The New Children’s Museum spotlights America’s Space Agency with a new exhibit and Pluto update.

Lake Victoria Star Trails and Bioluminescence. Submitted photo

Submitted by Jennifer Toone

Get illuminated this July with The New Children’s Museum as we welcome a traveling NASA exhibit called “Light: Beyond the Bulb” in celebration of the International Year of Light.

The light we can see with our naked eyes constitutes only a fraction of all the wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum. Technologies that let us detect otherwise unseen light — radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays — have been crucial to advances in science and medicine.

According to the International Year of Light organizers, the science of generating, controlling and detecting light is essential to our daily life. It is used in common technologies and processes, such as cellphones, manufacturing and medical procedures.

This new exhibit features vibrant images that connect science and art, furthering The New Children’s Museum’s commitment to move full STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) ahead into the future by inspiring creativity and lifelong learning. STEAM is a nationwide movement that integrates art and design with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – the STEM subjects.

“Light: Beyond the Bulb” will be on display from July 1 – 26, 2015 and will include accompanying astronomy-related activities.

On July 14, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will make history when it makes a close flyby of Pluto. For the first time, humans will see details of this distant world and its fascinating moons.

Museum visitors can learn the latest news about Pluto during the 1 p.m. planetarium shows in July and August. These “Pluto Updates” will be presented by the Planetarium Staff.

The museum is home to over 100 live animals, hands-on science exhibits, out-of-this-world digital planetarium shows, and programs for younger children and families. The Children’s Museum and Roaring Brook Nature Center are the region’s premiere destinations for science and nature exploration.

The Children’s Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford and at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.