Past Events 2007

ON THE LAND: Photographs by Joel Sartore

On exhibit May 1-December 31, 2007, Cooper Gallery, Morrill Hall

At its heart, 'On the Land' was a show that dealt with our relationship with the Earth, for better or worse. Can we make a living from a place without destroying it? Is there hope for sustainable land use, or is money all that matters, no matter the environmental consequences? Does our society value wilderness beyond the resources we can extract from it? These are all questions that the show examined in detail, using four different areas in various stages of development.

Read more in the Scarlet

'On the Land' featured photographs by National Geographic Magazine contributing photographer Joel Sartore.

Astronomy Day: Family Science Day

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Mueller Planetarium joined forces with Astronomy Magazine and Meade Telescopes to make Astronomy Day 2007 an even more exciting event than ever! Activities were held all day at Morrill Hall and concluded with a "Star Party" during the regular open hours (sundown to 11 pm) at Hyde Memorial Observatory in Holmes Park.

Mueller Planetarium activities included: Family Fun With Astronomers, Fulldome "Black Holes" Experience, Meteorites, Register to Win a $300 Meade Telescope Package, Amazing Astrophotography, Mars Rover Imaging, Build a Constellation, Make a Planet, Robotics, Telescopes on display, Hands on Fun Activities, ViewSpace-Hubble Space Telescope images

Planeratium Show: The Fulldome Black Holes Experience

Showing Sunday, April 22, 2007

This immersive digital dome production is narrated by John de Lancie, also know as "Q" of the Star Trek series. The program incorporates several of the latest theories regarding black holes. Designed for general audiences, this full-length production features scientifically accurate 3-D simulations of black holes and the strange relativistic effects they can create.

Topics include: How are super massive black holes made? Where did the idea of a black hole come from? What was Einstein's connection to them? How do we detect them? How have they been portrayed in the media? What would happen if you were to approach one? Will the Earth ever get sucked into a black hole? Are there really such things as "worm holes"? With a host of advisors from around the country, this proves to be the most up-to-date and visually stimulating black holes show ever produced!
Sound effects and sound mix preformed by Skywalker Sound.
Show length: 37 minutes with 80+ scene changes

Scarlet article: Dunn draws fulldome technology to Astronomy Day

Hyde Observatory "Star Party". Open sundown to 11 pm at Holmes Park in Southeastern Lincoln, NE

Cliff Hollestelle: A Retrospective

On exhibit December 1, 2006-April 1, 2007

We were pleased to present spectacular bird carvings and bronze sculptures by award winning artist Cliff Hollestelle. Each species carved was carefully studied to make it as true to life as possible. His bronze sculptures have been on display throughout the United States.

The exhibit included approximately 100 pieces of Hollestelle's work, most from the last 20 years.

Dinosaurs & Disasters III: Family Science Day

Saturday, February 24, 2007

The University of Nebraska State Museum and the UNL Department of Geosciences were proud to announce their annual fun family day: Dinosaurs & Disasters. It was a day of discovery with hands-on activities with scientists! This year’s theme was Global Climate Change.

How do scientists know that climate is changing? Find out what the climate was like in the past and how it may change in the future. What are the facts of global climate change and what is fiction? Visitors brought fossils and rocks for identification! Learn about fossil horses, mammoths, dinosaurs, volcanoes and tornadoes! Visit 20 + stations throughout the museum with games, activities and demonstrations on earthly disasters and vertebrate paleontology discoveries.

Staffing these stations were UNL scientists, including professors, graduate and undergraduate students. Stations included such topics as “What big teeth you have” (a mammoth and dinosaur teeth fossil investigation), “Itchy & Scratchy Paleontology” (Pre-historic animal fights), a cloud in a bottle, 6 foot tornado, avalanches, water disasters, and many, many more!

Fossil Discovery Sundays at Morrill Hall

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Scientists prepared a 70-million-year-old plesiosaur. The plesiosaur was a large, long-necked aquatic reptile that once swam in ancient seas covering Nebraska.

Fossil Discovery Sundays at Morrill Hall

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Scientists worked on a 33-million-year-old Archaeotherium collected near Crawford, Nebraska. Archaeotherium was the first & smallest member of the “giant pig” or entelodont family. Although not directly related to modern swine, entelodonts had peculiar, boar-like skulls up to a yard in length!