spaceplace.wisc.eduUW Space Place

Space Place is located at 2300 S. Park Street in the Villager Mall, which is just north of the Beltline Highway. Space Place is the education and public outreach center of the UW-Madison Astronomy Department. Donate to Space Place Planet Trek Dane County, our outdoor, scale model solar system, is now a permanent installation. Follow us on : Saturday Science Workshops Guest Presentations Party With the Stars Star Gazing Featured Astronomical Events Special Events All events are free and open to the public Sign up for our email list at the bottom of this page Party With the Stars F riday, March 20 • 8:00-9:30 pm Find out what planets and constellations are visible in the night sky and how to find them. Following the indoor presentation, we will set up telescopes on our rooftop deck, weather permitting. The Evening Sky Map Click here to download a monthly sky chart from Skymaps.com. back to top Space Place family workshops are offered during the school year on Saturdays at 10 a.m. for children ages 6-10 and their families. The workshops are free and open to the public. No registration is required. February 29 - "Life Saver Sail Cars" Try to design a car that will move a load using only air. March 7 - "Doggie Life Vest Challenge" Devise a personal floatation device or PFD to keep your "dog" afloat for at least one minute in a bucket of water. March 14 - "It's Shocking" Experiment with static electricity. We guarantee your hair will be standing on end. back to top Space Place guest presentations are always free and open to the public, and are offered the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Guest Presentation Tuesday, March 10 • 7:00-8:00 pm "In the Beginning, There Was an Ecosystem " by Lena Vincent, PhD candidate at Wisconsin Institute of Discovery How life got started here on Earth remains one of the deepest unsolved mysteries in science. To tackle this problem, our research group has pioneered a novel framework called chemical ecosystem selection to study the emergence of simple life-like phenomena that may represent a bridge between non-living ingredients and complex systems capable of reproduction and evolution. This approach may help advance our understanding of how life arose on the early Earth and assess the potential for life on other worlds. Watch past guest speakers on WPT's University Place back to top Other opportunities for star gazing Washburn Observatory Click on the Washburn Observatory link for schedule information. Universe in the Park Check the UitP web site for a list of dates and locations. back to top Coming up later in February! Watch for Venus in the night sky close to waxing crescent moon. Click here for more information. back to top Science Expeditions on UW-Madison campus April 3-5 • Times vary; Please check the Science Expeditions web site for updates. Explore Science at UW-Madison's campus open house. All events are free and open to the public. Click here for more information. Sign up for email reminders of upcoming events...