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HomeNational Astronomy Day Planetarium Show

CELEBRATE NATIONAL ASTRONOMY DAY
Free Public Planetarium Shows at NESciTech

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Produced by ESO Supernova Planetarium

History of Astronomy, Space Exploration, Telescopes; appropriate for ages 9 through adult; 30 min

Celebrate National Astronomy Day
with a Free Planetarium Show:


FROM THE EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos.

This stunning, 30-minute voyage through space and time conveys, through sparkling sights and sounds, the Universe revealed to us by science. The audience will learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and today’s giant telescopes that allow us to probe deeper into the Universe.


Scheduled Free Showings (3 days only!)

Fri  Sept 26,  7:00-8:00 pm  / 8:00-9:00 pm

Sat  Sept 27, 6:00-7:00 pm  /  7:00-8:00 pm  /  8:00-9:00 pm

Sun  Sept 28, 2:00-3:00 pm  /  3:00-4:00 pm  /  4:00-5:00 pm


Please be sure to read the details BELOW about seating inside our inflatable planetarium.

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At this event you can touch a rock from the Moon!

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Free Shows

We offer free IN-HOUSE planetarium shows for the public on special occasions. Watch this page and Events Calendar.

NOTE: We can bring the planetarium to your school - see the Planetarium Outreach page.


Student Preparation

The 4-meter diameter inflatable dome is in a room with many astronomy and space science artifacts, meteorites, and NASA memorabilia. Students will sit on the floor on small yoga mats, and one or two small beach chairs can be added for adults. Students must be at least 8 years old and not afraid of the dark or enclosed spaces. Students must have good balance to step through the vestibule doorways and be well behaved and quiet when inside.


Dome Capacity

Assuming a class with 1 teacher, there is room for approximately 12 elementary school children, 10 middle school children, or 8 high-schoolers or adults. The dome has a double door vestibule for easy access while standing up.


Dome Equipment

The dome is kept inflated by a large box fan, so fresh air is always flowing through. An HD video projector, amplified speakers, and a computer, make up the projection equipment. The dome is made of a fire retardant material and easily flipped up and over the group for emergency exit.


Additional Options

When you visit our planetarium, we often also show other educational items if time allows, such as meteorites, a dinosaur egg, pieces of NASA space gear, or something pertinent to the topic you request.


In warmer spring, summer, fall seasons we also offer free public telescope nights for the public. See the Public Telescope Nights page for more information.

Upcoming Events
Upcoming Planetarium Events

If you have any questions about the planetarium nights, bringing groups, or other activities at NE SciTech, please call 508-720-4179.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)


Q: How comfortable is it sitting on the floor?
A: The floor is covered with a 3/4" thick foam mat and additional yoga mats make the surface fairly comfortable. With more students, everyone will sit upright, but with fewer students, you can lie down and "look up at the stars."

Q: How comfortable for adults? 
A: We can place up to 6 small, low-to-the-ground beach chairs in the dome for adults who want them.

Q: What else can we do during our visit?  
A: We often open the NE Sci-Tech space for visitors to tour, visit the space science classroom, and try out the planetary scales, a Mars robot arm, touch a large meteorite, 3-D space display, amateur radio room, and more.

Q: What is the difference between multi-media and live shows? 
A: We have many professionally made shows that have sound, music, and narration that cover various topics in space science. The live show is done by the astronomer using a star planetarium software to take you on a tour of the night sky, constellations, and planets. We can show what is up currently in the sky, or take a tour through time to the past or future.

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