Ever wonder what it would feel like to be sucked into a black hole? Selected children will have the chance to fall into an artificial black hole, build a man that stretches to many times his normal size and participate in other activities at the Saturday, June 17, ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Wizards show on "Black Holes."
Associate Professor Andrew Hamilton of the astrophysical and planetary sciences department will demonstrate the concepts of black holes in ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder's Fiske Planetarium at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
"Black Holes" is a brand-new hour-long show, aimed primarily at students in grades five through nine. Hamilton has presented "Black Holes and Relativity" as part of Fiske's monthly Astronomy Evening series.
The ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Wizards show will feature "Henry" the stretchy man to demonstrate how his body would stretch if he fell into a black hole, a gravitationally-powered jet to explain how black holes power jets, and a tornado demonstration to show how matter swirling into a black hole produces a vortex from which jets emerge.
Fifth-grade students from Lafayette Elementary School have been selected to jump into an artificial black hole. Students will get onto a treadmill at slow speed and fly off the back end onto a crash mat representing a black hole. Hamilton offers assurances that the demonstration has been tested and will be safe and fun.
"I've asked them all to scream really loud," he said.
ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Wizards is an annual program that provides an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics. The series includes presentations by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder faculty in areas ranging from biology to astrophysics.
"Black Holes" is the final presentation of the 1999-2000 series.
Free parking is available in lot 308, west of Fiske Planetarium; lot 436, east of the Engineering Center; and lot 378, east of the stadium.
For more information about the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Wizards series call (303) 492-4318.