UW Planetarium Schedule Includes Program at Albany County Public Library in June

A special planetarium program at the Albany County Public Library will highlight offerings at the University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium during June.

“We are excited to work with them, as they are really good about putting on activities for children and the public,” says Jordan Turner, the planetarium’s interim coordinator, of the library. “So, we are excited to bring some astronomy to them. We will be setting up telescopes in the parking lot of the library.”

The special show at the library, titled “Stargazing with the Planetarium,” is Friday, June 7, and will start at 8:30 p.m. -- half an hour later than typical Friday evening programs.

“Since the weather is getting warmer, we want people to get outside and look at the night sky. So, we are going to focus on stargazing and what you are looking at when you look at the stars,” Turner says. “We are excited to team up with the Albany County Public Library so everyone can use our telescopes to get a better look at the night sky.”

Friday night shows start at 8 p.m., and STAR Observatory star parties run from 9-9:30 p.m. Kid-themed planetarium shows are Saturdays at 11 a.m. The month also includes four Tuesday night shows; they begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $3 for students and $4 for nonstudents. Tickets can be purchased at the Department of Physics and Astronomy main office, located in Room 204 of the Physical Sciences Building, Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m.-noon. Tickets also can be purchased by going online at http://wyomingspacegrant.org/planetarium/shows/ and clicking on “Purchase tickets online with a credit card.” Doors open 20 minutes before the show, where tickets will be sold if available. The planetarium, which seats 58, is located in the basement of the Physical Sciences Building.

The June planetarium schedule is as follows:

-- “This Month’s Sky,” Tuesday, June 4, 7 p.m. There is plenty of summer celestial action to watch out for this June: new constellations, the summer solstice, Jupiter at its brightest and the best time of the year to spot Mercury.

-- “Stargazing with the UW Planetarium,” Friday, June 7, 8:30 p.m. This special event will take place at the Albany County Public Library, 310 S. Eighth St. Visitors will receive a short introduction to the ins and outs of stargazing and then will go outside with some telescopes and look at the stars. This event is free and open to the public, and is for all ages. Light refreshments will be served.

-- “Astronauts, Spaceships and Robots!,” Saturday, June 8, 11 a.m. Did you know that there have been humans living in space for the last 19 years? Or, that we've landed a robot on Venus? In this show, visitors will learn all about the places that have been explored in space with astronauts in spaceships and robots flying on giant rockets. Visitors can stay after the program to build their own spaceships.

 -- Full-Dome Movie: “Seeing!,” Tuesday, June 11, 7 p.m. This program, narrated by astronomer and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, follows the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before traveling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone's retina. This movie explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain.

-- Full-Dome Movie: “From Earth to the Universe,” Friday, June 14, 8 p.m. The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has inspired awe and has been the subject of campfire stories and ancient myths for thousands of years. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, visitors are invited to experience this program.

-- Full-Dome Movie: “Seeing!,” Tuesday, June 18, 7 p.m. This program, narrated by astronomer and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, follows the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before traveling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone's retina. This movie explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain.

-- “Dust, Light, Dust: The Life Cycle of a Star,” Friday, June 21, 8 p.m. Although stars aren't alive, they are born, go through a metamorphosis and die much like a butterfly. Learn about the science behind the formation of stars, the various forms they take and their life cycles. The STAR Observatory on the rooftop of the Physical Sciences Building will be open to the public for a “star party” from 9-9:30 p.m. Weather permitting, telescopes will be set up to peer into the evening sky.

-- “Tycho to the Moon,” Saturday, June 22, 11 a.m. Blast off on an amazing ride with Tycho and his friends, Ruby and Michael. Visitors will learn about night and day, space travel, phases of the moon and features of the lunar surface. Take a close-up look at the sun; see Tycho play in zero gravity; witness Earth from space; and watch meteors shoot across the night sky.

-- Full-Dome Movie: “Seeing!,” Tuesday, June 25, 7 p.m. This program, narrated by astronomer and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, follows the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before traveling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone's retina. This movie explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain.

-- “The Hot and Energetic Universe,” Friday, June 28, 8 p.m. This show will explore the achievements of modern astronomy; the most advanced terrestrial and orbital observatories; the basic principles of electromagnetic radiation; and the natural phenomena related to the high-energy astrophysics. This high-energy radiation reveals the processes that shape the hot and violent universe.

For more detailed descriptions of these programs, go to www.wyomingspacegrant.org/planetarium/shows/.