Planetarium to hold annual holiday show

Justin Armburger

A hunter, his dog and seven sisters all in the same room.

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but in a week they will all be here at Kent State.

The annual winter planetarium show, titled The Skies of Winter: Holidays in the Planetarium, will be held at 8 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 15 in the Kent State Planetarium.

The event, which is popular during the holiday season, will take viewers through an hour-long journey of the winter sky.

Brett Ellman, an associate professor in the physics department, said this might be the most popular show of the year.

“The Planetarium is about 40 years old, and this is a classic show,” Ellman said.

The show takes on somewhat of a holiday theme but still displays all the constellations and stars that can be seen.

Some recognizable constellations, which can be seen in the winter skies, are Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull and Pleiades (the Seven Sisters).

During the show, the heavens’ role with different religions is discussed, along with the Star of Bethlehem.

“This is really a multi-cultural event,” Ellman said.

People are encouraged to come before the show and stay a little while afterward.

“There are a lot of fun demos to play with before and after the shows for both kids and adults,” Ellman said.

People should reserve seats as soon as possible, as there are only 130 seats available in the Planetarium in Smith Hall.

To reserve seats for either of the shows, call (330) 672-2246.

Contact science reporter at [email protected].