Explore Mars in South Florida

It may sound far-fetched, but when South Florida Science Museum exhibits director Peter Feher needed red dirt for the Mars exhibit, he went to Jupiter.

Jupiter, Florida, that is. And the red Georgia clay scooped up from the infield at Roger Dean Stadium is working out very well. Museum visitors can operate a remote control to guide a custom- built rover across the rugged (man-made) Martian landscape. A monitor gives the pilot a view through a camera on the rover.

Elizabeth Dashiell, media spokesman for the museum, said officials worried they would need to limit the time each child spends operating the rover. To their delight, it hasn’t been a problem.

While the kids truly seem to enjoy it, Dashiell said, they play for a while, look over their shoulder to see who is in line behind them, and move on. They have, clearly, learned to share.

Indeed, there is much to learn at Destination Mars, an exhibit opened at the end of May and continuing through December. Its showing was timed to a peak interest in Mars, with the Spirit and Opportunity Missions.

The exhibit also features an authentic piece of Martian rock, a flip panel challenge where visitors can compare the topography of Earth and Mars, and NASA images of the current Mars missions.

Folks can also have their photograph taken as they pose behind a cardboard reproduction of Buzz Aldrin’s historic moon landing suit.

Pulled from the show after damage from the hurricanes put space constraints on the museum, was a trajectory chair. Visitors could sit in the spinning chair and try to launch a beanbag at a moving target – giving insight into the problem NASA faces in launching a probe to Mars while both planets are moving and spinning at the same time.

Hurricanes cause problems for Earthlings, but they don’t occur on Mars. Tornadoes, do occur there, however, and can grow as much as 5 miles high.

Visitors can learn other Martian facts, too. The average temperature on the planet, for example, is a frosty minus 67.

Mars, of all planets, is most like Earth, says Dashiell. It has a similar size, day length and seasons. On the other hand, the Martian year is twice as long as Earth’s. That means 30-year-old Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor would only be 15 on Mars.

Taylor, who tips locker room scales at 255, would have to tackle this fact, too: He’d weigh a measly 85 pounds on the Red Planet because Mars’ gravity is about a third of Earth’s.

Mars is called the Red Planet because of its color. It looks like it’s covered in rust.

Besides the Mars exhibit, visitors can take a close look at a car of the future, part of a collection on loan from collector Rick Newman of Boca Raton.

One of the most interesting pieces in Newman’s collection is a rare Russian SOKOL spacesuit worn during a 1988 Soyuz mission to the MIR space station.

Workmen are busy replacing the roof on the museum, but visitors won’t be bothered. There’s so much to see – from a mastodon skeleton to the Aldrin planetarium to dozens of aquariums which display fish from all over the world to an Egyptian mummy.

All mummies and daddies will have difficulty leaving the premises without a visit to the museum store. Filled with books, T-shirts, toys and and scientific treats, souvenirs are sold at affordable prices.

Among the most popular items is Astronaut Ice Cream ($2.50). It’s freeze-dried, ready to eat and no one has to worry about melting. How cool is that!

If you go

South Florida Science Museum

4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach

Through December: ‘Destination Mars,’ a visit to the Red Planet.

What else is there? Planetarium, laser shows, aquariums with fish from all over the world, Egyptian gallery with a mummy, space gallery, gift shop.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: Adults, $7; children 3-12, $5; children under 3, free; museum members, free. Additional fees of $2 for planetarium, $4 for lazer matinee and $2 for Galaxy Golf (being reconstructed after the hurricanes).

For more information: 832-1988 or see www.sfsm.org

mary_thurwachter@pbpost.com