The American Geophysical Union will hold its semi-annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale this May and, as part of the conference, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Rochester Institute of Technology Insight Lab will offer an opportunity for everyone in the Fort Lauderdale area to check out the latest and greatest Earth and Space science and technology. It will be a great day for the local community to discover the Universe!

Organizations from across the United States will sponsor activities suitable for all ages and offer free stuff to take home. Attendees can meet scientists and other experts from NASA, Rice Space Institute, National Solar Observatory, Design Rhythmics Sonification Research Lab, the Stanford Solar Center and more.

Participants can expect to travel the universe through music and photos at an Astronomy Music exhibit, explore the wonders of the night sky, the stars, and constellations at the Stanford StarLab, and build their own spectroscope and see sunlight in a whole new light at the Spectroscope Workshop. In addition, they can investigate solar radiation using ultraviolet beads, check out space weather monitors, hear about Earth Science and Aerospace adventures and water conservation, and step inside the Discover Dome and see "Night of the Titanic" and "Secrets of the Sun." Patrons can also "Walk on the Sun."

Currently the following confirmed exhibitors will be at Exploration Station (subject to change): American Geophysical Union, American Astronomical Society Solar Physics Division, NASA, Boston University, Florida International University, Rice Space Institute, National Solar Observatory, UF-IFAS/Broward County 4-H, South Florida Water Management District, Design Rhythmics Sonification Research Lab, and the Stanford Solar Center.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., set to launch late 2008, will understand how magnetic fields appear, distribute, and disappear from their origin in the solar interior; investigate the magnetic topologies that give rise to rapid high-energy release processes; study and gauge the dynamic processes which influence space weather phenomena; and study the variations in irradiance and solar structure which occur on short timescales, as well as over the solar cycle.

The Rochester Institute of Technology, Insight Lab for Science Outreach and Learning Research was founded in 2006 in RIT's Center for Imaging Science in Upstate New York. The Insight Lab aims to develop, test and deliver cutting edge science education and outreach activities, and research the effectiveness of all learners, in domains centered in Astronomy, Imaging Science, and all sciences in general.

The American Geophysical Union is a worldwide scientific community that advances, through unselfish cooperation in research, the understanding of Earth and space for the benefit of humanity. The organization holds two meetings per year, which move around the country, choosing Fort Lauderdale, FL for their 2008 spring meeting. More than 2000 astronomers are currently registered for the weeklong conference, which will include scientific sessions on topics across fields in Earth and Space Science.

The event is organized by Emilie Drobnes of NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center and Dr. Jake Noel-Storr of the Rochester Institute of Technology and supported by the American Geophysical Union.

Web Resources:

Exploration Station - http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/epo/families/explore.php

American Geophysical Union - http://www.agu.org

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory - http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Rochester Institute of Technology - http://www.rit.edu