Have you ever wondered how much you would weigh on the moon? Now you only have to go as far as the Museum of the Rockies to find out. The exhibit, Space: A Journey to Our Future, opened at MOR at the end of May. It is an enormous exhibit that fills both of MOR’s main halls, and it is an educational and engaging exhibit that will entertain the whole family on a scorching summer day.

Space: A Journey to Our Future invites visitors to explore all aspects of past space exploration while considering the discoveries and possibilities that still await humans in outer space. Browsing through the galleries, you will see evidence of the innovation required to break the bonds of Earth’s gravitational pull, including fuel cells and a tire from a Mars Exploration Rover. NASA art and a Jules Verne book remind visitors of just how inspirational space can be. Shuttle tiles from the Space Shuttle Columbia, which tragically exploded upon re-entry in 2003 killing all seven crew members, demonstrate the bravery of the adventurous individuals who have led past missions into space.

MOR is a fabulous place to learn about space this summer. MOR’s Director of Exhibits, Pat Leiggi, booked this exhibit years in advance, so that it would coincide with the re-opening of the Taylor Planetarium. A new show called “Violent Universe” was recently added to the planetarium’s schedule as well. Patrick Stewart from the X-Men Films and Star Trek: The Next Generation narrates the show. It explores the forces that make up our universe and the results of major astronomical events, like the explosion of a giant star.

The Museum of the Rockies likes to showcase exhibits that educate the public about the activities of other community members, like the students in Montana State University’s Department of Physics who are designing, building, and testing rockets and satellites. In May, MSU hosted the National Student Solar Spectograph Competition, in which teams from across the country designed and built spectrographs; optical instruments that gather data from the sun. “We are delighted to focus on space for the University and the community,” said Shelley McKamey, MOR’s Executive Director.

The space exhibit at MOR focuses on space in a fun and interactive way. “It’s pretty packed. There’s a lot of stuff in it,” McKamey explained. Visitors can touch rocks from the Moon and Mars. Other space rocks and samples are displayed in high security enclosures. A moon habitat occupies half of MOR’s front gallery, and kids can build a lunar base camp in the back gallery. Thrill seekers can try the Cyclitron when a docent is present. This “space bike” acts like a centrifuge and recreates the feeling of G forces as it spins you in circles.

Designed and built at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., this exhibit has been to a number of large cities, including Detroit, Chicago, and Sacramento. “This exhibit has traveled to lots of places, but nothing as small as Bozeman,” McKamey explained. We are lucky to have it at MOR for the entire summer, so aspiring astronauts can experience the thrill of space over and over again. The exhibit is so large that a number of items would not fit through the Museum’s front doors. It took weeks to set up and will surely take more than an afternoon to explore.

For a planetarium schedule, or to find out when you can ride the Cyclitron, visit the Museum’s website: www.museumoftherockies.org. In addition to the Space exhibit, MOR’s Tinsley House will be bustling with activity as volunteers recreate life on a Montana homestead. Visitors have the opportunity to work a loom, see how food was cooked before the advent of electricity, and explore the gardens full of heirloom varieties of flowers and vegetables. Volunteers also forge iron in the adjacent blacksmith’s shop.

The Martin Children’s Discovery Center is a great stop within the Museum for little kids. The atmosphere of Yellowstone National Park invites them to fish, camp, climb a fire tower, and make geysers erupt. The dinosaurs and history exhibits are always interesting ways to beat the heat, too. So, when the temperature soars this summer, there’s no better place to space out than the Museum of the Rockies.

Sarah Cairoli can be reached at:scairoli30@hotmail.com