Paul G

By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer

RAPID CITY - The Black Hills Powwow Committee has joined with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to create a new feature of Youth Day at the 19th Annual He Sapa Wacipi.

The NASA South Dakota Space Grant Consortium and The Journey Museum will co-host "South Dakota Space Day at the Powwow: Merging Technology and Tradition" on Friday, Oct. 7, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and the museum.

Organizer Tom Durkin of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology said that the event had been planned for 18 months.

"We will have quite a few exhibits and two speakers there," Durkin said.

Also, the "Science on the Move" mobile science laboratory, a tractor-trailer truck converted into a science classroom, will be in the civic center parking lot, he said.

After beginning its tour in 2003, the mobile science classroom has visited schools throughout South Dakota. It will be its first visit to the Black Hills Pow Wow.

Two of the NASA Explorer Schools — Todd County Middle School on Rosebud Indian Reservation and Little Wound School from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation — also have been invited to attend, he said.

"We're hoping that a lot of the students from the Rapid City public schools will visit," he said.

Students in Rapid City schools will not have classes on Friday, Oct. 7, because of teacher inservice. Organizers say that creates the perfect opportunity for family, friends, baby sitters and children to attend Youth Day. Durkin says it's a great day of fun, hands-on science activities and exhibits.

"There will be plenty of materials and posters that the students can take home," he said.

The exhibit hall, with a variety of science and hands-on experiments, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in LaCroix and Rushmore halls at the civic center.

Edgemont native Theodore Gull, a NASA astrophysicist with Goddard Space Flight Center, and Fritz Hasler, NASA emeritus, will give presentations about NASA and space research between 10 a.m. to noon at the civic center.

The two scientists will also give free presentations from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Wells Fargo Theater at The Journey Museum. A reception will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Working at Goddard since 1977, Gull will present "Space Astronomy: Searching out New Worlds within the Universe." He will cover an array of astronomical discoveries made by the Hubble space telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer infrared telescope.

Through the use of these telescopic observatories, Gull has watched storms on Mars, Jupiter and Uranus, viewed planets orbiting nearby stars and measured supernovae in distant galaxies to determine if the universe continues to expand or will contract. Galaxies approaching the edge of our universe have been imaged and gamma ray bursts — massive stars that disintegrate into pure energy, have been identified using these technologies, Durkin said.

Hasler will present "Looking at Earth from Space: An Hour of Spectacular Visualization using the NASA/NOAA Electronic Theatre." Hasler's research involved estimation of winds using satellite. Satellite technology allows viewers to telescope in from outer space to the 2004 Summer Olympics site in Athens. He will also present spectacular images of the Asian tsunami, the 2004 Florida hurricanes and the 2003 San Diego fires using high-tech NASA, NOAA and commercial satellite missions.

"We encourage students, schools, the public and schools on the reservations to come out and take part," Durkin said.

If you go

What: The 19th Annual He Sapa Wacipi Black Hills Pow Wow "Honoring the Third Circle"

When: Grand entry begins at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9

Cost: $6 for adult day pass; $15.75 for adult weekend pass; $3.25 for children ages 4 to 12 day pass; free for children ages 3 and younger and elders ages 65 and older.

Where: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena, Rapid City

"South Dakota Space Day at the Powwow: Merging Technology and Tradition" Youth Day will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the civic center. The event is free.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/arti...cal/news01.txt

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