Friends, partners and supporters filled the Science Center on Thursday, Jan. 25 as LSC celebrated its 25th anniversary event.

All night, attendees looked back at some of the Science Center’s most iconic moments (like when a couple got engaged in the planetarium!) and shared some of the Science Center's most interesting facts (14,000,000 guests have walked through these doors over 25 years).

But most importantly, it was a night of looking forward. Throughout the event, LSC CEO and President Paul Hoffman honored supporters whose contributions will help LSC continue to grow and inspire visitors for years to come.

The first honoree was Jennifer Chalsty, who provided for the creation of the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater, the largest and most technologically advanced planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.

Guests filled the planetarium and enjoyed a show highlighting breaking space news, such as the recent launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and the most detailed visualization ever created of the Orion Nebula, one of the crown jewels of the night sky.

The second honoree was philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson, whose support will help LSC’s exhibitions remain cutting-edge for years to come.

Honorees Josh and Judy Weston provided for the creation of the Weston Family Lab for Earth and Space Exploration, an exhibition and state-of-the-art laboratory classroom featuring Science on a Sphere, the brainchild of researchers at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Sphere is a six-foot suspended electronic globe that enables students and adults to track in real-time hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes on Earth, as well as “atmospheric” events on other planets and moons.

Honorees Joseph D. and Millie E. Williams have been LSC supporters since the very beginning. They provided for the creation of “Sapiens 2.0: Will 100 Be the New 60?”, an upcoming exhibition featuring the exciting new science of human life extension.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop was honored for his support of LSC’s planned SciTech Scity, a mini-city of scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, students, and educators who will come together with the shared goal of creating a better future.

At the event, Fulop said that one day people will look at SciTech Scity as “one of the single most special things in all of Jersey City.”

EY was also honored, as well as EY US Chairman and Managing Partner and Americas Managing Partner Steve Howe, for being a founding sponsor of SciTech Scity.

Paul Hoffman and Steve Howe

“The mission of Liberty Science Center and SciTech Scity is perfectly aligned with our focus on driving innovation to build a better working world,” said Howe.

Following dinner and dessert, LSC Distinguished Speaker Janna Levin, also known as the “chillest astrophysicist alive,” gave an incredible presentation on the universe and a glimpse into how much more we have to explore: “Our Milky Way Galaxy is tiny compared to the scale of the universe,” she said. “And yet we’ve gone nowhere.”

Also in attendance was 9-year-old Jack Davis, LSC's official Kid Science Advisor, who joined us last summer. We offered him the position after he made headlines for applying to NASA's Planetary Protection Officer job. NASA didn't immediately offer him the job (he's too young!), so we invited him to work for us instead.

It was an incredible evening celebrating not only LSC’s past and present, but also its future.

Thanks for everyone’s support over the last 25 years, and for the next 25 to come!

Liberty Science Center sincerely thanks Hackensack Meridian Health for its generous support of our 25th anniversary event