Flat Stanley Goes to Mars and Mesa

January 8, 7:18 AMPhoenix Travel ExaminerJay Hammond

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The Arizona Museum of Natural History. Copyright J. Hammond

The Arizona Museum of Natural History is celebrating the envelope-traveling Flat Stanley 's trip to Mars at the next Nights at the Museum event on Friday, January 9. Kids can let their imagination run wild as they explore the museum's new Mars! Exhibit, make a Flat Stanley postcard from Mars and other activities.

Flat Stanley, a popular character in a series of children's books from Jeff Brown. Stanley Lambchop is a perfectly normal boy until he is flattened in his sleep by a bulletin board. His adventures begin when as Flat Stanley he discovers he can slip under doors and travel through the postal system.

The Mars! Exhibit at the Arizona Museum of Natural History opened in November 2008. it includes a quarter-scale Mars Lander, a dune machine, a scale of the red planet, a dust devil generator and a full size Mars Rover (on temporary loan). The exhibit is particularly compelling because much of the latest research is being done right here in Arizona. The Museum is working with THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) at the Arizona State University and other Arizona resources to bring new interpretations and information to the public. THEMIS was an instrument on the Mars Odyssey orbiter that entered Mars orbit on October 24, 2001. Mapping was the primary mission of the Mars Odyssey and THEMIS which combined a 5-wavelength visual imaging system with a 9-wavelength infrared imaging system, was one of the three main instruments used to accomplish that mission.

Arizona has a long history of involvement in Mars observation and exploration. The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff is one of the nation's oldest observatories. The Observatory was established and is named after Percival Lowell, a businessman, mathematician and Astronomer, who believed there was life on Mars and built the Lowell Observatory in 1894 to find it. He did not find life on Mars, however many key astronomical discoveries have been made at Lowell, including the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. The Lowell Msueum was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Children and families may also enjoy the Arizona Museum of Natural History's  other exhibits – PSI and Hohokam! PSI: Poop Scene Investigation takes visitors on a fascinating journey into the world of poop. Visitors are also asked to figure out a mystery: which animal did the stinky deed. The Hohokam! exhibit explores how the Hohokam people, the ancestors of the O'odham people, who lived in the high desert that is now home to Phoenix from 1 A.D. to around 1450.

Nights at the Museum offer families after hours access to the Museum from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Special admission prices are $4 for those 18 and younger and $6 for everyone else. Museum members are admitted FREE. The Arizona Museum of Natural History is located at 53 N. Macdonald in Mesa.