Our space invasion continues this month at Discovery Place Kids-Huntersville as we train for our Mission to Mars.

The fourth planet from the sun and the second smallest planet in the solar system, Mars is named for the Roman god of War. It is also sometimes referred to as the Red Planet due to its surface color, which is brownish-red.

Throughout August, we will explore everything about Mars – from how it gets its unique coloring to what it would be like to move there.

From August 1-10, The Colors of Mars will be on full display. We know the Earth is blue because of all the ocean water, but why is Mars red? Join us as we take a deep dive into the coloring of Mars.

Did you know Mars is home to the largest volcano in our solar system? Olympus Mons is a shield volcano that was formed billions of years ago. Learn more about Volcanoes – those found on Mars as well as the ones here on Earth – from August 11-17.

From August 18-24, we are Moving to Mars and you’re invited to join us as we look at some plants and animals found on Earth and what it would take for them to survive on the Red Planet.

Round out the month of Mars mania with our Roving Robots program from August 25-31. A lot of what we know about Mars comes from information we get from rovers there. Be sure to join us as we explore how robots work and create your very own.

Another important launch

We want to help launch our area’s rising kindergarteners into a successful school year so we’re hosting a special Countdown to Kindergarten event on August 16. During this free community event, our area’s newest schoolchildren and their families are invited to come meet local kindergarten teachers, visit a mock classroom and so much more.