Constellation Talks Highlight UW Planetarium Schedule During November

Conversations about the constellations will be the programing focus at the University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium during November.

“This November, we will be hosting a rotation of constellation talks, Friday night live science shows, Saturday afternoon films and Saturday evening music shows punctuated by the Wyoming home football schedule and Thanksgiving break,” says Max Gilbraith, the planetarium’s coordinator.

To get tickets or receive more information about programs, email planetarium@uwyo.edu or leave a voicemail and a call-back phone number at (307) 766-6506. Tickets are $5 for the public or online tickets, and $3 for students, senior citizens, veterans, first responders and those under 18. Seating is free for children under 5.

Reservations or pre-purchase is not required, and walk-ins are welcome. Tickets can be purchased online with a credit card, reserved by email or voicemail, or purchased at the start of the show. Cash or check is accepted at the door. The planetarium, which seats 64, is in the basement of the Physical Sciences Building. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis outside of designated ADA/wheelchair seating.

To pay for tickets with a credit card, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/uwplanetarium/ticket.aspx. For a group larger than six, email the planetarium for a private show at https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKuqIynOn7gFK2F. Tickets for private shows are the same as the public programs.

A film and special live talk for audiences will be featured each week. All programs are approximately an hour in length. As time allows, a portion of the show also may focus on a live sky tour or supporting information related to the film’s topic.

The November schedule is:

-- Friday, Nov. 3: The planetarium will be closed due to the Wyoming-Colorado State University football game.   

-- Saturday, Nov. 4, 2 p.m.: “Mexican Archaeoastronomy: Between Space and Time,” a full-dome movie. This program illustrates the important role played by astronomical observation for the evolution of pre-Hispanic cultures in central Mexico.  

-- Saturday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: Indie Folk,” a music-based light show. Enjoy a custom playlist of “out-of-this-world” music from top artists in genres of rock, indie, pop, electronic and more in 5.1 surround sound. The 4K-resolution planetarium sky will become a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent.

-- Friday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.: “Leftovers! Asteroids, Comets, Meteors and Rings.” From a young age, we learn about the eight major planets. But what about everything else in the solar system, including bright meteor streaks in the sky, fireballs, comet tails and craters? Space missions have just begun exploring the asteroid Bennu and comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. What is NASA doing to learn about and defend Earth from these celestial curiosities?

-- Saturday, Nov. 11, 2 p.m.: “Forward! To the Moon,” a full-dome movie. Narrator Kari Byron, from “Crash Test World” and “MythBusters,” takes viewers on a journey beyond Earth toward a sustainable future in space. NASA’s 21st century Artemis program is the next step in the mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the moon. This film is produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with Tend Studio. 

-- Saturday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: Women Who Rock,” a music-based light show. Enjoy a custom playlist of “out-of-this-world” music from top artists in genres of rock, indie, pop, electronic and more in 5.1 surround sound. The 4K-resolution planetarium sky will become a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent.

-- Tuesday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m.: “Wyoming Skies.” The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.

-- Friday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.: “Constellations Across Cultures.” Just as each of us interprets shapes in clouds differently, the stars have served as a canvas for the diverse peoples of the world to embed their cultural, historical and mythological knowledge. The modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union paint thousands of years of shared written and oral traditions. In learning the contrasting interpretations of the sky, visitors will discover that the shared experience of stargazing and storytelling is a universal thread across cultures and generations.

-- Saturday, Nov. 18: The planetarium will be closed due to the Wyoming-University of Hawaii football game.

-- Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 23-25: The planetarium will be closed for Thanksgiving break.

-- Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.: “Wyoming Skies.” The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.

For more detailed descriptions of these programs, go to www.uwyo.edu/physics/planetarium/schedule.html.