and LSU Society of Physics Students (SPS) staffed
three major visitor stations, which featured solar telescopes, scientific near-space
ballooning experiments conducted by students, and demonstrations by the SPS
students, including a Geiger Counter Demo, Van de Graaff Generator, Angular
Momentum / Rotational Inertia Chair Demo, Spectrograph, Faraday's Law of Induction
Demo, and a Tube Race Demo. We estimate at least 1500 unique visitors of all ages
came by the MARS Truck stations.
For more information about booking the MARS truck for an event, contact Bethany
Broekhoven, LaSPACE Education Coordinator ([email protected]).