July 11, 2018

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Hosts Free 'Summer Science Saturday' Event

  • What: Summer Science Saturday
  • When: July 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Where: Kuiper Space Sciences Building, 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory is hosting its free annual open house, "Summer Science Saturday" on July 14, which will highlight the upcoming launch of NASA's Parker Solar Probe Spacecraft.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kuiper Space Sciences Building on the UA campus. Parking is free at the Cherry Avenue garage.

At 11 a.m., UA professor Joe Giacalone, the co-principal investigator for the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun instrument on Parker Solar Probe, will deliver a lecture titled "Parker Solar Probe: A Mission to Touch the Sun."

The Parker Solar Probe will swoop to within 4 million miles of the sun's surface, facing heat and radiation like no spacecraft before it. Launching later this year, the Parker Solar Probe will provide new data on solar activity and make critical contributions to our ability to forecast major space-weather events that impact life on Earth.

Mission exhibits and art by the Tucson chapter of the International Association of Astronomical Artists will be displayed throughout the event.

Children's activities will be available throughout the day, provided by:

  • Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center
  • Boy Scouts of America
  • Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium
  • Heifer International
  • Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
  • Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Graduate Students
  • OSIRIS-REx
  • Planetary Science Institute
  • The Arizona Native Plant Society, Tucson Chapter
  • S.Y.STEM Coalition
  • Texas Instruments
  • Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA)
  • Tucson L5 Space Society
  • UA College of Science Ambassador Program
  • UA Insect Collection
  • UA Mirror Lab Tour at Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab
  • Vatican Observatory

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Media contact:
Maria Schuchardt
Space Imagery Center
UA Lunar & Planetary Laboratory
(520) 621-4861
mariams@lpl.arizona.edu
Established in 1885, the University of Arizona, the state's super land-grant university with two medical schools, produces graduates who are real-world ready through its 100% Engagement initiative. Recognized as a global leader and ranked 16th for the employability of its graduates, the UA is also a leader in research, bringing more than $622 million in research investment each year, and ranking 21st among all public universities. The UA is advancing the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships, and is a member of the Association of American Universities, the 62 leading public and private research universities. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $8.3 billion annually.