"Sunday Experiment" Coming This Weekend To Goddard SFC

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD invites elementary school students and their families to its Visitor Center on Sunday, October 19 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT for a free afternoon of eye-opening, hands-on activities that will help you discover the true boundaries of the solar system with NASA's new IBEX mission.

The Sunday Experiment, held the third Sunday of each month from September through May, features activities showcasing the NASA Center's world-renowned science and engineering research and technological developments. Families leave inspired by the hands on activities, wowed by the scientists and engineers, and excited about Goddard's revolutionary research and technology.

"The Sunday Experiment is a place where children and adults alike can discover the excitement of Goddard through fun and easy hands-on activities," said Emilie Drobnes, founder of Sunday Experiment. "You get to act like scientists and engineers while building all types of little rockets and hover-crafts, designing your own planets and stars, and even trying your hand at being part of the manned spaced program. At The Sunday Experiment we energize the public about NASA and the science we do here and we aren't afraid to get our hands dirty in the process!"

In addition to celebrating all things science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, each Sunday Experiment celebrates one of the eight major science missions that are managed by Goddard and set to launch in 2008 or 2009.

On October 19, the Sunday Experiment will highlight the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, IBEX, a mission that will detect the edge of our solar system. Set to launch that day, IBEX will determine where our solar system ends and the universe begins. IBEX will contain two imagers designed to detect particles at the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. IBEX will also study galactic cosmic rays, energetic particles from beyond the solar system that pose a health and safety hazard for humans exploring beyond Earth orbit.

Visitors will get a chance to tune into a webcast hosted by the Adler Planetarium and to meet scientists working on this mission. Admission to the Sunday Experiment is free.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html, www.nasa.gov/ibex