UW Planetarium Opens New Year With Familiar Programming

Published January 08, 2025

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moon showing and reflecting through clouds of ice crystals
A bright moon rises through ice fog-filled air in the Ore Mountains of the Czech Republic, creating the illusion of a giant eye. This illusion is caused by diamond dust, which are low-level clouds that exist in the form of tiny crystals. The program “Frozen Worlds” will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, in the University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium. (Jaroslav Fous Photo)

Familiar programming will ring in the New Year at ĂÛŃżTV Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium during January.

“Each month, we usually have Wyoming Skies constellation talks on even-numbered Tuesdays; live science talks on Fridays; educational films on Saturday afternoons; and music shows on Saturday evenings,” says Max Gilbraith, the planetarium’s coordinator.

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 or online tickets, and $3 for students, senior citizens, veterans, first responders and those under 18. Seating is free for children under 5. Bulk tickets/gift cards are available at $2 each when 10 or more tickets are purchased.

Reservations or pre-purchase is not required, and walk-ins are welcome. Tickets can be purchased online with a credit card, reserved by email or voicemail, or purchased at the start of the show. Cash or check is accepted at the door. The planetarium, which seats 64, is in the basement of the Physical Sciences Building. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis outside of designated ADA/wheelchair seating.

To pay for tickets with a credit card, go to /uwplanetarium/ticket.aspx. For a group larger than six, email the planetarium for a private show at . Tickets for private shows are the same as the public programs.

A film and special live talk for audiences will be featured each week. All programs are approximately an hour in length. As time allows, a portion of the show also may focus on a live sky tour or supporting information related to the film’s topic.

The January schedule is:

-- Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m.: “Wyoming Skies.” The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.

-- Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m.: “Frozen Worlds.” The poles of Earth may contain frozen water, but they are hardly the only place. Farther from the sun, it gets chillier still with carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen and nitrogen freezing as we get to Mars; the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune; and the minor planet Pluto.

-- Saturday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m.: “Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries,” a full-dome movie. The film takes a journey to three world-class observatories in Chile’s rugged Andes Mountains and arid Atacama Desert -- remote, extreme regions that have the perfect conditions for astronomical research. Featured is an inspiring cast of astronomers, engineers, technicians and support staff who keep the megamachines running.

-- Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: Retro Rock,” a music-based light show. Enjoy a custom playlist of “out-of-this-world” music from top artists in 5.1 surround sound. 4K resolution planetarium sky melts and becomes a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent.

-- Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m.: “Mars.” The Red Planet is host to many questions: Did it used to be like Earth? Did it once harbor life? Could it still support life today? And, is it a future home for humans? Landers, rovers, probes and satellites have returned data for decades, and they provide more clues every day.

-- Saturday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m.: “One Sky,” a full-dome series of short films. Each short film represents the perspective of a different culture or Indigenous society from around the globe. Each film stands alone as a short story, or in combination, as a longer narrative organized around themes of “finding patterns” and developing tools. Short films are “The Forge of Artemis,” “Thunderbird,” “Jai Singh’s Dream,” “Celestial Canoe,” “The Samurai and Stars” and “Wayfinders.”

-- Saturday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon,’” a music-based light show. Enjoy the classic album in 5.1 surround sound. The 4K resolution planetarium sky melts and becomes a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent.

-- Tuesday, Jan. 28, 7 p.m.: “Wyoming Skies.” The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.

-- Friday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m.: “Yellowstone to Enceladus.” This program explores and compares the volcanic power of the geysers under Yellowstone National Park to ice plumes beneath the surface of a moon of Saturn.

For more detailed descriptions of all programs, go to www.uwyo.edu/physics/planetarium/schedule.html.