Students and community members took a trip through the universe Saturday during the campus planetarium’s latest show, which was a tour of the night sky, followed by a presentation that focused on the sun; the star that powers Earth’s weather, drives its winds, and gives us all life on the planet.
Two shows were offered on Nov. 8, from 1-2 p.m., or another from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Attendance was smaller than organizers hoped, but the event still drew curious visitors as they came to learn more about the solar system and the science behind it.
Among those who attended, Tyne Ellis, a freshman majoring in social work, said that she had never been to a planetarium show before but was happily surprised by the experience.
“It was really freaking cool,” Ellis said. “It was weird to be able to see the ceiling when it was bright colors projected, though. I just know I got some absolutely heavenly pictures too.”
Ellis explained that the planetarium itself was well maintained, and impressively clean, yet noting that could be because it is rarely used.
“You could definitely tell that it’s rarely ever used,” she said. “The seats are super clean, and so is everything else, but it also just smelled new. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I will be coming back now.”
The show was led by Dr. David Pearson, a professor at Pitt State in the physics department. The event was free to attend, though registration was required.
Pearson said he was pleased with how smoothly the shows ran, as well as how engaged those who attended were throughout the hour. Pearson also explained that November’s event went much more smoothly than the planetarium’s first show in October, which attracted more numbers than planned.
“I think this one went pretty good,” Pearson said. “Our first show was a little chaotic back in October. We only scheduled one showing, and we ended up with about 90 people who arrived. Our seating capacity is 70 to 75, so it was a little more chaotic than the first one. But having the registration helped, and having two showtimes that people can choose from made it easier.”
Pearson said that the goal of the planetarium event is to provide an opportunity for people to learn more about science in an easy, hands-on way. He said that the events can also help spark curiosity and interest in science-type fields, especially with children and their families.
“The goal is to build that kind of general interest in science in the community,” Pearson said. “Providing a place for people to come and learn a little bit. And you know, it’s always a plus if we can get them interested and maybe toward a science future career potentially.”
Pearson emphasized that he hoped to hold more planetarium events more regularly in the future and planned to bring in more help to make it possible.
“I’m hoping that I can finally get them going,” Pearson said. “We’re going to have an external person who will help run some of the shows, so that should help get a few more on the calendar. I’m hoping maybe three or five more shows next semester.”
Pearson said that the next show will be held next month. While he was not sure what the presentation would be like, he said he knew they would still start off by looking into the night sky.
“We have a future planetarium event scheduled for Dec. 6,” Pearson said. “It’s going to have a different featured presentation and video. We will still look at the night sky, but as time goes on, what we’ll see is going to be different.”
Pearson said that he hoped the planetarium would become a regular event on campus for students and the community to attend, offering an educational aspect to the entertainment.
“The goal has always been to build awareness and get people excited about science,” Pearson said. “If we can do that while giving them a cool experience under the stars, that’s a win in my book.”