AstroInfo: NASA Update

So, is NASA any closer to getting a manned mission to Mars off the ground? Or a moon base? Find out in Planetarium Specialist Alice Enevoldsen's latest edition of →AstroInfo.

PacSci-Doku: Tracking Time

Our latest bi-weekly science word puzzle is tricky. It involves time and ancient Roman architecture. Can you solve the "Tracking Time" edition of →PacSci-Doku?

Fish & Butterflies

Many bloggers write about our favorite science museum and we love reading them all. But one post this week was really interesting. This blogger took a love for aquatic plants and animals and combined that with a trip to our famous Tropical Butterfly House. →Read on for some interesting comments and fantastic images!

Science On Wheels: In Stanwood

For our friends in the Skagit County area, you have some serious discovery headed your way this weekend. Our Science On Wheels crew bring our portable planetarium to the Stanwood Library Saturday, March 21. Get →more information then plan to be amazed!

Membership: Get Set For Some 'Monsters' And 'Aliens'

Tickets are now available for our newest IMAX film, Monsters vs. Aliens 3D: The IMAX Experience! The film opens in our Boeing IMAX theater Friday, March 27. As always, our members receive a discounted rate to all feature IMAX films and Platinum and Titanium members receive six free passes. You may purchase your tickets by →logging on, over the phone at 1-888-PSC-TIX1 or in person at any ticket booth. →Watch The Trailer!

Get Ready For Earth Hour

Pacific Science Center will once again take part in the annual Earth Hour event coming up March 28 at 8:30 p.m. You can also get involved. All you have to do is turn off your lights - especially your outdoor lights for one hour. To learn more about what this hour of darkness will do, our colleagues at the Sciencenter in Ithaca, New York have put together a great little booklet which you can find →here. For more information on the Earth Hour program itself, check →EarthHour.org and get ready to flip the switch!

Dark Side Of The Rainbow

We found an interesting →article this week, claiming the original "Wizard of Oz" story may have been a political statement. That reminded us that this weekend Pacific Science Center's famed Laser Dome presents "Dark Side Of The Rainbow." Our world famous laser artists combine their magic light, the classic film and Pink Floyd's groundbreaking work, "Dark Side Of The Moon" for one outstanding show. Did Roger Waters have Dorothy and Toto on his mind when writing that rock masterpiece, or was it something else? Find out for yourself this Saturday, March 21 at 9:15 p.m. →Buy Tickets

Environmental Writing: Inspire, Observe, Inhabit

Here's a great workshop offered by our friends at the UW's Burke Museum. Join award-winning authors Lyanda Haupt, Jourdan Keith, and Coll Thrush in a workshop devoted to writing about the environment. Starting at the Burke Museum and ending at the Center for Urban Horticulture, this one-day program will include classroom and field-based sessions. Coll, Jourdan, and Lyanda bring unique and complementary perspectives as naturalists, social activists, and historians who have written deeply and provocatively about the urban landscape. Scholarships are available for students, and applications must be received before April 1. The date is Saturday, April 11, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. →Learn More

Slough News: Envirothon

Our →Lake Washington Watershed Interns are gearing up for this year's Envirothon competition. This year, Pacific Science Center is sending a record three teams from Bellevue and South Seattle. Perennial strong performers in this great environmental learning experience, our teens are prepared to go all the way again in 2009. Are you a high school teacher or a professional who works with teens? →Learn more about how you and your teens could participate next year in this inspiring, team-building environmental challenge. The regional competition is coming up March 26 at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue with the statewide event set for May 19-20 in Skagit County. We wish good luck to all participants!

Spring Break Camps Near

Our annual Spring Break Camps begin a week from Monday (March 30) and they promise to be better than ever. And judging by the tremendous number of registrations already coming in, our Summer Camps will be quite busy this year as well. Registration for both Spring and Summer Camps For Curious Minds at Pacific Science Center and the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center is now open. We urge you to make your plans and register now before they sell out. Check →our site, download our brochure, and get set for Camps for Curious Minds 2009, this year better than ever!

Catch Some GPS/Geocaching Excitement!

To help kick off our next great exhibit, →GPS Adventures, some students in the UW's Master Of Communication in Digital Media program have produced videos that capture some of the excitement, mystery, and fun of the wildly popular sport of Geocaching. We wish to extend our sincere thanks to Prof. Hanson Hosein and his students for sharing their talents and ideas in support of our exhibit and we invite you to view →the videos, learn more about →MCDM, then come see this exciting new exhibit when it opens March 28. If you’re already familiar with GPS and Geocaching or if it’s all new to you, this exhibit is for you. Young kids to senior citizens. And no GPS device is required! Entry to GPS Adventures is included with the price of general admission. FREE for Pacific Science Center members.

'Watchmen' Extended

Due to popular demand, we are extending our run of Watchmen: The IMAX Experience through next Wednesday, March 25, with shows Monday-Wednesday at 3:45 and 7:00 p.m. It's one of hottest movies of the year, it's a film Roger Ebert calls "an awesome experience," and it's playing on the biggest screen in town. But don't wait. Buy your tickets now before it's gone forever. See it now the way it was meant to be seen! This film is rated R. →Buy Tickets

Butterfly Of The Month: Grecian Shoemaker

Our March featured butterfly is tricky. The male and female look completely different from one another, so they're hard for most of us to pick out of the crowd. But come see for yourself and get some relief from the winter cold at the same time. →Learn More

The Science Of Naked Mole-Rats

Our naked mole-rats exhibit is one of our most popular, but did you know there's a lot of science associated with those little critters? We spotted a couple of fascinating articles recently about some of our favorite residents. One focuses on the →unusual reproductive lives of these unusual critters, the other talks about the →longevity of mole-rats, something that may help us all to live longer. Take a look, then stop by and see them up close and personal.

Naked Mole-Rats On Facebook

Are you on Facebook yet? Seems like just about everyone is these days, including your →favorite science museum. And now, even those most curious of critters, the naked mole-rats have a →fan page! Of course, you can always see these little critters in person anytime in Building 2 at Pacific Science Center.

Slough News: Under Our Feet

Join us for the next Family Workshop at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue. They're held on the second Saturday of each month. Next up: Under Our Feet - Dig through soil samples to uncover the creatures that we couldn't live without. Learn their secrets when we make them huge with our Video Microscope! That's this Saturday, March 14 from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. →Learn More

Slough News: Naturalist In Training

Are you a teen, age 14 and up? Have you always wanted to work with kids in a natural environment? If so, we have a unique volunteer opportunity for you! As a Naturalist in Training you will be assisting our teachers with helping young campers discover the wonders of the Slough. We are looking for responsible teens, at least 14 years old, able to attend two Saturday trainings in May, and willing to volunteer for two weeks in the summer. These hours can count for high school volunteer requirements. Interested? Contact CJ Cousins at (425)450-0207 for application information before March 20. →Learn More

Summer Camp Registration Now Open

Online registration for Spring and Summer camps at Pacific Science Center and the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center is now open! Once again, Pacific Science Center offers some of the most exciting camps anywhere in the Puget Sound area. This year, in addition to camps at our main campus under the arches in Seattle and the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue, we have camps at St. Thomas School in Medina. Check →our site, download our brochure, and get set for Camps for Curious Minds 2009, this year better than ever!

Be Sure You 'Watch' Before It's Too Late

It is the hottest movie in the world right now, it's a film Roger Ebert calls "an awesome experience," and it's playing on the biggest screen in town. But don't wait too long, Watchmen: The IMAX Experience closes March 22. See it now the way it was meant to be seen! →Buy Tickets

Calendar of Science - March

March is here and that means it's time to celebrate some serious science. Such as, the first telephone conversation, the launch of the first solar-powered satellite, and the birthday of a scientist whose theories are still the subject of great debate and study. Discovery blows in like a lion in the March →Calendar of Science!

Get Your Daily Dose Of Discovery
Don't forget - for a daily dose of science calendar discovery, subscribe to Pacific Science Center's →Science Calendar on Twitter!

PacSci-Doku: Wind Power

Our latest bi-weekly science word puzzle is very tall, wide and fast. You might say it's powerful. Can you solve the "Wind Power" edition of →PacSci-Doku?