7 p.m. in the Emert Auditorium (Room 130) of the Eccles Science Learning Center on the USU campus. (For directions, click here.)

"The Dawn Mission: The Origin of Life and the Great Planet Debate” 

Is Pluto a planet? What, exactly, is the definition of a planet?

According to astromomer Mark Sykes, director of Arizona's Planetary Science Institute, science is a never-ending process of refinement and modification. As more information and observations are gathered, theories are proposed and tested. Definitions and classification schemes are a part of that process and are continually evaluated for their usefulness.

"Decades of robotic exploration of the solar system, the discovery of hundreds of planets around stars beyond our sun and identification of life in extreme environments on Earth are changing the way we look at planets," says Sykes, a recipient of NASA's Planetary Science Division Distinguished Service Award. "Long-held ideas are being challenged -- it's a revolution."

Join Dr. Sykes on June 26th and learn more about our solar system. Be ready for a spirited debate about whether or not Pluto is a planet and form your own opinion! 

Following the presentation, we'll move outside to the USU Quad for a scaled planet walk and learn more about each planet. The walk leads to the Aggie Ice Cream store on 1200 North where we'll enjoy a cool, out-of-this-world dessert! Click here for a map of the solar system walk.

(NOTE: For those who wish to head straight from the presentation to Aggie Ice Cream or for those who would like a ride back to the presentation site after completing the planet walk, a shuttle service will be available continuously from 8-9 p.m.)