When
International Day of Light
May 21, 2023 - 1 to 5PM
Enjoy free planetarium programs and optics activities
for families, teachers, and science enthusiasts of all ages!
Location:
Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E University Blvd, Tucson
Date:
Sunday, May 21
Time:
1:00pm to 5:00pm
Cost:
Enjoy a free planetarium show (2PM) and a free public presentation on the James Webb Space Telescope (3:30PM). If you want to visit Flandrau science exhibits, regular admission applies ($8 to $12).
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIGHT:
The International Day of Light is a UNESCO global initiative to celebrate light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications, astronomy, and clean energy. May 16 marks the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. There’s no better place to celebrate light than in Arizona with our world leaders in optics, photonics, and astronomy!
Optics and photonics are the science and engineering of light used everywhere, every day. Join us on May 21 to explore and discover the world of optics and Arizona’s world leaders in the science of light!
Attention teachers and students: This event is a great learning opportunity! Students attending can receive a "Certificate of Attendance" to provide to their teachers wishing to award credit. Ask for your certificate at the Optics Valley table!
Fun Optic Activities!
Meet local optics experts and learn some principles of optics at our activity tables inside Flandrau’s lobby area.
Planetarium Screening : "From Earth to the Universe"
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. Take a stunning, 30-minute voyage through space and time and through sparkling sights and sounds of the Universe revealed to us by science. Revel in the splendor of the worlds in the Solar System and our scorching Sun. From Earth to the Universe takes you to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriad galaxies. Following this full-dome film is a short, live talk about how the James Webb Space Telescope allows us to probe ever deeper into the Universe.
Doors open at 1:45PM and the show will last from 2:00 PM until 2:50PM.
FREE FOR ALL VISITORS
GRAB A COMPLIMENTARY TICKET WHEN YOU ARRIVE TO GUARANTEE YOUR SEAT
PROGRAM HOST
Olivia Fehlberg
Design Engineer, Edmund Optics
JWST: Our First Year Capturing Light from the Dawn of Time Lecture
Join Dr. Kevin Hainline, University of Arizona astronomer and JWST NIRCam team member, as he shares amazing highlights and stories from the first year of the James Webb Space Telescope. Discover how NASA's largest and most powerful space observatory reveals awe-inspiring planets, nearby nebulae, baby stars, and the farthest galaxies ever seen by humans. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired by a JWST insider!
Doors open at 3:15PM and the lecture will last from 3:30 PM until 4:20PM. There will be an open Q&A after the lecture from 4:20 PM until 4:50PM.
FREE FOR ALL VISITORS
GRAB A COMPLIMENTARY TICKET WHEN YOU ARRIVE TO GUARANTEE YOUR SEAT
Program Host
Dr Lukas Gruber
Kevin Hainline
Dr. Kevin Hainline is an astronomy professor and researcher on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam science team at The University of Arizona's Steward Observatory. His research focuses on hunting for hidden supermassive black holes, and he’s currently using JWST to find and understand the most extreme, distant galaxies in the early universe. He received his PhD from UCLA in 2012 and spent three years as a researcher and professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire before moving to Tucson to work on JWST. Kevin has a passion for science outreach education, and has spoken about astronomy and our relation to the stars at events around the world.
About Optics Valley
Arizona is home to world-class businesses and scientific and educational institutions with decades of innovation and leadership in optics, photonics and astronomy. Optics Valley is the industry cluster that helps its members thrive through business acceleration, workforce development, startup support, and connections to local and worldwide opportunities. Optics Valley is a committee of the Arizona Technology Council.
Learn More about Optics Valley
