Start the New Year at the Univ. of Wyoming Planetarium!

To start the new year, visitors to the University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium will be exposed to new programs that will allow them to take a solar system vacation and discover the star knowledge of Indigenous peoples of the West.

To get tickets or receive more information about programs, email planetarium@uwyo.edu or leave a voicemail and a call-back phone number at (307) 766-6506.

Tickets are $5 for the public and $3 for students, senior citizens, veterans, first responders, and those under 18. Seating is free for children under 5.

A film and a special live talk for audiences will be featured each week, and all programs are approximately an hour in length.

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The January schedule is as follows:

• “Solar System Vacation,” Friday, January 7, 7 pm. This program will provide a tour of the most exciting and relaxing locations around the solar system.
• “From Earth to the Universe,” Saturday, January 8, 2 pm. This full-dome movie will look at the night sky throughout history, from ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes.
• “Wyoming Skies,” Tuesday, January 11, 7 pm. The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers, and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.
• “Indigenous Astronomies of the American West,” Friday, January 14, 7 pm. Visitors can discover the star knowledge of the West from ancient medicine wheels, petroglyphs, and oral stories from elders.
• “Mexican Archaeoastronomy: Between Space and Time,” Saturday, January 15, 2 pm. This full-dome program illustrates the important role played by astronomical observation for the evolution of pre-Hispanic cultures in central Mexico.
• “Parker Solar Probe Update,” Friday, January 21, 7 pm. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 10th close approach to the sun on November 21, coming within 5.3 million miles of the solar surface. The spacecraft will transmit science data from the encounter from December 23-January 9.

• “The Sun: Our Living Star,” Saturday, January 22, 2 pm. This full-dome movie will help viewers discover the secrets of the sun and experience never-before-seen images of its violent surface in immersive full-dome format.
• “Wyoming Skies,” Tuesday, January 25, 7 pm. The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers, and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.
• “Apollo to Artemis: Humans to the Moon,” Friday, Jan. 28, 7 p.m. Visitors can see the history of lunar exploration and learn about the newest efforts to get humanity back to the moon. Artemis I is preparing for a launch date in the spring. The Orion spacecraft, without a crew, will embark on a 25-day journey to the moon and back.
• “Dawn of the Space Age,” Saturday, January 29, 2 pm. This full-dome movie will immerse viewers with this accurate historic reconstruction of man’s first steps into space.