Dr. Ken Trantham
chair, UNK Department of Physics and Physical Science, (o) 308.865.8278 (c) 308.293.3986 or tranthamkw@unk.edu
The first in the summer series of showings at Nebraska’s newest planetarium, “The Night Skies Over Kearney,” will take place Friday in the University of Nebraska at Kearney Bruner Hall of Science Planetarium.
Guest presenter Dan Glomski will begin the show at 8 p.m. The 45-minute show examines the constellations in the night sky in a fully accessible, 60-seat public science theater. Each of the 6,000 stars is individually projected on the dome with fiber-optic technology.
The space and time functions of the projector are completely computer controlled, which means that the presenter can navigate to any place in the world, and any date in the past or future, with the push of a button.
The show is free and open to the public; however, donations to the local food pantry will be accepted. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 7 p.m. If there is an overflow crowd, an encore show will be presented at 9 p.m. Children must be five years of age or older to attend.
Once a show has begun, no one will be admitted, and anyone who leaves during a presentation, will not be readmitted during the show. Also, food or drinks are not permitted inside the planetarium.
Immediately after the show, weather permitting, attendees will have an opportunity to view the night skies at the Seven Hills Observatory, a privately owned observatory west of UNK. Several telescopes will be available at the observatory, and members of a local astronomy club will be present to assist observers.
The Friday, June 3, show is the first in the summer series. Shows will also be presented on Friday, July 8, and Friday, Aug, 19.
For more information, visit the planetarium website at http://www.unk.edu/planetariumschedule/.
