Staerkel Planetarium

We should have clear skies for the lunar eclipse tomorrow! Totality is from 4:16 to 5:41 am. We missed May's eclipse due to clouds, so consider setting an alarm and look in the west! The next lunar eclipse will be in March 2025! Image: astronomy.com and Fred Espenak

Feeling festive. Join us for Solar System Safari and Expedition Reef this evening!

We are premiering a new show this weekend! Expedition Reef takes us on a journey through oceanic ecosystems. See it on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm throughout this month! The show was funded thanks to the support of the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium.

Here is our press release for this Friday's edition of the James B. Kaler Science Lecture Series! parkland.edu/Main/About-Par… Join us at 7 pm on Friday. Tickets are $2. facebook.com/events/8647791…

Dave Leake discusses finding Jupiter and the @CU_Astronomy Family Skywatch in his Prairie Skies column in the @news_gazette. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…

Dave Leake discusses the autumnal equinox in his Prairie Skies column in the @news_gazette. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…

Dave Leake discusses the Moon's phases and finding Neptune in his Prairie Skies column in the @news_gazette. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…

Waylena is hosting our shows this weekend. She is a fan of the #NASAWebb image of the Phantom Galaxy, M74. The MIRI image highlights the gas and dust as a skeletal structure in the spiral arms. @esa credit: esawebb.org/images/potm220…

On the 2nd Thu. of the month, we host public meetings of @CU_Astronomy at 7 pm. They discuss business, including upcoming observing events. Siegfried Eggl from @AEatIllinois will speak about the DART mission! Join us in person or go to meet.cuas.org for the Zoom link.

Dave Leake discusses Venus, Mars, and the Harvest Moon in his Prairie Skies column in the @news_gazette. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…

Here is our press release for tomorrow's Kaler Science Lecture. Join us for Einstein's Gravity Playlist and a Q&A with @PhysicsIllinois, @AstroIllinois, and @IllinoisCASU professor Nico Yunes! parkland.edu/Main/About-Par… After the Q&A, we will have Dark Side of the Moon @ 9pm.

The #Artemis I has a new scheduled launch window on Saturday beginning at 1:17 pm CDT. Thanks to @experiencecosm, you can watch a fulldome livestream of it in our dome. All are welcome to this free event!

We are starting the James B. Kaler Science Lecture Series in September this year! Our first speaker is Nico Yunes of @PhysicsIllinois, @AstroIllinois, and @IllinoisCASU. Read more about it in our @news_gazette column with @ChampCoMuseums. news-gazette.com/news/local/par…

Dave Leake tracks Mars and previews a @CU_Astronomy open house in his Prairie Skies column in the @news_gazette. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…

Erik is hosting Summer Prairie Skies on Friday at 7 pm. His favorite summer constellation is Delphinus because dolphins are so cool. You can find the tiny constellation next to the Summer Triangle and the Milky Way in the southeast at about 10 pm. Screencap from Stellarium

We partnered with @experiencecosm to present a fulldome livestream of the launch of the #Artemis I! This uncrewed mission will orbit around the Moon. The launch window begins at 7:33 am CDT on Monday morning All are welcome to attend this free watch party!

This is the last weekend to watch Europe to the Stars. See why Chile is the home of the European Southern Observatory, and what technology is used to build huge telescopes and produce amazing images of the universe. Join us at 8 pm on Friday or Saturday! facebook.com/events/1722780…

What an amazing image from the Webb telescope! Judy Schmidt and Ricardo Hueso processed images from three filters on the NIRCam to show off Jupiter, its ring system, its aurorae, and its nearest moons! go.nasa.gov/3K9zMqC

Dave Leake offers hints about finding Venus, Mercury, and the brightest asteroid, Vesta, in his Prairie Skies column in the @news_gazette. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…

We have sensory-friendly shows tomorrow afternoon! Both programs will be shown with "lights up, sound down" settings. Be sure to check our website for social stories and to learn what sensory supports we have available. parkland.edu/Audience/Commu…