The Putnam Museum and Science Center will open a new traveling exhibit from NASA – Hubble Telescope: New Views of the Universe – on Saturday, Nov. 9. The exhibit will be at the Davenport museum through Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.
In a news release the museum said the immersive exhibit is constantly updated with the newest imagery and technology coming from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. The exhibit was created in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute’s Traveling Exhibit Team.
“We’re so excited to bring this exhibit from NASA into our community,” said Kelly Lao, the Putnam’s vice president of museum experiences. “We hope to inspire the next generation towards STEM careers while providing a fun, immersive experience for the entire family.”
Throughout the exhibit are multiple hands-on interactives. They offer guests a way to experience components of the telescopes, reveal the inner-workings, and see the magnificent images of stars, galaxies, and planets that have been collected. Alongside information on the telescopes, visitors will learn about the hurdles astronauts have overcome during the construction and servicing of the telescopes and their satellites.
What guests will see
Upon entering the exhibit hall, Putnam guests will walk through a dome made from screens displaying images from the telescopes.
From there, they will find interactive exhibit stations about thermal protection, solar power, and light wavelengths. In the middle of the exhibit is a scale model of the Hubble Telescope. Surrounding it is information on the size, operations, and what makes the Hubble different from observatories on land.
Massive images from the telescope also will be on display. Each station will feature panels on the role of the subjects in space and the importance of the telescope’s findings.
Sticking with the astronomical theme, the Putnam will be showing Space: A New Frontier in the GIANT Screen Theater during the exhibit’s run. Chris Pine narrates the short documentary. The film details the current projects facing astronauts and engineers for the next phase of space exploration.
For more information about events and exhibits, go here.
