Astronomy Day - April 6th from 11a - 2p
Get ready for the upcoming solar eclipse and enjoy a fun filled day at the planetarium! This event is FREE and fun for all ages.
What to expect:
- Fun STEM activities and demonstrations
- Planetarium shows (schedule below)
- Safe solar observing
- Awesome raffle prizes
Planetarium Show Schedule
Tickets for the FREE planetarium shows can be picked up during the event at the ticket table next to the Planetarium hallway. To begin, we ask that groups select tickets for one show only. This helps to ensure as many people can enjoy the shows as possible. If there are tickets left to other shows later, then groups can pick up tickets to a second show.
- 11:05a - Sunstruck
- 11:35a - Totality
- 12:05p - Minnesota in the Cosmos
- 12:35p - The Sun: Our Living Star
- 1:05p - Totality
- 1:35p - Minnesota in the Cosmos
Show Descriptions
- Sunstruck - Discover the wonders of our Sun. Its incredible energy has supported life on earth for millennia, but is now threatening our technology and way of life. Travel to the distant future to discover our Sun's connection to the Universe's cosmic cycle of life and death.
- Totality - This program is all about eclipses, from lunar to total solar. We cover how they occur and what happens when they do. We look back to the proof of general relativity and look forward to upcoming eclipses and where to witness them. A very special part of the show relates, in a very human way, what happens when you are caught in the shadow of the Moon and the Sun is plunged into a total solar eclipse.
- Minnesota in the Cosmos - In this original Bell Museum production, explore the formation of the universe from a uniquely Minnesota perspective. Investigate the deep cosmic and geological history of the land beneath our feet as seen through the eyes of a boy on a field trip to Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls, Minnesota.
- The Sun: Our Living Star - The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilisations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive fulldome format.
Astronomy Day Prize Drawing
Winners will be drawn at 2p and emailed the same day. Winners do not need to be present at the time of the drawing but they will have 1 week to claim their prize.
Prizes:
- 1st Place: Orion GoScope III 70mm Eclipse Plus Telescope Kit
- 2nd Place: National Geographic Kit: Solar Powered Space Explorers
- 3rd Place: National Geographic Kit: Stained Glass Solar System
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party - April 8th from 12:30p - 3:30p
Enjoy the solar eclipse with experts on hand to answer your questions! Safely observe the eclipse with solar telescopes and eclipse glasses (while supplies last).
If it is cloudy, you can watch a livestream of the eclipse in the planetarium.