Want to lift off into space, but don't have a rocket? Just stop by the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden on July 30, 2006, from 5 pm to 10 pm, and the Spitzer Science Center will bring the infrared universe to you!

The Arboretum is hosting a unique celebration of nature, technology and art, titled "Terra-Byte" (terra as in the planet Earth, and byte describing a unit of storage in computers). The celebration will include a dazzling display of cosmic images and artist's concepts from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Astronomer, space artist, and host of the popular Hidden Universe vodcast, Dr. Robert Hurt, will be available to answer questions about space, and demonstrate how infrared technology works.

Guests can also make their way through an evening of ever-changing sounds, sights and spaces within the "Ephemeral Forest," an outdoor tensile, structural composition of bamboo and fabric designed on-site. In addition, there will be "soundscape" performances and a disc jockey music set accompanied by visuals.

The event is free with a cash bar, food and hands-on activities. Walking garden tours are offered before dark.

The Arboretum is located at 301 N. Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia, California, just 2 miles east of Pasadena.

For more information please visit: www.arboretum.org.