The Library of Congress and National Air & Space Museum

December 6, 2008

EXPLORATIONS: PAST & FUTURE

Library of Congress: "Exploring the Early Americas"



Courtesy of the Library of Congress

The first exhibit we visited was "Exploring the Early Americas" in The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is the largest library in the world by shelf space.

The first item examined was from before the arrival of Europeans: a carved mirror with hieroglyphs. It was a greenish slate with a red cinnabar. It was dated back to AD 200-600 from the Early Classic Mayans from the Guatemalan Lowlands. It is one of only 2 texts referring to Yax Yopaat of the Snake Dynasty - a very influential, yet relatively unknown king. The mirror was said to belong to the son of the king.

The second item examined was from during the first century: a codex from a landmark native legal dated back to 1531. It is the earliest image of Madonna and child by Indians of the New World. It was part of a lawsuit brought by the indigenous people of Huetjozingo, Mexico on behalf of Hernán Cortes. They sued Mexican judges for demanding excessive tribute payments from Indians. The indigenous people experienced an unprecedented victory.

The third item examined was a La Florida Map by Abraham Ortelius dated back to 1584. It is the first separately printed map of Spanish Florida. It traces the land from Chesapeake Bay to present-day New Mexico. At the time, England and France wanted that land from Spain. However, by the late 17th century, France had established settlements in Louisiana and Britain had colonized Georgia.

National Air & Space Museum: "Space: A Journey to Our Future"


Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum


The second exhibit we visited was "Space: A Journey to Our Future" in the National Air & Space Museum. It is the most popular of the Smithsonian museums and maintains the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world.

The first space exploration mission examined was "Orion: Back to the Moon". Its proposed launch is scheduled for no later than 2015 by NASA. Orion will circle in lunar orbit, and Altair will land on the moon. The whole mission has potential to voyage farther into the solar system. The key technology of Orion are computers, electronics, life support, propulsion, and heat protection systems. There are also plans to build an outpost for long-term human presence so that there may be future journeys to Mars or other destinations in the solar system. The exhibit consisted of a poster with a photo of the probe.

The second space exploration mission examined was "The Future is Now: Mars Odyssey Orbiter". Its launch date was in 2001 and is sponsored by NASA. It had several aspects of its mission: carry out planets full-scale compositional survey, analyze global elemental composition of the planet, search for hot springs and mineral deposits, survey the radiation environment, and provide a communication link between Mars Exploration Rovers and the Earth. The key technologies used in the Mars Odyssey Orbiter are spectrometers. The exhibit consisted of a poster with one photo of the orbiter.

The third space exploration mission examined was "Surveying the Moon: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)". Its launch date is scheduled for late 2008 and is sponsored by NASA. It is set to orbit the moon for one year, focusing on a selection of safe landing sites and polar regions. It also must identify lunar resources, study of affects of lunar radiation on humans, map and collect detailed information on the Moon's features and resources to create an outpost. They may also find water in the form of ice beneath the surface and continuous light from the sun. The exhibit consisted of a large poster and a photo of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS).



Wrap Up Questions

1. The Library of Congress and the National Air & Space Museum had very different styles of presenting their information. The Library of Congress had very pristine and ornate exhibits - appropriate for a library; whereas, the National Air & Space Museum had more interactive exhibits, movies, etc. I thought the different styles were very appropriate considering the age demographic of the people visiting the two museums. The National Air & Space Museum is a much more kid-friendly museum considering the information presented is very interesting to children. The Library of Congress is geared more towards high school and older - kids aren't typically interested in the Ancient Mayans.

2. The information at the two different exhibits is a great example of the changes made in the history of exploration. At the Library of Congress, the map of Spanish Florida was such a great feat for its time considering their lack of advanced technology. Compared to the exhibit at the National Air & Space Museum - missions set to explore space - time has skyrocketed technology. Mapping out Spanish Florida is nothing compared to exploring the moon and stars - something 16th century America could never even imagine doing.

Last modified:
11 December 2008