Bushman Planetarium presents public shows May 22 and 23

May 14, 2026-The Bushman Planetarium at Missouri Western State University will present public showings of "Fractals" and "Nanocam" at 7 p.m. Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall, room 147.

"Fractals"

A spectacular show that gives viewers a tour of the fractals in nature, endlessly repeating patterns made from simple algebraic equations. While these fractal zooms are mathematical abstractions, audiences are always amazed to recognize that patterns of nature - shapes such as trees, lightning, coastlines, insects, bacteria, seashells and more - can all be found within a fractal zoom. Each fractal tells the story of the processes that created it.

"Nanocam"

A fascinating journey exploring life forms that are invisible to the human eye and contribute to a better understanding of the world we live in. This show explores the kingdoms of bacteria, protists and their stunning mechanism of motility, the amazing structure of fungi, the specializations of plants and incredible complexity of the animal kingdom, seen through an electron microscope - a breathtaking trip into the five kingdoms of living things. This unique program, based on a scientific approach and featuring images that have never been seen before, offers another dimension of reality, a reality that is measured in micrometers.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets are not sold at the door, so they must be purchased in advance either online at missouriwestern.edu/planetarium or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.

Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. MoWest is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.