From Earth to the Solar Systems is a collection of images that showcases the excitement of planetary exploration and the quest to understand the origin and evolution of the solar system. The traveling exhibit celebrates NASA’s Year of the Solar System.

UCF’s Planetary Sciences Group within the College of Sciences arranged to have the exhibit make a stop in Orlando to give community members a chance to see what inspires scientists very day to continue research into the formation of the solar system and the possibility of life beyond Earth. A total of 30 images will be on display through Memorial Day.

“We’re thrilled to have this exhibit of stunning images of the Earth’s immediate neighborhood in the cosmos,” said Joshua Colwell, an associate professor of physics. He also is the director of UCF’s Center for Microgravity Research and Education and interim assistant director of the Florida Space Institute at UCF.  “I think this exhibit will inspire wonder and the thrill of exploration, and it’s a gateway for people to learn more about UCF’s space research programs that span the entire solar system, from Mercury to the comets beyond Pluto.”

The images are artistic and informative, weaving together themes in astrobiology, planetary science, and astronomy. Including contributions from backyard astronomers, large telescopes in space, and even point-and-shoot cameras of field researchers, the collection represents the current state of exploration as seen through the eyes of the scientific community.

The free exhibit – on the third floor of the library –is open to the community from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays. The exhibit also is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and from noon to 11 p.m. Sundays. The library will be closed Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13, and Memorial Day. The last day to see the exhibit is May 29.

The exhibit has already made stops in Switzerland, China, Washington, D.C., and California among many others venues.

Among the many agencies collaborating on the project are: the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Center, NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.