This year's Explore Space and Biodays exhibition led about 1,000 people of all ages on an adventure from the rings of Saturn to DNA extraction Saturday morning outside the HUB-Robeson Center.

More than 100 students, professors and volunteers organized the interactive day of science with dozens of exhibits and tours that were set up for kids. Multimedia-based discussions and planetarium shows were geared toward the student and adult community.

"It's such a dreary day outside, that this was just a great opportunity," said Ruth Bacher as she watched her sons Jared and Austin smash up strawberries in a plastic bag while students showed them how to extract the DNA. "And I didn't have to drag them to it. They really like science and are excited about being here."

Last year was the seventh annual Space Day at Penn State. The event was put together by NASA's Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium (PSGC), but it was unable to hold the event this year because of budget problems, said Dynae Fullwood, NASA's education activities specialist. The astronomy department wanted to see the event happen, so it invited Fullwood to represent NASA when it organized this year's Explore Space. Fullwood led an activity on Saturn and promoted NASA's education programs.

"We did not have as much funding so were not able to have a space shuttle for Space Day, for example," said astronomy professor Jane Charlton, one of the event organizers. "However, we did have 3-D tours of the universe and Mars, which have not been used before."

Charlton said nearly 1,000 people attended Explore Space.

PSGC will also be back next year to run the event.

Kids came with their parents, classmates and groups. A group of middle and high school students belonging to the Civil Air Patrol came together in full uniform.

"We came because we are learning about aerospace science in the Civil Air Patrol," said Quinton Piper, 15, of Bellefonte. "Someday I want to be a pilot, so all of this stuff is really interesting."

Biodays got a facelift this year -- the number of activities increased to cover the entire first floor of Osmond Lab, and there was an emphasis on microbiology.

"We actually wanted to do more on microbiology because of the recent outbreak of bacteria in spinach because people get so scared by it," Tracy Vrablik, one of the graduate student sponsors. "It's important that people learn that germs are important and helpful, even E. coli."

Some of the most popular attractions were the animals brought by Shavers Creek, such as the red-tailed hawk and the insect room. Students also brought over an Australian walking stick insect to the HUB to attract Explore Space attendees to Biodays, mesmerizing entire crowds of people with the bug.