Mars on Earth

Beat the rovers to Mars at the Space Center's new exhibit

Comments (0) Thursday, Nov 27 2003

Now that Mars has receded slightly into the night sky following its closest brush with Earth in 60,000 years, you may find that you and your family miss its comforting nearness. The Houston Space Center has stepped in to fill the red void with its new exhibit, "Mars, The Race to the Red Planet." The exhibit is named for the neck-and-neck contest between NASA's twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and the European Space Agency's lander Mars Express, all currently hurtling toward our nearest planetary neighbor.The show will teach you and the kiddos about those unmanned capsules, plus the polar ice caps and volcanoes of the planet's landscape and the myths and legends that have dogged the fiery red dot in the sky throughout history. You'll also see the largest Mars rock on Earth and find out how it got here. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through March 31. 1601 NASA Road 1. For information, call 281-244-2100 or visit www.spacecenter.org. $17.95; $13.95 for kids. --Lisa Simon

NASA/JSC

Look for Martians at the Johnson Space Center.

Courtesy of the Washington Mutual Thanksgiving Day

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