KEARNEY – You can explore the universe at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The UNK Planetarium is hosting a variety of faculty presentations this semester as part of its “Astro Friday” series. Offered the first Friday of each month, these shows feature a topical science talk combined with the use of a projector that simulates views of the sky, including stars, planets, constellations and deep-sky objects.
“The UNK Planetarium and its analog Zeiss star projector offer incredible, realistic views of the night sky,” said Director Adam Jensen, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “The projector can simulate the sky as seen at any time of day, any day of the year, years into the future or past, or from any latitude on Earth.”
“Astro Friday” events for the fall semester include:
- 7 and 8 p.m. Sept. 1 – “Backyard Astronomy” presented by assistant astronomy professor Brandon Marshall
- 7 and 8 p.m. Oct. 6 – “A History of Galaxies” presented by associate astronomy professor Joel Berrier
- 7 p.m. Nov. 3 – “The James Webb Space Telescope” presented by Jensen
- 8:15 p.m. Nov. 3 – “How Do We Know What We Know About Stars?” presented by Jensen
- 7 p.m. Dec. 1 – “The Moon Through History” presented by physics professor Ken Trantham
Admission to the shows is free, but attendees are required to reserve a ticket at https://unk-planetarium.ticketleap.com/. Tickets will be available approximately one week before each show. Walk-ins will be accepted if there are open seats five minutes before showtime.
The UNK Planetarium is accessible and can accommodate one or two wheelchairs per show.
For more information, contact Jensen at jensenag@unk.edu.
