The Bushman Planetarium at Missouri Western State University will hold public showings at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, Thursday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Nov. 21. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall.
The schedule of shows follows:
Oct. 17: “Forces of Nature.” Come close to nature’s most powerful and extreme forces. Cameras capture large-scale volcanoes, earthquakes and storms as a team of scientists travel the world in an attempt to figure out what causes these dangerous, yet undeniably thrilling natural occurrences.
Oct. 19: “Nanocam.” Explore life forms that are invisible to the human eye and better understand the world we live in. This show explores the kingdom of bacteria, protists and their stunning mechanisms of mobility, the amazing structure of fungi, the specializations of plants and incredible complexity of the animal kingdom, seen through an electron microscope.
Nov. 21: “Wonders of the Universe.” Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. Witness the formation of galaxies, explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered, fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system.
The Bushman Planetarium features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. A 17-channel stereo sound system enhances the viewing experience.
Planetarium tickets must be purchased in advance, either online at missouriwestern.edu/planetarium or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours (8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday). Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children, students, seniors and military.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.