Public Program 2012

January

“Astronomy for Everyone” 

Explore the night sky with this basic introduction to the wonders of astronomy.  Learn how to read star charts and use star finders to identify celestial wonders in your backyard sky.  A free star finder will be given to all that attend this informative program.

 February

“The Astronomical Zodiac”

The twelve constellations known as the Zodiac will be our topic.  Are these constellations any different than the other seventy-six star patterns?  Are they really magic?  We will show you all of the Zodiac constellations and demonstrate why some consider these star patterns to be different from all others.  

March

“Cosmic Symphony”

View the wonders of the night sky while listing to stereo music in the planetarium star theater.  Selections of classical and pop music will be played on the planetarium’s powerful sound system while cosmic visuals dance before your eyes.  This program allows your imagination to wander among the stars.  

April

“Journey Through the Universe”

Take an imaginary trip out of our solar system and across the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond.  We will plan a few stops along the way to explore some of the deep space objects that have puzzled astronomers and stargazers.  In order for us to accomplish our journey we will have to travel faster than light speed…. “So fasten your seat belts….!”  

May

“Sky Watchers of Ancient Mexico”

The peoples of Mesoamerica were avid sky watchers. Their knowledge of the night sky was beyond anyone else on earth at this time in history.  Explore the skies of Central America and learn some of the secrets of the sky watchers of Mexico.

 June

“The Mystery of Stonehenge ”

Examine a strange ring of giant rocks built almost 4,000 years ago by a tribe of barbarians.  Some believe it was a Pagan temple and others believe it was built as a Stone Age computer for the prediction of astronomical events.  This program will examine the Stonehenge building site and demonstrate some of the astronomical alignments of these massive stones.

July & August*

“The Summer Stars”

The wonders of the summer sky will be the topic of this program.  We will examine the constellations of summer and some of the mythology associated with these stars.  The program will also examine some of the astronomical objects located in the summer sky and demonstrate methods of locating them with a small telescope or binoculars.  A free star finder will be given to all viewers to help identify the stars in the summer sky.

* The planetarium will be operating on a summer schedule. Call the reservation number for show dates and times.

September

“Aliens in Space”

Our blue planet is unique in the universe as it is the only planet known to have life.  Is this really true or could the universe be teaming with alien life?  Astronomers are discovering thousands of possible planets beyond our solar system.  Many could harbor alien civilizations older than our own.  We will explore the possibility and probability of alien life beyond planet Earth.

 October

“End of the World”

The planet Earth is always in peril as it orbits the Sun.  There is always a chance that something could collide with our planet to change or destroy life.   Others suggest that humankind will bring the planet to destruction.  The end of the world has been predicted many times throughout history.  The Maya predicted the world will end in 2012. We will examine the possibilities for the future of planet Earth.  

 November

“The Winter Sky”

The winter sky offers some of the brightest stars visible from earth.  The constellations of winter are easy to identify and the mythology associated with them offers some of the best star stories found among the stars.  Explore the crisp clear winter night sky this month in the planetarium star theater. 

 December

“The Christmas Star”

During the month of December the Chesapeake Planetarium sky will be set back more than 2,000 years to the date of 8 B.C.  Visitors will view the planets and stars as they were long ago.  We will search the night sky for the story of a star that marked the coming of the Christmas season.  We will also explore some of the astronomical possibilities suggested for the most famous star in history.