All planetarium shows begin at 7:30pm.
Admission opens at 7:00pm; $5/adult, $3/student, 6 and under free.
Telescope viewing afterwards on clear nights
June 3 – The Magic Carpet Tour
We can use the star projector in the planetarium to pretend to fly anywhere on Earth – like a magic carpet! Gena Crook will demonstrate the motion of the stars across the sky at the equator, the north pole, and the southern hemisphere. We will also watch how the sun changes positions at these locations. You may be surprised if you haven’t actually been to the equator or the north pole in person! This program will put the star projector to work and allow us to see its unique educational capabilities.
Presented by Gena Crook
June 10 and 24 – The Universe is Trying to Kill You
Beyond the calamities that face us here on our planet, there are other forces in the universe that can do us in. Since our planet formed, it has been under constant threat of annihilation from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial influences. There are numerous terrestrial or natural events that can and do occur, such as hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes, that have terrible outcomes. These disastrous terrestrial events pale in comparison to some of what lies out in the solar system and beyond that could cause our ultimate demise, such as giant meteors, comets, asteroids, exploding stars, and more. Join us as we take a somewhat lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek look at the dark shadow of doom that awaits us from within our solar system and the deep recesses of the universe.
Presented by Jared Cassidy, VBAS Planetarium Director
June 17 – Hairy Stars
To our forebears, comets were the oddest things. They didn’t look like the stars, they didn’t wander like the planets, and they were often seen following or preceding the Sun in the evening or morning sky. It’s no wonder that they were often associated with doom and change! The word ‘comet’ comes from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘long haired’ and in this presentation, we’ll look at what we know about these hairy stars from observations and space probes and how comets could be the key to exploring our galaxy!
Presented by Alex Hall