The Observatory-Planetarium Public Education Nights (OPEN) program begins with a public planetarium show most Fridays at 8:00 pm. The one hour, free public shows are presented at the planetarium located in room 234 of the Health & Natural Sciences Building and are scheduled for the following Fridays:

 

1. Aug 24   2. Aug 31   3. Sept 7   4. Sept 14   5. Sept 21   6. Sept 28   7. Oct 5   8. Oct 12   9. Oct 19 10. Oct 26

11. Nov 2 12. Nov 9 13. Nov 16 No Show - Fall/Thanksgiving Break (Nov 23) 14. Nov 30 15. Dec 7 (Last Fall Semester OPEN Show) ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------ 16. Dec 14 (Star of Bethlehem Shows) 17. Dec 21 (Star of Bethlehem Shows)

The doors are open for seating at 7:30 pm and the show begins promptly at 8:00 pm. No admittance after the show begins. Please turn off pagers and cell phones; also no flash photography during the show. 

Format

All shows are presented live.  (i.e.: We do not currently have the capabilities for completely recorded or automated shows.) Since the shows are live with opportunities for spontaneous interaction from the audience, no two shows are exactly the same.  However, most shows have the following format.  The show (especially school shows) may begin with one or two short themed presentations. The current possible short themes are "The Space Race", "The Rabbit in the Moon", "How To See the Constellations", or "The Colors of Stars".  Then, we present a semi-automated introduction to the star talk featuring music, short videos, lighting transitions, and planetarium projector deployment.  The star talk under the simulated night sky of the planetarium usually features the current evening sky, but often includes information about the morning sky (before sunrise) as well.  The ending star talk sometimes transitions directly to the show's conclusion, but often we present a short video to conclude the show.  (See below.)  The public shows usually feature several short themed presentations that are integrated into an extended star talk.  These short "vignettes" about the night sky feature constellation figures, animations and other information graphically projected directly onto the planetarium star field.  The show typically ends with a musical conclusion featuring lighting transitions as the projector is stowed or a short astronomically or space related music video (especially school shows). The current possible music videos are "The Hubble Space Telescope's 15 Year Anniversary Music Video", "The Mars Exploration Rover Mission Overview", "The Mars Curiosity Rover", or "Back to the Moon Video Trailer".

What's Showing

Our current OPEN show is titled:  2012--The End of Time?.  Have you heard the internet "chatter" about December 21st, 2012?  Is this the coming apocalypse, or just the day after the 20th?  The truth is out there, and you can find it at Coleman Planetarium!  As the semester progresses towards "The End" we'll explore the nature of calendars, the seasonal constellations, planets and astronomical events throughout the year, with an emphasis on the fall semester.  Occasionally, special presentations about current astronomical or space events may replace the current show.  Our school or group shows also feature seasonal constellations and begin with a short presentation entitled "A Trip to the Moon" and a musical introduction called "The Rabbit in the Moon".  Call the planetarium information line at 706-864-1471 for any special updates about the shows.  Please don't leave a message on the Planetarium line as it is intended only for special messages about upcoming shows or cancellations.

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR FALL 2012:

After the fall semester ends, we will present our annual Christmas Show:  Star of Bethlehem on Fridays, Dec 14th & 21th, shows presented at 7 pm & 8 pm each Friday.

Currently no special events are scheduled during the fall semester.  If any new events are scheduled, they will be posted on the NGCSU On-line Events Calendar.

Observatory

Weather permitting, we invite visitors out to the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory (NGAO) for viewing through the 16" Boller & Chiven research grade telescope.  Click here for local maps to the Observatory and Planetarium. Directions will also be provided at the end of the Planetarium show.  Call the observatory information line at 706-864-8642 for daily opening status.  (Message is updated daily about 8 pm EDT.)  Please don't leave a message on the Observatory line as it is intended only for opening status info. 

School and other group shows may be reserved this semester primarily on Thursdays after 12:30 pm.  We now have a flat fee of $85 per 1-hr show for groups.   For more information about payment and reserving planetarium shows for school or other groups, e-mail Dr. Jones at jjones@northgeorgia.edu.