Come see the Earth through a new perspective!  Showing now at the High Plains Museum is Earth From Space a poster exhibit from the Smithsonian and the United States Geological Survey.  We also have our own planetarium immersive experience where the visitor can view the constellations, and see if you can discover which constellations are on the ceiling of the museum. 

The 20-poster set features beautifully detailed satellite images of the planet—from the swirling arms of a massive hurricane and the grid-like pattern of Kansas farmland to the triangular shadows cast by the Great Pyramids and the sinuous channels entering the Arctic Ocean. Earth from Space illustrates how satellite imagery is gathered and used to expand mankind’s understanding of life on Earth. It also explores the remote-sensing technology used to gather the images and describes the individual satellites whose images are on display.

“The Smithsonian is proud to be able to share illuminating scholarship from the National Air and Space Museum in a format that allows for extraordinarily widespread distribution,” said Anna Cohn, SITES director. “Earth from Space inspires dreams and discovery, and while the photographs were taken from far away, they can launch learning opportunities about our lives here on earth.” The poster exhibition was born of the popular and award-winning museum exhibition of the same title that premiered November 2006 at the National Air and Space Museum. In 2007, Earth from Space won a U.S. Geological Survey communications award for science content.

The images provide clues about the nature of our planet and offer a fantastic opportunity to engage visitors in a broad array of science topics, including geography, environmental studies, ecology, oceanography and meteorology.

An educational companion Web site, www.earthfromspace.si.edu, contains an online version of the exhibition, and additional images and information. It also provides numerous educational resources, including lesson plans, classroom activities, Web site links and available publications.

Earth from Space was developed by the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the

National Air and Space Museum, in collaboration with SITES. Andrew Johnston, a geographer at the center and author of “Earth from Space” (Firefly Books, 2004), is the exhibition’s curator. SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at www.sites.si.edu.

Accompanying the exhibit is an immersive theater that will launch visitors into the skies. Sit down and enjoy some of eighty-eight constellations of our night sky as they revolve around you.  The constellations seen during the immersive experience are all constellations that can be seen during this time of year in Goodland.  Scattered throughout the ceiling of the museum are constellations as well.  Fourteen constellations have been added to the ceiling that range from Perseus to the Crab.  Throughout the run of the exhibit, the High Plains Museum will be featuring a variety of space themed activities and learning opportunities.   Come by and check out our Earth with new eyes and see the legends and heroes that make up our night sky.