The cosmos constantly changes. Stars are born, live out their lives, and die sometimes calmly, sometimes explosively. Galaxies form, grow and collide dramatically. "The Evolving Universe" explores how the stars, galaxies and universe undergo the same stages as life on Earth: from birth, to maturity and eventually, to death.
Visitors to "The Evolving Universe" can choose one of two paths to explore the cosmos. They can begin close to home with our solar system and move outward to the farthest reaches of the universe. Or they can begin 13.7 billion years ago at the moment of the Big Bang and move forward in time to the present day. Along their journey, guests will learn how a variety of telescopes and instruments reveal the fascinating history of the expanding universe.
In addition to telescopic images from space, researchers are actively investigating microscopic images of meteorites found on Earth. Their composition reveals what changes have taken place in the universe during the passage of billions of years while the Earth was still in formation, well before humans even existed. All of the elements are formed within stars and released into space when stars die. Visitors may be surprised to learn that their bodies are composed of this stardust and will be able to see an example of interstellar diamond dust found in a meteorite in 1969. This will join the compelling visuals and epic stories of supernovas, stellar nurseries, nebulae and galaxy clusters that reveal the fascinating history of the expanding universe.
"The Evolving Universe" is organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and is circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The original exhibition was made possible by The Windland Smith Rice Nature's Best Photography Fund.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is a joint collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. CfA scientists, organized into six research divisions, study the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe.
The exhibition is free and will be open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. The Tower Gallery is located in the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau Headquarters and Museum Complex at 636 S. Main St. As part of the exhibition, guests are encouraged to attend the Food For Thought Gallery Talk events on Wednesday, July 30,
Wednesday, August 27 and Wednesday, September 24.
Grapevine's art community continues to expand with new and special engagement art exhibitions, recently opened galleries, the Public Art Trail, fine art working studios and more. For more information about Grapevine or any of Grapevine's events, please visit www.GrapevineTexasUSA.com or call 817-410-3185. For more information about Grapevine's museums, visit www.GrapevineMuseums.com.
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