Astronomy for Adults
*The event has already taken place on this date: Wed, 11/18/2015
Please help us keep this calendar up to date! If this activity is sold out, canceled, or otherwise needs alteration, email mindy@kidsoutandabout.com so we can update it immediately. If you have a question about the activity itself, please contact the organization administrator listed below.
Astronomy for Adults
Lifelong Learning Courses at the Strasenburgh Planetarium
Adult lifelong learners seeking an intellectually stimulating and provocative program blending science, the arts and history are invited to this new series of weekday afternoon programs at the RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium. Not geared for children, each session lasts about an hour, divided between a rich audio-visual presentation and a tour of current stars, planets and constellations using the Planetarium’s giant star projector. Attend several sessions and you’ll be on your way to becoming an expert on the fall sky!
Your regular presenters are Steve Fentress, Director of the RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, and Paul Krupinski, Planetarium show presenter and proprietor of the Buffalo-based Mobile Dome Planetarium.
Dates: Wednesdays at 2pm, except Thursday Nov. 12 (Wed. Nov. 11 is Veterans Day)
Prices: Adults $7; Seniors 62+ or group members $6; RMSC members free
Groups of 10 or more can speed up check-in by making a group reservation and having one person pay at the box office. Just call the RMSC group scheduling experts at 585-697-1942 with the name of your group leader and the number of people in the group. If multiple members of your group will be using wheelchairs please let our group schedulers know so we can arrange space for a good view.
Mario’s Café, on the lower level of the RMSC Museum building, is open from 11am to 2pm. Consider having lunch at RMSC before coming to the Planetarium program! Plan to depart Mario’s Café at 1:30 to arrive at the Planetarium in time to get a comfortable seat before the program begins.
Fall 2015 Course Offerings
Sept. 16 - Eclipses and How to Predict Them
A total eclipse of the moon occurs at the end of this month. It will be easily visible from Rochester, weather permitting. Thanks to the magnificent clockwork of the Planetarium star projector, follow the cycles of the moon’s motion and how they lead to eclipses. Get tips on what to watch for. Finally, take home information about solar eclipses coming to the U.S. in 2017 and 2024.
Sept. 30 - Connections: Art, Music, Astronomy
See how top-level artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Ansel Adams were meticulous observers of the astronomical phenomena they depicted, and how modern astronomers have reconstructed the celestial configurations we see in their works. Hear and understand specific musical elements that give an otherworldly sound to works such as Ligeti’s “Lux Aeterna” (known from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey).
Oct. 7 - Pluto and Other Small Objects in our Solar System
After an 85-year-wait, we are finding out what Pluto and its moons are really like – and it’s been a surprise. Pluto and Charon are unlike any other worlds in our solar system, and more complex and interesting than we expected. View a special performance of our show “Pluto at Last!” updated with the latest imagery from the New Horizons space probe.
Oct. 14 - A History of Planetariums, Part 1: From the German Invention to the End of World War II
The first planetarium projector was invented in 1923 as an exhibit for the opening of the Deutsches Museum in Munich. It emerged from an environment of technical skill, educational attainment and creativity that may remind you of Rochester today. Explore how this experimental optical device became the heart of a new kind of theater.
Oct. 21 - A History of Planetariums, Part 2: Japan, America and the Postwar Era
World War II and the subsequent division of Germany led to strife and complication in the Zeiss company’s planetarium divisions. Can-do innovators in both Japan and America, looking for alternatives to the darkly dominant German machines, put grit and creativity into new kinds of planetarium technologies, leading to today’s vibrant international competition among planetarium makers.
Oct. 28 - Observatories of Chile with RIT Astrophysicist Brian Koberlein, Guest Lecturer
Dr. Koberlein recently returned from Chile as part of the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador Program (ACEAP). By 2020, 70% of all astronomical infrastructure will be located in Chile. We'll look at what makes Chile so well suited for modern astronomy, and give a first-hand account of some of the observatories currently active in Chile. These will include the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR), Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (CTIO), Gemini South and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). We'll also look at the southern sky with the Planetarium star projector.
Nov. 4 - Mysteries of History: Where Did We Get Our Constellations?
Modern star maps have constellation names mostly in Latin and individual star names mostly in garbled Arabic or Greek. A few of today’s constellations are probably among the oldest of all surviving human creations. How did this happen? Dive into the complex and multicultural history of the names we use to find our way around the sky today.
Nov. 12 - Digital Astronomy: Websites and Apps
Note change of day this week only: Thursday, not Wednesday.
Astronomy has always been one of the most satisfying things to do with personal computing devices. In this program, take a tour of some of the best websites and free or cheap software for desktop computers, tablets, and phones. Find out how you can participate in crowdsourced research projects from your personal computer.
Nov. 18 - The Earliest Light and the Big Bang
It has been fifty years since the discovery of the earliest light we can possibly receive: a soft glow of microwave energy filling the sky in all directions. This is what physicists predicted we should find if there was a Big Bang, a time long ago when our universe began to expand from a hot, compressed, mixed-up early state. Review the evidence for these shocking ideas and understand why the “cosmic microwave background” has become a prime target for today’s researchers. Part of RMSC’s participation in the International Year of Light.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.