The display includes a description of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), a project which will map 25% of the sky using optical telescopes.
A telescope at the display will be projecting an image of the sun, weather permitting! There should be a good sunspot visible. Using this display and photographs of the SDSS telescopes we will show you the basics of telescope operations.
Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that very massive objects actually distort space. This means that objects passing nearby no longer travel in straight lines. Their paths are curved due to the distorted space. When a black hole -- which is very massive -- passes in front of you, the light coming from your face bends and curves around the black hole. The result is that your image appears very distorted. Come visit our exhibit which will show just how distorted you can get!
For those interested, we have a take-home version of the Universe. A few pieces of mylar confetti with corn syrup acting as the ether makes for a colorful demonstration of what we will find in the SDSS: stars, galaxies, and quasars.
How does the universe work? Where did it come from, and where is it doing? We'll review what we know, and what we are working on at Fermilab to understand the answers to these questions. Interested in reading more? Then check out this tutorial entitled "Three Pillars of Cosmology."