UW Planetarium Schedule Moves to Tuesday and Thursday Programming During Summer

The University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium's programming schedule will adjust its orbit this summer.

"We are going to be changing our summer hours this June and introducing afternoon programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the month while no longer holding public programs on Fridays and Saturdays," says Max Gilbraith, the planetarium's director. "Regular weekend public programs will resume sometime in August."

The summer format will include a planetarium film followed by a "star talk." Star talks will consist of a brief follow-up of concepts from the film; a mini "Wyoming Skies" program; a question-and-answer session; and requests from the audience, Gilbraith says.

To get tickets or receive more information about programs, email [email protected] or leave a voicemail and a callback phone number at (307) 766-6506. Tickets are $5 for the public or online tickets, and $3 for students, senior citizens, veterans, first responders and those under 18. Seating is free for children under 5. Bulk tickets/gift cards are available at $2 each when 10 or more tickets are purchased.

Reservations or pre-purchase is not required, and walk-ins are welcome. Tickets can be purchased online with a credit card, reserved by email or voicemail, or purchased at the start of the show. Cash or check is accepted at the door. The planetarium, which seats 64, is in the basement of the Physical Sciences Building. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis outside of designated ADA/wheelchair seating.

To pay for tickets with a credit card, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/uwplanetarium/ticket.aspx. For a group larger than six, email the planetarium for a private show at https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKuqIynOn7gFK2F. Tickets for private shows are the same as the public programs.

A film and special live talk for audiences will be featured each week. All programs are approximately an hour in length. As time allows, a portion of the show also may focus on a live sky tour or supporting information related to the film's topic.

The June schedule is:

-- Tuesday, June 2, 1 p.m.: "Dawn of the Space Age," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. The film explores the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, the magnificent lunar landings and privately operated space flights.

-- Tuesday, June 2, 7 p.m.: "The Hot and Energetic Universe," a full-dome movie. The film investigates the achievements of modern astronomy; the most advanced terrestrial and orbital observatories; the basic principles of electromagnetic radiation; and the natural phenomena related to high-energy astrophysics.

-- Thursday, June 4, 1 p.m.: "The Sun: Our Living Star," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. The sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Viewers will discover the secrets of the sun and experience never-before-seen images of its violent surface.

-- Sunday, June 7, 8:30-10:30 p.m.: "Observing Night at North Crow Reservoir." The UW Planetarium hosts a night-sky star party overlooking North Crow Reservoir, located 24 miles east of Laramie. The event will include using lasers to draw the summer constellations; telescopes for observing; and astro-photography to reveal deep-sky objects. Attendees are asked to bring a flashlight/headlamp with a red light setting, if possible; bug spray; appropriate clothing layers for an evening program; and a camping chair. The event is free, and no reservations are needed.

-- Tuesday, June 9, 1 p.m.: "Great Solar System Adventure," a full-dome movie. During this film, join showman extraordinaire "The Great Schiaparelli" as he takes the audience on a death-defying space-time adventure within his wondrous observatorium. From the sun-scorched surface of Mercury to the icy expanses of Pluto and beyond, the audience will be subjected to the myriad dangers and wonders of our solar system.

-- Thursday, June 11, 1 p.m.: "We Are Stars," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. The film connects life on Earth to the evolution of the universe by following the formation of hydrogen atoms to the synthesis of carbon and the molecules for life. This film is narrated by Andy Serkis.

-- Sunday, June 14, 8-10 p.m.: "Observing Night at Sinks Canyon State Park Visitor Center, Lander, Wyoming." Sinks Canyon State Park is Wyoming's first-ever International Dark Sky Park named by DarkSky International. This designation is a monumental achievement toward helping to protect and preserve the integrity of the dark skies in Sinks Canyon for both humans and wildlife. Sinks Canyon State Park is a 600-acre park located 7.4 miles southwest of Lander and nestled in a deep, glacially made canyon.

-- Tuesday, June 16, 7 p.m.: "Dark Biosphere," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. Deep beneath the Earth's crust, hundreds of meters or kilometers below the surface -- with no light, no air and very little water, in pores and fissures of hard rock -- scientists have found an enormous biodiversity of micro-organisms that thrive in extreme conditions in an area known as the dark biosphere. This film is narrated by actor Viggo Mortensen.

-- Thursday, June 18, 1 p.m.: "From Earth to the Universe," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. This film takes the audience out to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars and still farther out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriad galaxies.

-- Tuesday, June 23, 1 p.m.: "Forward! To the Moon," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. Narrator Kari Byron, from "Crash Test World" and "MythBusters," takes viewers on a journey beyond Earth toward a sustainable future in space. NASA's 21st-century Artemis program is the next step in the mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the moon. This film is produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with Tend Studio.

-- Thursday, June 25, 1 p.m.: "Europe to the Stars," a full-dome movie, and a star talk. The film takes viewers on an epic journey behind the scenes at the most productive ground-based observatory in the world -- the European Southern Observatory -- revealing the science, history, technology and people.

-- Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m.: "One Sky," a full-dome series of short films, and a star talk. Each short film represents the perspective of a different culture or Indigenous society from around the globe. Each film stands alone as a short story, or in combination, as a longer narrative organized around themes of "finding patterns" and "developing tools." Short films are "The Forge of Artemis"; "Thunderbird"; "Jai Singh's Dream"; "Celestial Canoe"; "The Samurai and Stars"; and "Wayfinders."

For more detailed descriptions of all programs, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/physics/planetarium/schedule.html.