The planetarium will host several shows the weekend of Nov. 22.
By Landon Penn
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The newly remodeled Scobee Education Center will offer planetarium shows for the public Nov. 21.
The first show will be the “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 6 p.m. This show takes the audience on a tour through the solar system in a cardboard spaceship as they visit each planet in the solar system. Children must be at least 4 years old to attend.
“The Sky Tonight” is a live lecture that points out several stars and constellations visible in the night sky. This lecture, led by Planetarium Coordinator Bob Kelley, also explores the moon and evening and morning planets. It begins at 7:30 p.m. and is available to children ages 6 and up.
Kelley said the final and arguably the most popular show is “Black Holes.”
He said the audience will witness one of the most mysterious and fascinating phenomena in our galaxy.
“This show is one of my personal favorites,” Kelley said.
The show will explore the origins of black holes, how we find them and if Earth will one day contact one. The show will begin at 9 p.m. and is available to children ages 6 and up.
Admission for each show is $2 with a valid Alamo Colleges ID, $4 for seniors and children ages 4-17 and $5 for adults 18 and older.
Ticket sales begin 30 minutes before show time, and the ticket office accepts cash or checks only. Each show has 100 seats available and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
On Nov. 22 the Scobee Education Center will open its doors to visitors from the Southwest Research Institute.
“It’s our way of thanking the Southwest Research Institute for donating artifacts and displays in our gallery,” Kelley said.
The institute donated five screens, parts of the Space Shuttle Columbia, an interstellar boundary explorer (IBEX), space experiments with particle accelerators (SEPAC) and instrument and space electronics engineering units.
Rick Varner, director of the center, will give guided tours of the mission control and the space station Saturday.
The planetarium will show the “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 2:30, “Secret Lives of Stars” at 3:30 and “The Little Star That Could” at 4:30 Nov. 22. Kelley also will lecture about the IBEX program at 5:30 p.m.
For more information, call 210-486-0100.