In each section, visitors encounter hands-on activities. At the Glove Box activity, visitors can simulate astronaut training and feel how hard it is to turn a bolt or hold a handrail in a resistant environment. Other exhibit areas explore Hubble s contributions to our understanding of the origins and evolution of planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. Visitors learn about the formation of our solar system and about myriad planetary activities documented by Hubble, such as a comet s collision with Jupiter and cyclones on Mars. The Hubble Space Telescope exhibit reveals how scientists determine the age of stars and how this helps them discover more about the age of the universe.
Visitors can try to guess the age of stars by looking at their colors.
In the galaxy area, visitors can match before and after images of colliding galaxies. When they match up, visitors see an animation of the collision. Eight videos throughout the exhibit offer more information about scientific concepts behind the telescope. One video highlights the life cycle of stars from gas to dust to stars and back again. The exhibit closes with a look at plans for Hubble activities and the proposed Next Generation Space Telescope.