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Museum of Astrobiology Holds Grand Opening in Mountainview, CA |
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July 19th, 2009 There's a buzz of excitement in the astrobiology community and among all those interested in the search for life in the universe. This excitement centers around the grand opening this week of the world's first Museum of Astrobiology, located in Mountainview, California. In the planning stages for several years, the museum will provide much-needed space to house and display the abundance of specimens and material gathered by scientists who work in the field of astrobiology - the study of life beyond the earth's atmosphere: on other planets and elsewhere in the universe. It is hoped that bringing all these objects together in one place will finally silence those who question whether astrobiology should be considered a valid science. "A biological science is an objective discipline and therefore has to have some object of study in order to be taken seriously as a science," sez Biff Citpeks, curator of the new museum. "Even cryptozoologists have plaster casts of sasquatch footprints and the obligatory blurry cryptid photographs. Skeptics have often questioned what exactly it is astrobiologists have to study. So now we have collected a great number of those objects and put them together to exhibit in one place - the Museum of Astrobiology." |
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The new Museum of Astrobiology in Mountainview, CA. |
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Vast exhibit halls display the impressive collection of astrobiology-related artifacts. |
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Another exhibit hall in the museum bursting with exhibits showcasing the evidence for life existing elsewhere in the universe. |
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It's a busy scene at the loading dock as truck after truck unload artifacts that will become part of the museum's huge permanent collection. |
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A heavily-laden semi barrels down the road with precious astrobiology artifacts in a bid to reach the museum in time for the grand opening. |
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A harbor crane begins the long process of unloading thousands of metric tons of astrobiological specimens headed for the museum and it's research center. |
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Reporters who visited the museum were able to see this beautiful diorama featuring life-forms as they probably exist on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Astrobiologists believe that Titan's methane atmosphere has led to the evolution of very bizarre creatures pretty much exactly like those depicted here. |
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