Come Explore with the Planetary Society and learn about discoveries on Mars, the Moon & More!
ARIZONA SKIES & NEW DISCOVERIES!
April 9-16, 2010

April 17-24, 2010

We invite you to join us to explore new discoveries on Mars and the Moon and see the natural wonders of this desert paradise on our Arizona Skies and New Discoveries Expedition, April 17-24, 2010.

We will gather in Tucson, Arizona, just south of the Santa Catalina Mountains, to begin our exploration of the spectacular desert landscape. We’ll have a special focus on discoveries on the origin of the Earth and Moon, and learn about the latest exploration on Mars.

Tucson is a mecca for astronomy enthusiasts and in the center of the Sonoran desert, with picturesque saguaro and barrel cactus, vast skies, and wide open spaces. It is the “Astronomy Capital of the World.”

We will have the extraordinary opportunity to meet the scientist who postulated the origin of our Moon and learn about current research at the Planetary Science Institute. In addition we will have a special lecture by the scientist who heads the Mars Phoenix lander program.

At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is surrounded by stately cactus landscapes in Saguaro National Park, there is a fascinating exhibit on the origin of life of earth. You will also have an opportunity to see spectacular desert plants and wildlife, from hawks to lizards, big horned sheep to coyotes, including the iconic desert bird, the roadrunner!

On the north edge of the Santa Catalina Mountains, we will visit Biosphere 2 where scientists spent two and one-half years producing food, conducting experiments, and living under conditions similar to a space station or orbiting satellite. The goal of the program was to sustain life, producing all necessary materials from just a few original supplies, and to do research. You will see different ecological habitats, their living quarters, and science laboratories, and have a special lecture about this project.

Our adventure will continue to Kitt Peak which has the largest collection of optical telescopes in the world, plus two radio telescopes, all coordinated by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. We will learn about their amazing research on the sun and then return to Tucson via the 300-year-old Mission San Javier del Bac, which beautifully represents the Spanish heritage of Tucson.

We will meet the scientist in charge of the Phoenix Mars Lander that completed its mission at the end of 2008. The Mars lander found water ice at the north Martian pole and compounds that have the ability to support life on Earth. Both of these intriguing discoveries may lead to future Martian probes and support the theory that life can be found in other worlds.

From Tucson, our adventure will next take us north to Sedona, where you may take a hot air balloon ride (a near earth adventure for Mars enthusiasts!). Explore the colorful sedimentary rock formations at Red Rock State Park (which resemble rock formations found on Mars!). Then see the Palatki Heritage Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that offers a wonderful glimpse into the life and times of the early native Americans.

Near Flagstaff, we will visit the famous Meteor Crater which formed about 50,000 years ago from the impact of a huge meteor. Walk to the edge and imagine the crater-pocked surface of the Moon, Mars, and other planets. Then enjoy an evening visit to the Lowell Observatory. At this dark, high elevation site the Milky Way is a wonder to see! It will bring exciting ideas to mind about space exploration!

We invite you to explore the extraordinary wonders in Arizona this year!

$2,795 per person twin share + air

April 9-16, 2010 Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)

April 17-24, 2010 Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)