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Coming to the Columbia Memorial Space Center June 12th, 2012:

The threat of a catastrophic impact from an asteroid or comet is a staple of popular culture. If there was a dinosaur killer in Earth’s past, is there a human killer in our future? What are the chances and how do we assess the risks? For that matter, what are asteroids, comets, and meteorites, and where do they come from?

Join us for the space encounter of a lifetime! Learn about comets, asteroids and meteors with hands-on interactive exhibits and even see real meteors up close!

The Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning, with funding from the National Science Foundation and NASA, has developed a national traveling exhibition program called Great Balls of Fire: Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors.  This exhibit will run from June 12, 2012 through September 16, 2012 at the Columbia Memorial Space Center.

 

The Columbia Memorial Space Center is a hands-on learning center that is dedicated to bringing the excitement of space science to children of all ages.  Located in Downey, California, we strive to be the most accessible space science center in the Los Angeles area.  Our 20,000 square foot visitor center is equipped with not only amazing technology and visual teaching exhibits, but also the friendly staff and atmosphere to help make them more enjoyable.  And we’re adding more all the time.

 

The Space Center also hosts one of 48 Challenger Learning Centers on the planet, and the only one in the greater Los Angeles area.  When operating, you can journey to the Moon and even experience the real-life excitement of Mission Control.  Our CLC is available for field trips, team-building exercises and parties of 16 or more.

 ***Starting in May we will be open to the public Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sundays from 11am-3pm.  Please see “Hours & Admission”  or “Upcoming Events” pages to view days with special events and days we will be closed due to private events.***

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Challenger Learning Center

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Preschool Adventures in Space has returned! Come check out subjects ranging from how we work in space to the excitement of rockets! Classes are designed for 3 to 5 year olds, held each Thursday and Saturday from 10AM to 11AM and cost $10. A variety of subjects will be covered as the classes run through May 19th. Guardian participation is required.

Come out to the Columbia Memorial Space Center on Sunday, May 20, 2012 from 5-8pm to witness the best Solar Eclipse to be seen since Christmas Day in 2000. The entire mid- and western United States will see 80% to 90% of the sun covered by the moon. Join us in watching Public Service Videos on how to safely watch a solar eclipse and participating in fun activities for the entire family! The eclipse will be visible starting at 5:25pm and ending at 7:42pm. The maximum eclipse time for Los Angeles County is set to occur at 6:38pm. -Safety Solar Eclipse Glasses will be sold for $2 each.

Come out to the Columbia Memorial Space Center on Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 from 5-8pm to witness the TRANSIT OF VENUS. This event is very rare as it will be the last time we will see the planet Venus pass directly in between the Earth and Sun in our lifetime. The next transit is not due to occur until the year 2117 . This event will be FREE to all who wish to attend! Join us in watching Public Service Videos on how to safely watch a TRNASIT OF VENUS and participating in fun activities for the entire family! The transit will be visible starting at 2:06pm and end at sunset around 7:01pm. Free admission to the CMSC will begin at 1pm for this event. -Safety Solar Eclipse Glasses will be sold for $2 each. Glasses can be kept and re-used to view the sun at any time!

Summer Camp at the CMSC is coming soon! We have tentative dates starting July 9th and running through August 10th covering Rocketry, Robotics and Flight. Camp will consist of 5-days of highly focused hands-on scientific learning with costs of $135 for CMSC members and $150 for non-members. Check our website for more updates as we approach those days.

Upcoming Events

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  • Ours are just $2! RT: @RealMomTime: @downeyspace are you selling solar eclipse viewing glasses & if so how much? Tx! 2 hours ago

  • In LA? Want to see the Annular Eclipse on Sunday? Stop by for our extended hours viewing with solar scopes and glasses: http://t.co/rPv0u9QY 23 hours ago

  • Turn your preschooler into a rocket scientist tomorrow and Saturday: http://t.co/f5mOKwAp 23 hours ago