From Earth to the Universe

The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History and the Mitchell Institute of Fundamental Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University proudly present From Earth to the Universe! Join us for spectacular photos, artifacts from NASA, telescopes, tektites, and more as we celebrate the International Year of Astronomy.

A free lecture by Dr. Nicholas Suntzeff will be held at the Museum on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 6:00 PM, followed by a reception in the Gallery. Dr. Suntzeff is an award-winning observational astronomer who holds the Mitchell/Heep/Munnerlyn Chair of Astronomy in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas A&M University.

2009 is the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s use of a telescope to study the skies and Johannes Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. In acknowledgement of modern astronomy’s quadricentennial, the Museum will display fantastic images of the Universe captured by the world's fleet of ground- and space-based telescopes.

Astronomical images are objects of beauty, art, culture, and, of course, science. The grandeur of popular images of the cosmos is captivating, and their allure also presents an opportunity to learn the science behind them. Objects relating to the exploration of space on loan from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, including an Apollo era spacesuit, will also be available for viewing, along with a variety of telescopes, meteorite specimens, and more.

This exhibit was made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue funded from the City of College Station through the Arts Council of Brazos Valley and through underwriting provided by the William Knox Holt Foundation, the George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the College of Science at Texas A&M University.