For weekly updates on Comet ATLAS, please visit McDonnell Planetarium Night Sky Updates. After a two-decade drought of bright comets in the Northern Hemisphere, newly discovered Comet ATLAS stands a chance of brightening our sky – and our lives – this spring. Comets are frozen hunks of gas, ice, and dust that orbit our Sun… Continue reading
In this at-home lesson, learn how to ‘pull’ off the classic tablecloth magic trick by understanding Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion for an activity that everyone can participate in!
Flames are the visible part of a gaseous fire, and their color depends on the fuel being burned. In this demonstration, we mix a variety of metal salts with denatured alcohol to get some amazing results! When heated through exothermic reactions, the atoms of these metal salts move to an excited, unstable state. As they… Continue reading
Brrr! Liquid Nitrogen Boils at -320.4 degrees Fahrenheit. As you will see in the video, the water vapor in the air surrounding the boiling Liquid Nitrogen condenses and then freezes into ice crystals that scatter and reflect light—a mini cloud!
WHOOSH! Ever wonder how @NASA gets rockets into space? With empty water jugs, of course! Just kidding, but the basic physical concept shown in this demonstration and in actual rocket launches is fundamentally the same. In this demonstration, we force expanding gases to expel from the “engine” that is our water jug. As the water… Continue reading
Updated May 27, 2020 Saint Louis Science Center Plans to Reopen June 20 March 18, 2020 The Saint Louis Science Center is currently closed until further notice in line with our regional and national leaders’ efforts to curtail the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). We will continue to monitor the situation and determine our reopen date… Continue reading
The health and safety of our guests, colleagues and community are our highest priority and we are monitoring the situation regarding the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) closely. We are following the CDC recommendations, are in communication with local officials and regional health authorities and will update plans as needed. We are continuing to assess the situation… Continue reading
After over 16 years exploring the unseen infrared light of the cosmos, NASA officially powered down the Spitzer Space Telescope on January 30, 2020. The Spitzer Space Telescope is one of NASA’s four “Great Observatories.” Launched between 1990 and 2003, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the… Continue reading
Crystal Formation and the Powers of Elsa Elsa, the princess of Arendelle, was born with the ability to create and control ice and snow. When Elsa accidentally uses her powers to develop an infinite winter, her sister, Anna takes action to change the bitter weather conditions. Frozen 2 takes us on a journey to find… Continue reading
Help us inspire the next generation of STEM professionals this giving season “The future of the economy is in STEM. That’s where the jobs of tomorrow will be.” ~ James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition in Washington, D.C. Growth in STEM jobs, lack of STEM workforce In our ever-changing world, it’s more… Continue reading
