FULL DOME VIDEO: CHASING THE GHOST PARTICLE + ICE CUBE TALK

May 21, 2017, 1:30 p.m.

Deep in the ice at the heart of Antarctica, IceCube, the biggest and strangest detector in the world waits for mysterious messengers from the cosmos. Scientists are using tiny and elusive particles called neutrinos to explore the most extreme places in the universe. These ghostly neutrinos give us an exclusive way to study powerful cosmic engines like exploding stars and black holes.

In this 30-minute show, stunning simulations of the most energetic places in our universe, and the galaxies around us, are the prelude to a thrilling journey inside IceCube, looking for traces of neutrino collisions in the ice. From one of the most remote locations on Earth to the unexplored regions of the cosmos, "Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe" will take you on a journey you won't forget.

Duration: 30 minutes. Target Audience: Suitable for all ages.

Presentation about Ice Cube

IceCube is a particle detector at the South Pole that records the interactions of a nearly massless subatomic particle called the neutrino. IceCube searches for neutrinos from the most violent astrophysical sources: events like exploding stars, gamma-ray bursts, and cataclysmic phenomena involving black holes and neutron stars. The IceCube telescope is a powerful tool to search for dark matter and could reveal the physical processes associated with the enigmatic origin of the highest energy particles in nature.

Kate Miller just spent one month as a teacher-researcher working on the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole and she'll be sharing her experience with us. Kate will discuss neutrinos, how IceCube detects these elusive particles, and what daily life is like in such a remote location. You can even try on some Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear - the outfit scientists wear to keep warm in Antarctica!

Kate is a physics teacher at Washington-Lee High School. She traveled to the South Pole through PolarTREC, an NSF-funded program that matches teachers with researchers in polar regions.

The presentation should last about 30 minutes. Target Audience: Middle and high school aged children as well as adults.

For more information, see Summertime and the Viewing is Easy

Doors open: 1 p.m. Show begins: 1:30 p.m.

Our capacity is 58 seats. We set aside 20 seats to accommodate those who arrive without a reservation, so if the show is sold out you can still try to attend by arriving close to 1 p.m. However, although we will do whatever we can to seat all comers, there is no guarantee of admission without a reservation.