Physics Open House Is Sept. 29

If you want to know more about the secrets of the Universe, or if you simply wonder what makes your hair stand on end, the Physics Open House at Old Dominion University on Saturday, Sept. 29, is where you can find answers.

The event, from 1-4 p.m., will be held in and around the Physical Sciences Building and is designed to be interesting to children and adults. Guests will be offered tours of laboratories of the Department of Physics, and various participatory activities and demonstrations about studies and research in physics.

There also will be special shows featuring ODU's Omniglobe and Pretlow Planetarium.

The Omniglobe uses two projectors and a hemispheric mirror inside it, together with a library of digital imagery provided by the instrument's computer component, to portray spherical objects ranging from the Earth and its moon to Jupiter and its moons. With a flick of a switch the OmniGlobe becomes a very colorful display of varying water temperatures in the Earth's oceans. Or it can provide a backdrop for geological lessons in plate tectonics.

At the planetarium, shows featuring images of our nighttime sky as well as other aspects of our universe are projected on a 40-foot dome.

This public event is free, but those who wish to attend are asked to register by visiting RSVP@odu.edu or the University Events website at www.odu.edu/univevents, event code POH12.