Mueller Planetarium
2023-04-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-04-22 15:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-22 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-04-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-04-21 16:00 - 2023-04-28 17:00, 2023-04-21 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | University of Nebraska State Museum – Morrill Hall, 645 North 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588
Mueller Planetarium is located inside Morrill Hall. Shows are available to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Tickets may be purchased on site at Morrill Hall.
The following are the currently available shows:
The Little Star That Could: Saturdays at 11am
A Starry Tale: Fridays at 1pm, Saturday and Sundays at 1pm
Dream to Fly: Fridays at 4pm, Saturday and Sundays at 3pm

StoryWalk®: "Living Things Need Water"
2023-04-23 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-22 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-21 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-20 09:00 - 17:00 | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108
Take a stroll through the arboretum at Lauritzen Gardens and learn how water is important to living things- animals, people, and plants. Following along with the story “Living Things Need Water” by Karen Aleo, your family can take part in some fun activities. StoryWalk® combines the love of reading with healthy, fun activities that fit the theme of the story to exercise your brain and body. Included with paid admission or membership.

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
2023-04-23 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-22 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-21 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-20 09:00 - 17:00 | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108
Giant sculptures of sea life, made from marine debris collected on Oregon’s beaches, graphically illustrate the tragedy of plastic pollution in our ocean and waterways. The epic exhibit, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, at Lauritzen Gardens includes a titanic triggerfish, a pair of grand penguins, and an 11-foot-long shark named Chompers! More than a set of eye-catching sculptures, these thought-provoking pieces are designed to inspire conversations about conservation and generate positive changes and behaviors towards the environment.

Above and Beyond
2023-04-23 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-22 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-21 09:00 - 17:00 | Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, 28210 W Park Hwy, Ashland, NE, 68003, United States
Stop by the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum to view their latest exhibit, Above and Beyond.
Above and Beyond celebrates the power of innovation. Packed with interactive challenges; vehicle concept models and prototypes; immersive media presentations; and inspiring innovator stories, this exhibition invites you to experience what it takes to make impossible dreams take flight.
Regular museum admission.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower Late Night Star Party
2023-04-22 22:00 - 2023-04-23 02:00 | Branched Oak Observatory, 14300 NW 98th St., Raymond, NE, 68428, United States
The Lyrid Meteor Shower is going to be a GREAT ONE this year thanks to a near-moonless night and a weekend timeframe.
For this event, we will combine our regular star party, i.e. viewing planets, galaxies, nebulae, and star-clusters with staying up LATE into the early morning hours when the meteor shower’s radiant is high, and more/brighter shooting stars are likely.
The Lyrid Meteor Shower is caused when the Earth passes through the debris leftover by Comet Thatcher. The highpoint of the meteor shower is predicted between the 21st and 23rd of April, and may yield as many as 10-15 meteors per hour. Although rare, the Lyrids are known for surges that bring rates of up to 100 meteors per hour!
• The event will begin Saturday evening at 10PM, and the sky-park will remain open until 2AM Sunday morning.
• Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, etc.
• Bring your own cooler, refreshments and snacks.
• Feel free to come anytime between 10pm and 2am. Lay back, relax, and stay as long as you would like.
• Our billboard light on at the corner of Raymond Rd. & 98th St. will go out and stay out around 11:30pm. Be sure you know our exact location / coordinates if you are joining us later in the morning hours.
• Although the meteors will be the big show for the evening, we will have our telescopes trained on dozens of beautiful objects throughout the evening.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
• No Registration
• Open to Everyone
• Arrive Anytime Between the Times Given
• Stay for the Entire Event or As Long As You Want
• No Park Permit Required
• No Telescope Needed – You are welcome to bring your own equipment!
Branched Oak Observatory is located 20min northwest of Lincoln, Nebraska, near but not inside the Branched Oak Lake and Recreation Area. You can find a Google Map to Branched Oak Observatory here.

Earth Day Omaha
2023-04-22 11:00 - 18:00 | Elmwood Park, 6232 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE, 68106
Earth Day Omaha is back at Elmwood Park on April 22 from 11am-6pm. This free day is filled with education, music, food and all the environmentalism and sustainability one could hope for!
Schedule available here.

Space Science Series for High School Students
2023-04-22 10:00 - 12:30 | NE
Are you fascinated by space? Are you curious about the origins of the Universe or the evolution of galaxies? The CMB-S4 collaboration, a worldwide scientific organization of professional astronomers and astrophysics invites you to join the Saturday Space Science Series! This virtual lecture series for high school students will explore the Big Bang, dark matter, dark energy, the expansion of the Universe, and more. You’ll learn about current astronomy research and careers in astrophysics and cosmology. Students who attend all four Saturdays will receive a certificate of participation.

Dates: April 8,15,22, and 29, 2023
Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm (central time zone)
Register at: https://forms.gle/pywY4aNwvnFfaazF6
Contact Person: Juliet Crowell at crowellj@uchicago.edu

Science Saturday Storytime
2023-04-22 10:00 - 11:00 | A.V. Sorensen Branch, 4808 Cass St., Omaha, NE, 68132, United States
Join Omaha Public Library for Science Saturdays at A.V. Sorensen all April long! In celebration of NE Science Fest and City Nature Challenge, Science Saturdays will offer a science-themed storytime at 10am followed by a family-friendly hands-on activity from 10:30-11am.
Storytime children of all ages are welcome, as storytimes will be tailored for the age of the children present. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking and writing in each storytime.
Childcare groups and other groups larger than 10, please call in advance.

Earth Day Forest Conservation Exploration
2023-04-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Fontenelle Forest, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N., Bellevue, NE, 68005, United States
Why is conservation of the oak savanna so important to the Forest? What can we do to help the native species of Nebraska? Learn this and more at Fontenelle Forest‘s Earth Day Forest Conservation Exploration!
Spend Earth Day with the family immersed in the natural beauty of the Forest, while learning about how we can conserve the Forest. Activities will include a trail mix snack station (peanut free), an artifact table related to species in the Forest, and a naturalist guided hike.
$5 for members (ages 2-17); $10 for members (ages 18+)
$10 for nonmembers (ages 2-17); $15 for nonmembers (ages 18+)
Free for children under age 2.
Registration Required.

SCC Family Science Night
2023-04-21 17:30 - 20:00 | Southeast Community College, 8800 O Street Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68520, United States
Join Southeast Community College on April 21 from 5:30-8:00pm for their SCC Family Science Night. Lots of GREAT activities such as DNA Extraction, a Fungus Scavenger Hunt, Reptiles & Herps, Arthropods, Telescope viewing, Augmented Reality Sandbox, Robots and more. There also will be free food (pizza) available for those that attend. Come celebrate Earth Day and have some science fun!
Free event, though tickets are recommended.

Hall of History Hands-On Weekly Activities
2023-04-21 15:00 - 16:30, 2023-04-20 15:00 - 16:30 | Boys Town Hall of History, 14057 Flanagan Blvd., Boys Town, NE, 68010, United States
This April, visit the Boys Town Hall of History and learn about various science topics with weekly activities. Each week the Hall of History will host staff-led science activities from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Plus, our hearing display including a hearing simulator will be featured throughout the month to teach visitors young and old about the science of hearing, what causes hearing loss and what hearing loss sounds like to a person with no hearing concerns.
Monthly feature: Hearing Display, available during Hall of History open hours
Weekly features:
Marble Run (physics, gravity) M-F April 3-7, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Printer Press (ink pressing) M-F April 10-14, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Molding Process (molds, statues) M-F April 17-21, 3:00pm – 4:30pm

2023 NAS Annual Spring Meeting
2023-04-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Nebraska Wesleyan University, 5000 St Paul Ave., Lincoln, NE, 68504, United States
Join the Nebraska Academy of Sciences on April 21 for the 2023 Annual Spring Meeting on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan University.
The meeting will be a HYBRID format with both in-person and remote-Zoom access for presentations and participation. This Meeting provides an excellent opportunity for students, faculty, and scientists to share their research results with peers and colleagues across Nebraska. Concurrent sessions will host selected themes across a range of scientific disciplines.
Following lunch, Dr. Jason Bartz will present “Prion and Prion-like Diseases,” for the 2023 Maiben Lecture.
Dr. Bartz has been investigating prions for over 30 years. Dr. Bartz’s research has investigated interspecies transmission, pathogenesis, and the biology of prion strains. Dr. Bartz’s group has developed novel whole animal and in vitro models of prion disease and, more importantly, the results from these systems have changed the paradigm of how a protein-only infectious agent can perform complex biological tasks. More recently, Dr. Bartz has expanded his studies to include the interaction of prions with the environment by leveraging his expertise in prion biology with collaborators in environmental engineering resulting in fundamental discoveries on how prions interface with the environment influences the biology of prion disease. Dr. Bartz is currently on the editorial board of numerous peer-reviewed journals including PLoS Pathogens and the Journal of Virology, has chaired numerous national and international prion advisory groups and serves on numerous grant review panels, both in the United States and abroad.
Please contact nebacad@unl.edu with questions and visit neacadsci.org for more information
Registration is required.

Valentine Fish Hatchery Tours
2023-04-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Valentine Fish Hatchery, 90164 Hatchery Road, Valentine, NE, 69201, United States
Located in a pine-covered valley one mile east and one mile north of Valentine, the Valentine Fish Hatchery is one of five hatcheries in Nebraska. Spread over 700 acres, the hatchery handles millions of fish eggs annually (60 million walleye eggs, for example). Last year, lakes in Cherry County alone were stocked with some 675,000 fish. Visitors are welcome during normal working hours. The hatchery also houses largemouth bass and bluegill year round. These species are allowed to spawn naturally in the hatchery ponds, and fingerlings are collected for distribution in the fall.
Contact the hatchery in advance – 402-376-2244 – to schedule a tour of the facilities. The hatchery is open to the public during normal working hours.
Government Canyon, located on the north end of the property, offers a variety of opportunities for hikers, bikers, bird watchers and wildlife photographers.

Demystifying Tech Careers Workshop
2023-04-20 17:30 - 20:30 | AIM Brain Exchange, 1902 Harney St., Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
This workshop provides participants with basic knowledge and definitions of technology terms and concepts. The goal of this workshop is to “demystify” tech by providing clear definitions of the five areas of tech as defined by the AIM Institute.
Participants will learn the technical foundation needed to gain access to the area’s fastest-growing H3(high demand, high skill, high wage) technology careers.

This event will be offered in-person.

Legos at the Library
2023-04-20 15:45 - 16:45 | City of Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Avenue, Kearney, NE, 68847, United States
Join the Kearney Library for some brick-snapping fun! Come design and build your own creations. The library will provide the Legos, you just need to bring your imagination along. No registration is required for this event.

Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences State Science Fair
2023-04-20 14:30 - 15:30 | Nebraska Wesleyan University, 5000 St Paul Ave., Lincoln, NE, 68504, United States
The Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences State Science Fair will be held in person at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Please join us at 2:30pm for the awards presentation in the Weary Center on campus.
