THE YALE CLUB OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA

FLANDREAU PLANETARIUM

Asteroid: Mission Extreme

Tuesday, January 17th

10 AM – Noon (plus)

What is out there in that immense inky sky?  Danger and Dreams?  YES!  But, for this wonderful adventure, we are going to focus specifically on Asteroids!  The Danger lies in the possibility of a cataclysmic collision with Earth; the Dreams revolve around the fascinating idea that asteroids could be stepping stones to other worlds – veritable way stations in space – enabling us to cross the Solar System.

This NEW Full Dome planetarium show, about asteroids, explores how they can tell us more about the origins of our solar system, how their presence could open up human space exploration, and how they might pose a potential danger to life on Earth.  Our show is followed by a live presentation that will fill in the empty spaces of our newly-acquired knowledge about the heavens.  The University of Arizona is leading the first NASA OSIRIS-REX mission that will fly to an asteroid and return to Earth with a pristine sample.

The Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium has had a complete renovation of the planetarium theater and now has a state-of-the-art Full Dome digital projection system.   We are also invited to view the Exhibit Gallery and the UA Mineral Museum.  The University of Arizona’s Mineral Museum, on the lower level of the Flandrau, houses one of the top-5 gem and mineral collections of the world.  With a core collection dating back to 1892, the Mineral Museum now holds more than 26,000 specimens.  A permanent exhibit of over 2,000 specimens includes stunning minerals and meteorites from Arizona, Mexico, and around the world.

The first hour of our epic journey will be in the planetarium theater, the second hour will be spent enjoying the Exhibits and the Mineral Museum, and then lunch.

For any of you who would like to finally have something to eat, we have made a reservation with Pastiche for lunch.  We each will pay for our own lunch, choosing from the complete menu, and all sit together and share our impressions about our morning adventure.  The cost of our morning will be a specially negotiated entry fee of $8.00 per person – which we will give to Jim (plus, whatever you spend for your lunch).  We need you to RSVP for:  “Just the Trip” or, BOTH – “The Trip and Lunch”!

RSVP to Jim Currie at jacurriejr@outlook.com by January 15th, at the latest.  Both the Planetarium and Pastiche need to plan for us.  

A map for Planetarium Parking appears below.  Pastiche’s address is 3025 N Campbell Ave. (on the west side of Campbell, south of Ft. Lowell, north of Glenn) with easy parking in front of the restaurant.

Parking

Weekdays (Free and Paid Parking)
You can often find open metered spaces on First Street and Second Street, both also north of Flandrau. These spaces allow parking for 2–4 hours, and you can pay at credit/debit card pay stations. Or, go to either of the Parking Garages.

Please treat your reservation as a commitment and notify us if you are unable to attend.