Calendar
Star Party: Perseid Meteor Shower Watch
$5 Parking Per Vehicle Parking Fee. Limited capacity, first-come, first-served. When capacity is full, parks will close.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is getting ready for its largest star party of the year on Saturday, August 12, the Perseid Meteor Shower Watch! Hundreds of star lovers from across the Pacific Northwest will be meeting at both Rooster Rock State Park and Stub Stewart State Park at 9 p.m. to watch and enjoy the wonder of the Perseid Meteor Shower. The event, sponsored by OMSI, Rose City Astronomers, and Oregon Parks and Recreations will have telescopes set up for attendees to use. OMSI staff will be presenting informal talks about the meteor shower, constellations, and the summer sky.
Join us as we gaze at the summer night sky at Rooster Rock State Park, located 22 miles east of Portland on I-84 just east of Sandy River at exit 25. To reach L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park, take US-26 west of Portland and turn right on OR-47. The event starts at 9:00 pm and is free with $5 parking per vehicle. Warm clothing and a flashlight with red light are recommended. Personal telescopes and binoculars are welcome.
On the scheduled day of each OMSI Star Parties, it is suggested that interested visitors check back here for possible weather-related cancellations.
Warm clothing and a flashlight with red light are recommended. Personal telescopes and binoculars are welcome.
LOCATION INFORMATION
Rooster Rock State Park | Take I-84 east of the Sandy River at exit 25. The park is located 22 miles east of Portland.
L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park | Take US-26 west of Portland and turn right on OR-47. The park is located 34 miles west of Portland.
Science Pub Portland: Volcanoes
Nature’s Fury: Living with Active Volcanoes
With John Ewert, USGS-Cascades Volcano Observatory (speaker and moderator)
Marta Calvache, Columbian Geological Survey
Richie Robertson, University of West Indies
Doors Open @ 5PM | $5 Suggested Donation
Join us for a night of amazing stories, pictures and video from three international volcano scientists as they share their experiences studying active volcanoes and responding to catastrophic eruptions. Learn how advances in volcano science and lessons learned from major eruptions are applied at volcanoes around the world and at our local Cascade volcanoes like Mount Hood, Mount Rainer and Mount St. Helens. There are 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth and as many as 50 of them erupt each year. In the Cascades, an eruption occurs on average two or three times every century. This program is sponsored by OMSI, the Mount St. Helens Institute, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey.
John Ewert is a geologist based at the U.S. Geological Survey‒Cascades Volcano Observatory. The observatory monitors potentially active volcanoes of the Cascade Range for signs of reawakening, conducts fundamental research on volcanic processes, carries out volcano hazards assessments, and is responsible for issuing warnings related to volcanic eruptions.
John began working at Mount St. Helens in 1981, monitoring and researching eruptive activity as well as working on projects at other Cascade volcanoes. In 1986, he was one of the founding members of the ongoing USAID-USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) and worked in VDAP from 1986-2010 responding to volcanic eruption crises and developing volcano-monitoring infrastructure around the Pacific Rim. From 2010 to 2015, John served as the Scientist-in-Charge of the Cascades Volcano Observatory and has recently returned to work with VDAP and on other volcano hazards projects in the United States.
Marta Calvache is the Director of Geohazards at the Servicio Geológico Colombiano in Colombia, South America. For more than 30 years, Marta has supported the Colombian government through the investigation and analysis of geological phenomena that generate hazards and risks to communities, as well as developing methodologies for evaluating hazards. Marta began her professional career in a very impactful way. She was a part of the scientific response to the reawakening of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano in 1985 and the catastrophic mudflows that killed 23,000 people. Since 1986, Marta and her team have traveled to more than 30 Colombian volcanoes, researching and sharing knowledge with others so that the management authorities are aware of the hazards to the communities they represent.
Today, Marta has under her leadership, three volcano and seismological observatories, a research team, the national seismological network, and the network of accelerometers and the GPS stations of the country. She is also working on implementing the Social Strategy of Geoscientific Knowledge for the Colombian Geological Service, which is a measure that seeks to transform science into a functional and useful level for decision-making, for the protection of lives, infrastructure and the environment.
Richie Robertson is the Director of the UWI’s Seismic Research Centre in St Augustine, Trinidad. Born in St Vincent, Richie’s interest in volcanology was inspired by his personal experience in 1979, when he and his family woke to the eruption of the Soufriere volcano, which displaced thousands of Vincentians. He subsequently studied Geology at UWI, Volcanology at the University of Leeds in the UK and completed his PhD in Geology at Mona, Jamaica. His PhD thesis (The Volcanic Geology of pre-Soufriere Rocks in St Vincent) and his Volcanic Hazards Atlas are benchmarks in the study of volcanology in the Eastern Caribbean.
An experienced field researcher as well as an academic, Richie served as head of the Soufriere Monitoring Unit in St Vincent in 1987‒1993, and in 1996 was Chief Scientist at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. His research interests include volcanic hazards, the evolution of volcanism in St Vincent, and multi-parameter monitoring of volcanic hazards. Richie is also active in public education and public service. He has organized several conferences, short training courses and given numerous lectures throughout the region, and in the US, UK, and China. He provides assistance to the National Emergency Organization of St Vincent, and serves as an advisor to such organizations in Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Montserrat, and other islands.
Dinner will be available in our restaurant, Theory, or from the Empirical Café. Guests can check-in at the theater entrance to reserve a seat before grabbing dinner and drinks. Food and drink are welcome in the theater. Parking is free for the event. Doors open at 5pm
For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Blind-Tasting Bingo
Doors Open @ 5:30PM | Game Begins at 6PM - SPECIAL VEGAN VERSION
Test your mouth-mind connection. A program started by Ecotrust and Edible Portland, Blind-Tasting Bingo at OMSI is a game of sensory deprivation and heightened exploration. In the game, Bon Appetit Executive Chef, Kit Zhu, will present 14 distinct bites that players taste with their eyes covered, seeking to identify what they taste on a bingo board that includes both correct and false answers. A few lucky winners will take home fun prizes!
Please Note: No dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
Sponsored by Unitus Community Credit Union
SOLD OUT - 2017 Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
Tickets to the viewing party are SOLD OUT and the waiting list is full!
There will NOT be additional tickets available at the door. Visit Travel Salem for other happenings in the area or National Eclipse.
On August 21, 2017, Oregon will be the first to see the total eclipse of the Sun. Join OMSI at the Oregon State Fairgrounds where we will celebrate the unique experience of complete darkness for close to two minutes. The Solar Eclipse Viewing Party will include science lectures, astronomy-related community groups, entertainment, and more.
Get there early! Doors open at 6AM. The main event will begin around 9AM and the Total Eclipse will be at 10:18AM. A full schedule of activities is coming soon.
Parking and camping will be available through the Oregon State Fairgrounds. Parking is $5 cash only at the door (available beginning at 5:30am) and camping reservations are available thru their website by clicking here. If you have any questions, call 971.701.6567.
Travel time: The current estimate to travel from Portland to Salem is 2.5 hours. (Oregon is expected to see over 1 million visitors for the solar eclipse.)
The event is rain or shine; all tickets are non-refundable. Tickets include a seat in the LB Day Amphitheater, a solar eclipse viewer and a ticket to the Oregon State Fair, Aug 25-Sept 4, 2017.
To view the schedule of activities visit omsi.edu/eclipse-2017
No pets are allowed at the event. Service animals are welcome.
*Note: Only look at the sun when it is 100% covered. You must use special solar viewing glasses whenever the sun isn’t completely eclipsed or it may cause irreparable eye damage. Viewing Party tickets include solar viewing glasses. Solar eclipse glasses are currently available for purchase in the OMSI Science Store for guests unable to attend the viewing party. Watch our video on 5 ways to safely view the eclipse.
For more information 503.797.4529 or events@omsi.edu.
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About the Eclipse
A total solar eclipse is when the moon moves right in front of the sun, covering it completely for a very short time. It darkens the whole sky, lets you look right at the sun*, and shows you the beautiful corona that surrounds the sun. Stars come out, the horizon glows with a 360-degree sunset, the temperature drops, and day turns into night. Oregon is on the center line and several cities around the state will experience maximum totality.
On the beach in Oregon, just north of Newport, the shadow will first touch land at about 10:15am, and will experience a full minute and fifty seconds of totality. The actual centerline of the eclipse path will hit solid ground six seconds later, and plunge Lincoln Beach and Depoe Bay into darkness for one minute and 58 seconds!
It will take only two minutes for the shadow to race eastward toward its first date with a large population of folks who will be breathlessly awaiting its arrival. Salem, Dallas, Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Philomath, McMinnville, and Woodburn, will experience various lengths of totality based on their varying distances from the centerline. At the Oregon State Fairgrounds, we will be treated to one minute and 54.5 seconds of shadow at just after 10:17am.
The eclipse will travel through the forests of central Oregon, hitting the mountains at Madras and Warm Springs at about 10:19am. Mitchell and Prairie City will be next, and the shadow will leave Oregon just north of Ontario. The majority of the Pacific Northwest, including Portland and Eugene, are NOT in the path of totality, will witness a partial eclipse ranging from 88% to 99%.
The eclipse will continue across the United States where Illinois will experience the longest eclipse duration at two minutes and 41 seconds. The final shadow will be over the Atlantic Ocean near the west coast of Africa. See a map of the full eclipse path.
*Note: Only look at the sun when it is 100% covered. You must use special solar viewing glasses whenever the sun isn’t completely eclipsed or it may cause irreparable eye damage. Viewing Party tickets include solar viewing glasses.
Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at OMSI
Join us for a free Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Party in Portland on OMSI's Front Plaza. Enjoy space science activities, refreshments from the Empirical Cafe and purchase your eclipse viewing glasses from OMSI's Science Store.
The main event will begin with first contact around 9:06 AM, the maximum partial solar eclipse of 99.1% will be at 10:19 AM, and last contact will be 11:38 AM. Space science activities will include Sun Printing, Sunflower Dissection, Solar Panels, Naturalist Books, and more. NASA TV will be playing all morning in the auditorium. The popular planetarium show, Totality, will be playing at 8:30am, 9:30am, 11am, and 12:30-4pm (tickets required).
The viewing party is free; standard parking rates apply ($5).
Please note: You MUST use a solar eclipse viewer to watch throughout this extraordinary event. Solar viewing glasses are available for purchase in the OMSI Science Store for $2.99 each.
For more information, call 503.797.4677 or email events@omsi.edu.
The partial solar eclipse viewing party is supported by the locally owned McDonald’s of OR and SW WA.
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About the Eclipse
A partial solar eclipse is still spectacular to view, even at 99% in Portland!
Viewed from OMSI, viewers will notice a pronounced dimming of sunshine, but it will still be distinctly daylight. The main phenomena that viewers will notice is that shadows will become very crisp. People will notice fascinating pinhole projections of the crescent Sun when standing near trees. Another phenomena is that Venus will be easy to see around the time of maximum eclipse, and the sky will be noticeably darker in the direction of the Moon's shadow. It is possible to have a chance of seeing shadow bands, and also a chance of seeing a corona if the remaining portion of the Sun is occluded by a thumb or building.
A total solar eclipse is when the moon moves right in front of the sun, covering it completely for a very short time. It darkens the whole sky, lets you look right at the sun*, and shows you the beautiful corona that surrounds the sun. Stars come out, the horizon glows with a 360-degree sunset, the temperature drops, and day turns into night. Oregon is on the center line and several cities around the state will experience maximum totality.
On the beach in Oregon, just north of Newport, the shadow will first touch land at about 10:15am, and will experience a full minute and fifty seconds of totality. The actual centerline of the eclipse path will hit solid ground six seconds later, and plunge Lincoln Beach and Depoe Bay into darkness for one minute and 58 seconds!
It will take only two minutes for the shadow to race eastward toward its first date with a large population of folks who will be breathlessly awaiting its arrival. Salem, Dallas, Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Philomath, McMinnville, and Woodburn, will experience various lengths of totality based on their varying distances from the centerline. At the Oregon State Fairgrounds, we will be treated to one minute and 54.5 seconds of shadow at just after 10:17am.
The eclipse will travel through the forests of central Oregon, hitting the mountains at Madras and Warm Springs at about 10:19am. Mitchell and Prairie City will be next, and the shadow will leave Oregon just north of Ontario. The majority of the Pacific Northwest, including Portland and Eugene, are NOT in the path of totality, will witness a partial eclipse ranging from 88% to 99%.
The eclipse will continue across the United States where Illinois will experience the longest eclipse duration at two minutes and 41 seconds. The final shadow will be over the Atlantic Ocean near the west coast of Africa. See a map of the full eclipse path.
*Note: Only look at the sun when it is 100% covered. You must use special solar viewing glasses whenever the sun isn’t completely eclipsed or it may cause irreparable eye damage. The OMSI store will have viewing glasses for sale. Watch our video on 5 ways to safely view the eclipse.
Reel Science: Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade
Please note: We changed the date from August 9 to August 23 due to scheduling issues.
6:30PM | Lecture: The Search for the Holy Grail with Meg Roland, PhD, Associate Professor of English, Department Chair, English at Marylhurst University
7:30PM | Movie: Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (Duration: 2 hr. 7 mins. | Rating: PG-13 | Year: 1989)
ABOUT THE FILM
When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones must follow in his father's footsteps and stop the Nazis.
Watch and learn at The Empirical Theater as OMSI brings the science of your favorite movies to life on the big screen. Perfect for science and film lovers alike, this monthly series combines the best of Science Pub with the fun of movie night, bringing in experts to amplify your movie-watching experience. All ages are welcome.
The Empirical Cafe will be open serving hotdogs, grilled cheese, movie snacks plus beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
OMSI After Dark: Oceans
AUG 30, 2017 | 7-11 PM
Dive into the science behind the deep blue seas (and oceans) of the world.
Shoot off water rockets, concoct chemical creations, and explore the wonders of OMSI with no kids in sight! Enjoy a glass of wine while learning about robots, tornados, or fossils. Talk to a brewer about the science behind beer, or sample products from local artisans.
All that and more with OMSI After Dark, a night at the museum for the 21-and-over crowd filled with food, drink, and science fun!
21+ Only | ID's Required
Due to the popularity of this event, we strongly recommend that you purchase tickets in advance as capacity is limited and may sell out.
OMSI After Dark admission:
OAD ONLY:
$15/non-members
$7.50/OMSI Members
FREE for OMSI After Dark Access Pass Holders
OAD + Pompeii:
$30/non-members
$22.50/OMSI Members
$15/OAD Access Pass Holders
SCIENCE DEMONSTRATIONS
Coming Soon!
PERFORMANCES AND PRESENTATIONS
Coming Soon!
THEMED VENDORS
Coming Soon!
FEATURED ARTISANS
Coming Soon!
Questions? Call 503.797.4642 or email events@omsi.edu.
Ticketing questions call 503.797.4634
For more information about purchasing an OMSI After Dark Access Pass, please email events@omsi.edu or give us a call at 503.797.4634
Science Pub Portland: Hyenas & Conservation Ecology
The Last Laugh: What Hyenas Teach Us About Conservation in an Age of Urbanization
With David Seth Green, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar at the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University
September 7, 2017 | 7-9PM; Doors Open @ 5PM | $5 Suggested Donation
Unlike lions, rhinos, and elephants, spotted hyenas are thriving across the African continent. Why? Is it because hyenas have a feminist society run by an alpha female? Is it because these carnivores are powerful enough to crush bones as large as a giraffe femur? Is it because their genetics are closer to those of a mongoose than cats or dogs?
In this talk, David Green from the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University will unearth all of the quirks about hyenas that you never knew but will find fascinating. He’ll tell the story of a group of hyenas he studied in Kenya, and of the surprising behaviors he studied that allows hyenas to quickly adapt to changing environments. This talk will explore what conservationists are learning from hyenas, and how they are applying those ideas to protect wildlife in the face of urbanization, climate change, and poaching.
In his career as a wildlife biologist, David has studied sea lions, coyotes, pronghorn, and large African carnivores. He is currently studying small forest carnivores in the Pacific Northwest, including fishers, gray foxes, and ringtails. If his current work is successful, he’ll help prevent fishers from being listed as endangered species and refine ways to study wildlife without having to trap, tranquilize, or handle them. He has a B.S. in Conservation Biology from Arizona State University, and a PhD from Michigan State University, for which he spent nearly four years living in a remote field camp in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem in Kenya. When he is not in the field collecting new data, or writing statistical models in Portland, David can probably be found on a trail or in line for ice cream at Fifty Licks.
Science Pub Mission is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientifict background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Dinner and drinks will be available throughout the presentation. Please visit the McMenamins Mission Theater website for a dinner menu and venue information.
Meet A Scientist: September
Included in General Admission | Current science gets up close and personal at Meet a Scientist. This program, held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, features local scientists who share their research and knowledge with you through hands-on activities and conversation. Meet a Scientist exclusively features professionals who are OMSI Science Communication Fellows.
Star Party: Autumnal Equinox Celebration
$5 Parking Per Vehicle Parking Fee
On Saturday, September 9, OMSI and Rose City Astronomers will celebrate the beginning of autumn with a free Star Party! Join us as we gaze at the heavens from Rooster Rock State Park and Stub Stewart State Park starting at sunset. The party is free with $5 parking per vehicle parking fee. From beginners to experts of all ages, here's your opportunity to view the stars and other objects through a variety of telescopes. Viewing highlights include Saturn, waning gibbous moon and more!
Join us as we gaze at the pre-autumn night sky at Rooster Rock State Park, located 22 miles east of Portland on I-84 just east of Sandy River at exit 25. To reach L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park, take US-26 west of Portland and turn right on OR-47. The event starts at sunset and is free with $5 parking per vehicle. Warm clothing and a flashlight with red light are recommended. Personal telescopes and binoculars are welcome.
On the scheduled day of each OMSI Star Parties, it is suggested that interested visitors check back here for possible weather-related cancellations.
Warm clothing and a flashlight with red light are recommended. Personal telescopes and binoculars are welcome.
LOCATION INFORMATION
Rooster Rock State Park | Take I-84 east of the Sandy River at exit 25. The park is located 22 miles east of Portland.
L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park | Take US-26 west of Portland and turn right on OR-47. The park is located 34 miles west of Portland.
Science Pub Corvallis: The Human-Canine Bond
For the Love of Dogs: A Scientific Look at the Human-Canine Bond
With Monique Udell, PhD. Assistant Professor of Animal and Rangeland Sciences at Oregon State University
Domestic dogs have been living with humans for thousands of years. Today, there are over 70 million pet dogs in the United States alone, and most of these dogs are treated as cherished family members, sharing close bonds with their owners.
Udell will summarize research into the similarities and differences between domestic dogs and their wild counterparts, as well as lifetime and environmental factors that appear to contribute to the unique social behaviors of dogs living as pets. She will also discuss her own research into the cross-species interactions and bonds in both wild and domesticated animals and the impact that these bonds can have on the behavior and success of both species. Udell also studies cats, horses, pigs, sheep and bats.
Dogs are employed in critical working roles, she notes. “From search and rescue, to aids in therapeutic interventions, we often place considerable trust in these animals. However, the majority of the world’s dogs are not pets, but are scavengers living on the fringes of human society. Here too they thrive, sharing a very different but equally critical relationship with humans.”
There has been considerable scientific debate about the origins of the human-dog bond, particularly the question of what makes the social behavior of the dog unique when compared with other species, including wolves.
Udell directs the Human-Animal Interactions Lab and teaches courses on animal behavior, cognition and learning.
The Science Pub presentation is free and open to the public.
Sponsors of Science Pub include Terra magazine at OSU, the Downtown Corvallis Association and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Fore more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
You can also listen to their podcasts at http://communications.oregonstate.edu/podcast.
Reel Science: Gladiator
6:30PM | Lecture: Roman History with Brian Turner, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of History at Portland State University
7:30PM | Movie: Gladiator (Duration: 2 hr. 35 mins. | Rating: R | Year: 2000)
ABOUT THE FILM
When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an emperor's corrupt son, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.
Watch and learn at The Empirical Theater as OMSI brings the science of your favorite movies to life on the big screen. Perfect for science and film lovers alike, this monthly series combines the best of Science Pub with the fun of movie night, bringing in experts to amplify your movie-watching experience. All ages are welcome.
The Empirical Cafe will be open serving hotdogs, grilled cheese, movie snacks plus beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.