Hundreds flock to Science Centre for Mars Discovery Night

Sep 04, 2003

Hundreds of people turned out to the Science Centre's Mars Discovery Night this week (Wednesday 3 September) for the chance to view the planet as they have never seen it before.

More than 600 people passed through the exhibitions and looking at the telescopes of the Illawarra Planetarium Society and the Science Centre for their chance to view Mars in its closest position to earth for the past 73,000 years.

Many more did not enter the Centre but observed from outside, according to the Director of the Science Centre Glen Moore.

"Many people had travelled to Wollongong to see Mars and experience the Mars shows in the theatres. Even if they couldn't get into the building they were still able to see images of Mars and the Moon projected on the screen and through a telescope at the front of the Centre," Mr Moore said.

A special attraction was the Duke Energy Observatory which featured projection of its images of Mars and the Moon onto an outdoor video screen.