Under The Arches Over Night!

Did you know that Pacific Science Center offers a program for school groups to spend the night at the museum? The Camp-In program is in its 23rd year and is the perfect group activity to lead your students on an educational adventure that will inspire their love of science.

At Camp-In, children and their adult chaperons enjoy Pacific Science Center after hours for a jam-packed evening of everything the center has to offer. Your Camp-In program includes an instructor-led workshop, hands-on exhibits, planetarium shows, live science demonstrations, an IMAX® film and a live Laser Light Show. Memorable experiences of sleeping in our exhibit halls, attending the Dance with the Dinosaurs and the excitement of Pacific Science Center at night keeps participants returning year after year. For groups coming to the event from out-of-town, Camp-In offers affordable and enriching overnight entertainment and accommodations for a weekend visit to Seattle.

This spring we are offering three Camp-In dates your group could attend:

• Friday, April 4 – Saturday, April 5, 2008 (grades 3-6)


• Thursday, May 2 – Friday, May 3, 2008 (grades 3-6)


• Friday, June 6 – Saturday, June 7, 2008 (grades 3-6)

Read on for more information about this year’s exciting theme, →Star Astronomy!

Weather Under The Arches

Pacific Science Center is pleased to announce we are now part of the nationwide WeatherBug network. That means current weather conditions at our facility near the Space Needle are available 24x7. You may link directly to the →WeatherBug data from our location. To learn more about WeatherBug check →here.

The Importance Of Pollenators

You may have heard about the collapse of →honeybee colonies across North America. This phenomenon has been focusing attention on the honeybees' vital role in the survival of agricultural crops. Now a new study of some very old pollen shows insect pollinators have likely played a key role in the evolution and success of flowering plants for nearly 100 million years. Learn more about it in this →Science Daily article.

U23D Held Over!

By popular demand, the stunning concert film U23D is being held over at our Boeing IMAX Theater. With sold out shows all last weekend and our phones ringing off the hook, we have put Bono and his bandmates back on the schedule for Friday and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. U23D is being hailed as a groundbreaking example of how concerts should be filmed. Combine this incredible cinematography with our six-story screen and 12,000 watt surround sound system and you have an incomparable experience. Be sure to check our →online IMAX schedule for showtimes.

Science on Tap: Climate Change

Pacific Science Center is pleased to be involved with a number of exciting science lectures over the next few months. These lectures and discussion sessions focus on some of today's important issues. For example, on Tuesday, March 4 the next Science On Tap lecture/discussion is all about climate change. Our guest speaker will be Tom Ackerman, Director of →JISAO, The Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and the Ocean at the University of Washington. Science On Tap is held twice each month and offers a great opportunity to learn about science from some of the top minds in the region. We hope you can join us March 4, 7:30 p.m. at T.S. McHugh's Lower Queen Anne. →Learn More

JISAO Lecture: Sea Level Rise and Ice Sheets

Continuing the climate change theme, the next two events in the JISAO Lecture Series also focus on what's happening to our planet. On March 5 at Pacific Science Center, Dr. Konrad Steffen with the University of Colorado will share his research of Greenland's shrinking ice sheet. That's 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Science Center.

The following evening Dr. Steffen offers even more of his findings in a presentation called "Cryospheric Response to Climate Change." This scientist knows his stuff. He's a glaciologist who has camped on the shoulders of Greenland's ice sheet each year since 1990. This promises to be another fascinating lecture. That's at the UW's Kane Hall, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. →Learn More

Summer Camps Registration Opens March 3

Sure, it may still be winter, but it's not too soon to be thinking about warmer months ahead! Discover all that Pacific Science Center has to offer this summer. With more than 39 different science day camps in Seattle at Pacific Science Center and in Bellevue at The Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center (in partnership with Bellevue Parks and Community Services), we have something for everyone. Our instructors are experienced and enthusiastic. Campers explore topics such as crime solving, nature photography, superheroes, geology, robots, potions, aquatic creatures, wilderness survival, wetland environments, and much more. For more information, or to register for Pacific Science Center Camps, →click here!

Also, check out our exciting volunteer opportunities for teens ages 14-18! Learn more about →Discovery Corps! Remember what we always say, life is boring without discovery!

PacSci-Doku: Ideal Viewing

The latest edition of our bi-weekly science word puzzle reaches from Earth to the very center of our galaxy. Our Vice President for Education, Dennis Schatz delves into one of his favorite subjects, astronomy to deliver another perplexing puzzle that will get you thinking. And thanks to one of our many readers, Dennis has added something new to each puzzle - a gauge of the puzzle's degree of difficulty. Look for a variety of puzzles in the future that range from easy to difficult. So, put on your astronomer's cap and try to solve the 'Ideal Viewing' edition of →PacSci-Doku!

Arches, Dinos, Seagulls And More!

Millions of visitors have passed through our gates since the 1962 World's Fair, and many if not most brought along their cameras. Just imagine the hundreds of thousands of photographs sitting in shoe boxes and albums all over the world. Thanks to the Internet, many of those images can be seen anytime. Do a Google image search and you'll get well over a million! We have created a small space for our favorite institution on →Flickr, probably the most popular image repository online. But the few photos we've uploaded pale in comparison to the thousands posted by our visitors. Take a look. If you post some you think are especially noteworthy, drop us a line. Happy snapping!

Goodbye, Rosie

Our Life Sciences Department has lost one of its most beloved specimens. A creature seen by millions of visitors over the years. Normally, you might not think the passing of a spider would be all that interesting. But that's not the case with →Rosie, the Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula.

On Tour With U23D

Get ready to rock out at the next Science with a Twist on February 21. Create your own Rock Band, win prizes, enjoy cocktails and snacks with 'Bono,' and see the incredible concert film U23D in its last showing in our Boeing IMAX Theater. We host these 21+ events on the third Thursday of every month. Space is limited so make your →reservations now!

Stubbs Stops By

Drop by Pacific Science Center on Tuesday, Feb. 19 and join 94.1 KMPS for Stubbs' Mid-Winter Break-Away from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Simply →click to receive a 2-for-1 admission to Pacific Science Center. All you have to do is present the coupon at our ticket booths anytime during Stubbs' broadcast to enjoy a day of fun on us! →Learn More

Free Astronomy Workshop For Educators

Apply now for Astronomy from the Ground Up's next FREE workshop for science, nature center and museum educators! Thanks to support from the National Science Foundation, the workshop is completely free for participating educators. Offered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in collaboration with the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers, training is through a face-to-face 3 day workshop. Participants get a free toolkit, learn fun techniques for presenting astronomy and interpreting current events, and become part of the growing Astronomy from the Ground Up community, with access to ongoing resources and support. The next workshop is scheduled to begin May 7-9 at Pacific Science Center. The online application deadline is March 7. →Learn More

AstroInfo: Conjugate Auroras

Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? Did you know that in the southern hemisphere the same phenomenon exists and that both can happen simultaneously? NASA now has the first video proof of this amazing event and that is the subject of our latest edition of →AstroInfo!

Questioning Human Space Exploration

Pacific Science Center is proud to be a co-presenter of the next exciting CityClub panel discussion. We invite you to attend Space Exploration: To Go Where No One Has Gone Before? It's at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Thursday, Feb. 21 at 11:30 a.m. With NASA designing new spacecraft to take humans farther into space than ever before, as well as private firms doing the same, questions abound. What is the value of a human presence in space? Can robots ultimately do the job just as well? What are the trade-offs between human and robotic-based space missions? Come hear a discussion regarding the future of human space exploration. Be sure to bring your own questions to ask an outstanding panel of experts. We hope you can join us! →Learn More

The State Of The City

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has chosen Pacific Science Center as the setting for the annual State of the City address. The address is set for Tuesday, February 19 at 10 a.m. in our Ackerley Family Exhibit Gallery. He will be joined by the Seattle City Council. Following the address, the Council will hold its regular Monday morning briefing which will include a presentation about Century 21 -- the future of Seattle Center. All of this means our Tropical Butterfly House and Insect Village exhibits will be closed until noon that day. →Learn More

Unleashing The Mysteries of Matter

The old saying, "kids, don't try this at home!" has never been more appropriate than for our first ever Strange Matter Weekend February 16 - 18. Our visitors have three days to be immersed in the science of materials, mass, and magnetism. It's all part of our new exhibit, →Strange Matter. Join us as we unleash the mysteries of matter through fun and engaging activities like never before! →Learn More

Sign Of The Times

If you've driven or walked by Pacific Science Center along Denny Way recently you probably noticed a new sign on our Building 3. It's part of our commitment to help educate the community about the most relevant issues of our time, from a science perspective. In this case, it's environmental health and global climate change. →Learn More

And The Award Goes To...

In late December and January we placed a ballot box outside our planetarium asking visitors and staff members to vote for their favorite sci-fi movie of all time. The votes have been counted and the results are in for The Greatest Space Movie of All Time: The People's Choice Award. Thanks to everyone who participated. →Learn More

AstroInfo: A Few States Of Matter

Our latest AstroInfo article reaches out into deep space and brings down to Earth the fascinating subject of states of matter. It's all related to our new exhibit, Strange Matter now open daily in Building 2. Read on to learn more about what makes up our universe and for the definition of a ChickaPillar! →Learn More

Exploring Trees Inside And Out

A great new exhibit opens at Pacific Science Center Feb. 9. Exploring Trees Inside And Out comes at a time when many are worried that kids and adults just don't get out and explore nature like they used to. The idea behind this very hands-on exhibition is to encourage children, parents, and educators to come inside and learn about those magnificent specimens that are all around us...and inspire you to go outside and discover the wonder of nature with a new appreciation for its beauty, then begin to take positive action on behalf of trees and the natural world. Entry to Exploring Trees Inside And Out is included with the price of general admission and is free for Pacific Science Center members. →Learn More

PacSci-Doku: Tree Time

The newest edition of our bi-weekly science word puzzle is out and it's leafy. Needly. Branchy. Shady. Deciduous. Evergreen. It's all about a brand new exhibit at Pacific Science Center that will give visitors of all ages a new appreciation for nature and some of the plant world's largest and most beloved specimens. We hope you'll visit soon then try to solve the 'Tree Time' edition of →PacSci-Doku!

Strange Matter Rocks!

Judging by all the OOOs and AHs coming from Building 2, our latest exhibit is a hit. Strange Matter is all about materials science. That's part science, engineering, applied physics, chemistry, as well as chemical, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. And just to make things exciting there's plenty of nanoscience and nanotechnology to go around. Discover what it's all about. Strange Matter is open daily and is included with the price of general admission. Free for Pacific Science Center members. →Learn More

Hoping For Clear Skies

We're hoping the skies over the Northwest will be clear and cool on February 20. On that evening there will be a spectacular Lunar Eclipse visible from North America. Andrew Fraknoi of Foothill College and →Astronomical Society of the Pacific has put together a great little resource guide that will explain what you see that evening. If the clouds don't part you'll at least know what's going on above. →Learn More