The Gordon Cooper Branch of the Garfield County Public Library District is proud to be one of forty public libraries in the U.S. selected to host

Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery is a traveling exhibition to mark the International Year of Astronomy, a global celebration of astronomy highlighted by the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo. The International Astronomical Union proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy as an opportunity to create awareness of astronomy’s contributions to society and culture, stimulate young people’s interest in astronomy and science, portray astronomy as a global peaceful endeavor and nourish a scientific outlook in society. In the U.S., the goal during this special year is to offer an engaging astronomy experience to every person in the country.

The colorful exhibit panels of Visions of the Universe feature striking images of planets, stars, comets, nebulae, and galaxies taken by NASA’s powerful astronomical observatories and spacecraft, as well as drawings and diagrams created by early astronomers such as Galileo, Christiaan Huygens, and Charles Messier, which show how the universe, stars, and planets were viewed and understood centuries ago. Visions of the Universe vividly illustrates 400 years of growth in our knowledge of not just planets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies, but also the size and scale of the universe in both space and time.

Image from http://www.nasaimages.org/

Visions of the Universe is presented by the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland; the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and the American Library Association, Chicago, Illinois, through funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The exhibit will be on display at the Gordon Cooper Branch from July 3 through September 4. The library also has a full schedule of related programs and activities planned for the months of July and August. Click for more information on activities or check our calendar.

Image from http://www.nasaimages.org/

Did you know that the Gordon Cooper Branch Library is named in honor of an astronaut? Leroy Gordon Cooper was an Air Force officer and NASA astronaut for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spaceflight programs. On a Gemini mission in 1965, Colonel Cooper set a space endurance record and became the first man to make a second orbital flight in space.

Psst...click for a sneak-peak of the exhibit panels!

Want to learn more? Click on the logos and links below.

 The Space Telescope Science Institute 

 Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory 

Hubblesite.org NASA's Web site about the Hubble Space Telescope

Amazing Space Part of the Space Telescope Science Institute's Office of Public Outreach, Amazing Space uses the Hubble Space Telescope's discoveries to inspire and educate about the wonders of our universe

NASA's Web site for the International Year of Astronomy

NASAimages.org  An archive of stunning images and video clips