(Courtesy UWSP)

UW-Stevens Point offers October planetarium, stargazing programs

Metro Wire Staff

STEVENS POINT — The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will offer a full slate of planetarium shows and stargazing opportunities throughout October, including special programming for Homecoming and Family Day.

The Allen F. Blocher Planetarium will host six shows Saturday, Oct. 10, followed by an evening stargazing session at the Sundial.

The Oct. 10 schedule includes:

  • 10 a.m. — “From Earth to the Universe”
  • 11 a.m. — “Supermassive Black Holes”
  • 1 p.m. — “Two Small Pieces of Glass — The Amazing Telescope”
  • 2 p.m. — “Phantom of the Universe — The Hunt for Dark Matter”
  • 3 p.m. — “Mars, The Ultimate Voyage”
  • 4 p.m. — “Sunstruck”
  • 7:30-10 p.m. — Stargazing at the Sundial, 1800 Portage St., weather permitting

Regular public planetarium shows will also be offered at 2 p.m. Sundays throughout October. The approximately hourlong programs include a 25-minute presentation on the current night sky over central Wisconsin, including bright stars, constellations and planets.

The Sunday schedule includes:

  • Oct. 4 — “Cosmic Origins Spectrograph,” exploring spectroscopy and how the Hubble Space Telescope’s COS instrument analyzes light to study the evolution, composition and large-scale structures of the universe.
  • Oct. 11 — “Two Small Pieces of Glass — The Amazing Telescope,” covering the history of the telescope, from Galileo’s modifications of a child’s spyglass to modern astronomy.
  • Oct. 18 — “Mysteries of Your Brain,” exploring the science behind how the brain perceives the world.
  • Oct. 25 — “Spark: The Universe in Us,” examining how celestial events forged the elements that make up the solar system, Earth and humans.

A Junior Scientist program, “The Solar System,” will be offered from 3:30-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, with a book reading beginning at 3 p.m. The program is offered in collaboration with the UW-Stevens Point Museum of Natural History.

UWSP will also bring portable telescopes to Boston School Forest, 5084 Lincoln Ave., Plover, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, as part of a family-friendly Pumpkin Glow Walk.

Planetarium programs are free and open to the public, although donations are appreciated. Seating is first come, first served, with a capacity of 55 people.

Groups of eight or more may schedule a special showing of a planetarium program by calling 715-346-2208 or completing an online request form. Fees apply to special group showings.

The Blocher Planetarium is located on the second floor of the UW-Stevens Point Science Building, 2001 Fourth Ave. Parking is available in Lot D behind the building and is free in university lots after 7 p.m. and on weekends.

Weather-dependent stargazing sessions are also offered from 8:30-10 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Sundial, located between the new Kirby Library and Resource Center, Trainer Natural Resources Building and Noel Fine Arts Center.

Stargazing sessions are held only when skies are clear and temperatures are above 15 degrees. Visitors can check the Blocher Planetarium website for weather status updates. Free parking is available across the street from the Sundial in Lot R.