CREATURES OF LIGHT
NATURE'S BIOLUMINESCENCE
May 28 - September 5, 2022
Have you ever captured a glowing firefly? On a warm summer evening, a firefly’s light seems rare and magical. Yet the tree of life is spangled with organisms that blink, glow, flash, and glitter. Welcome to the world of bioluminescence - the generation of light by living things.
"Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence" immerses visitors in the extraordinary world of organisms that produce light, from the flickering fireflies (aka "lightning bugs") found in backyards across the Midwest to the deep-sea fishes that illuminate the perpetually dark depths of the oceans. Rare among plants and animals that live on land, the ability to glow - that is, to generate light through a chemical reaction - is much more common in the ocean, where up to 90 percent of animals at depths below 700 meters (2,300 feet) are bioluminescent.
"Creatures of Light" reveals some of the most magical, wondrous, and truly extraordinary creatures and phenomena to be found in the natural world and takes visitors to such fascinating places as a bioluminescent bay and the far depths of the ocean, explains why and how certain animals create "living light," and helps us all better understand the vast and glorious ecosystem of which we are just a part.
BIOLUMINESCENCE
Eighty percent of all known bioluminescent groups inhabit the world's oceans. At certain depths, nearly all organisms glow. On land, things are quite different. There are bioluminescent fungi and insects, but no flowering plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or mammals that glow.
How did bioluminescence evolve? Scientists are still working on this question. But one thing is clear: bioluminescence has evolved independently many times - at least 50, and probably many more. Such widespread occurrence tells scientists that the trait provides an important edge to organisms that have it.
"Creatures of Light" will help answer such essential questions as:
In "Creatures of Light," visitors will move through a series of re-created environments, from the familiar to the extreme, to explore the diversity of organisms that glow and how they do it; discover the variety of ways in which light is used to attract a mate, lure unsuspecting prey, or defend against a predator; and learn how, where, and why scientists study this amazing natural phenomenon.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
The museum gratefully acknowledges our exhibition presenting sponsor, PNC.
Additional sponsorship by UnityPoint Health,OSF HealthCare and the Corporate Visionary Society Council.
Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada, and The Field Museum, Chicago.
NEW LIVE SHOW!
UNIVERSE OF LIGHT
Explore the strange and wondrous light of the universe across the light spectrum, from the brightest stars in the night sky to the oldest light at the edge of the observable universe.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Sat, May 28 | 3 PM - TICKETS
Sat, May 28 | 6:30 PM - TICKETS
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is a young apprentice Jedi knight under the tutelage of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) ; Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who will later father Luke Skywalker and become known as Darth Vader, is just a 9-year-old boy. When the Trade Federation cuts off all routes to the planet Naboo, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are assigned to settle the matter.
Rated PG | Release date: May 19, 1999 | Director: George Lucas
HOLLYWOOD'S FAVORITE SUBJECT: HOLLYWOOD
Sydney Pollack's
TOOTSIE (1982)
Sun, May 29 | 2:30 PM | TICKETS
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Sat, June 4 | 3 PM - TICKETS
Sat, June 4 | 6:30 PM - TICKETS
Set ten years after the events of "The Phantom Menace," the Republic continues to be mired in strife and chaos. A separatist movement encompassing hundreds of planets and powerful corporate alliances poses new threats to the galaxy that even the Jedi cannot stem. These moves, long planned by an as yet unrevealed and powerful force, lead to the beginning of the Clone Wars -- and the beginning of the end of the Republic.
Rated PG | Release date: May 16, 2002 | Director: George Lucas
Yoga Under the Stars
Enjoy a beautiful evening of yoga practice under a starry sky, without worrying about mosquitoes or rain! This evening will feature a 15 minute star talk, showing off our summer constellations. Then Heather will lead a one hour yoga practice, with beautiful stars, nebula and planets dazzling on the dome above.
Heather Capperrune has been teaching yoga and curating unique experiences with movement in Peoria for six years.
Participants are asked to bring their own mats.
Each session will be an hour and 15 minutes long.
Fri, June 10 | 6 PM
Doors open at 5:45, Event starts at 6 PM
Purchase tickets here.
$20 Members | $25 Public
All sessions are an hour and 15 minutes in length.
Limited mats are available, please bring a mat and a light blanket. Doors open at 5:30 pm. All supplies provided for programs unless otherwise noted. All paid programs require a minimum number of participants to run or will be cancelled two business days prior to the start date. Pre-registration required.
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Sat, June 11 | 3 PM - TICKETS
Sat, June 11 | 6:30 PM - TICKETS
It has been three years since the Clone Wars began. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) rescue Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from General Grievous, the commander of the droid armies, but Grievous escapes. Suspicions are raised within the Jedi Council concerning Chancellor Palpatine, with whom Anakin has formed a bond. Asked to spy on the chancellor, and full of bitterness toward the Jedi Council, Anakin embraces the Dark Side.
Rated PG-13 | Release date: May 19, 2005 | Director: George Lucas
MEET DAN ZEHR, AUTHOR & STAR WARS EXPERT
STAR WARS I AM YOUR FATHER: Lessons for Parents, Protectors, and Mentors
BOOK TALK & SIGNING
Sat, Jun 18
4:30-5 PM | Book Talk & Author Q&A
5-5:30 PM | Book Signing*
Meet Dan Z, the host and brand director of Star Wars podcast "Coffee With Kenobi" and a prominent expert in Star Wars fandom. Find out more at coffeewithkenobi.com! *Limited number of books available.
--June 18, 3:30 & 6 PM see film that started it all, Star Wars ( Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope), celebrating its the 45th anniversary. More info & tickets: CLICK HERE--
