The James H. Lynn Planetarium makes the stars and the night sky come alive for young and "less young"! As the lights dim and the images of the stars appear on the dome ceiling, one has the feeling of viewing a night sky as it hasn't been seen for hundreds of years. There is no atmospheric light build-up from buildings, street lamps, cars, or industries. The night is pure black with only the millions of pin-point lights from the stars and planets.
- Special effects
in the dome include rotating planets, moons, galaxies, comets, nebulae,
asteroids, and black holes. See images from Mariner, Viking, Voyager, Sojourner,
and Pathfinder expeditions, as well as deep space objects viewed through
the lens of the Hubbell Space Telescope.
- In Planet Quest,
travel with explorers from another galaxy as they tour our solar system.
- Sky Over Gastonia,
a live star show, teaches fundamentals of naked-eye astronomy and how to
recognize the planets, moons, and constellations you can see from your own
backyard.
- Follow the Drinking Gourd illustrates African-American sky lore and shows how slaves used songs and stars to guide them on their way to the Underground Railway and to freedom.
- Cosmic Catastrophes
explores causes of dinosaur - and possibly human - extinction linked to
catastrophic events from space.
- The Quest for Planet X takes you to the outer reaches of our solar system to search for the elusive tenth planet.
- Children enjoy camping out with Grandpa Ben
in Bear Tales and Other Grizzly Stories,
and hearing tall tales from Ancient Greece to American Indian Star Legends
describing the constellations.
- Sol and Company
introduces children to Sol, who in turn introduces them to the planet
of our solar system while enjoying a hearty sing-along.
- In Planet Patrol: Solar System Stakeout, children join Sam Snork, P.I. (Planetary Investigator) and his sidekick Elmo in investigating some unusual transmissions and discovering new information about our solar system.
Planetarium Presentations each Saturday at 1, 2, & 3 p.m. (year round);Sunday at 2 & 3 p.m. (year-round). Monday-Friday at 3 p.m. (June through mid-August); Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. (September through May). A free presentation is offered at 7 p.m. each 2nd and 4th Tuesday monthly. Weekday group presentations are available by appointment year-round.
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