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planetarium

public star shows

Planetarium doors close promptly at posted start times. Tickets are available at our Welcome Desk 30 minutes before the program begins on a first-come, first-served basis. All programs highlight the current night sky and space science news.


Sunday Under the Stars
Date: Sundays Time/Duration: 11 a.m.
Noon
1 p.m.
  For All Ages Fee: $2/person
Join us for an out-of-this-world experience the whole family can enjoy in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium! 

We’ll start with a demonstration of how our planetarium really is a “magical” place for our youngest visitors and then talk about a special subject of interest for all ages.  We’ll conclude with a look at what’s going on in the sky tonight. 

Concerned your little ones may be afraid of the dark?  Don’t worry, we’ll give you time to head out before we explore the night sky and we won’t be offended.


Monthly SkyQuest
Date: Saturdays
 Time/Duration: Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.

1st and 3rd Saturday evenings

*Free telescope viewing follows the evening shows, weather permitting
  For adults and children who can sit quietly through a 30-minute program. Recommended for ages 7 and up. Fee: $3/person
What's up tonight? Stay on top of the changing seasonal sky. Catch a new Skyquest topic every month. This is a longer program for those who want to delve a little deeper into the latest astronomy and space topics with our expert planetarium staff. Not for very young children.

Animals in Space
January 21 and 28 at 1:30 p.m.
January 21 at 7 p.m.
Here at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, our visitors get the opportunity for a close encounter of the furry, feathery or scaly kind, thanks to our fascinating live creature collection, rehabilitation efforts and animal outreach. But did you know that the first living things we launched into space were animals? Come join us in the planetarium this month as we talk about Earth’s very first space travelers, look at experiments involving animals in space; and see how we’ve even studied animal migration patterns on Earth from outer space. 

First Americans in Space
February 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 1:30 p.m.
February 4 and 18 at 7 p.m.
50 years ago this month, Ohio’s own John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth. Join us in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium as we look back at the achievements of NASA’s Project Mercury and our first generation of space explorers. The Mercury 7 Astronauts proved they had the "right stuff" when they took the very first steps on an amazing adventure that has taken us to the Moon and continues as we plan for journeys to Mars and beyond.

The Star of Our Show
March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 1:30 p.m.
March 3 and 17 at 7 p.m. 
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is one of 400 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. And our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in our universe with each containing hundreds of billion stars. So this month, as we celebrate the vernal equinox, let’s take a closer look at the Sun. Not directly - that would damage our eyes. Instead we’ll use the safety and comfort of our planetarium. We’ll see what makes our star work and how it compares to other stars. We’ll even learn how to date a star (first get on a bus to Hollywood – sorry, old astronomy joke).

April Showers Bring…Meteors!
April 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 1:30 p.m.
April 7 and 21 at 8 p.m.
Those shooting stars we see at night are not stars at all – they’re meteors! Tiny bits of dust and rock that are burning up as they enter our Earth’s atmosphere. This month we will experience the annual Lyrids Meteor Shower which people have been watching for the last 2,600 years. Come join our discussion about these visitors from outer space and we’ll even let you hold the oldest thing you will ever touch! We’ll also show you where to look in the sky for the Lyrids as well as some other interesting astronomical events going on this month.

Space, Inc.
May 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 1:30 p.m.
May 5 and 19 at 8 p.m.
For more than fifty years, space travel and exploration have been undertaken exclusively by a few nations using very large government organizations. But, today, we are entering a new and growing era of “going where no ‘private’ person has ever gone before.” Join us this month in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium as we review the privatization of space. We’ll look at commercial companies, private organizations and others doing things only governments had attempted previously. Who knows, with new areas such as space tourism being developed, maybe some of us will be taking our vacations on the Moon!

Please note:  Planetarium doors close promptly at posted start times. Tickets are available at the front desk 30 minutes before the program begins on a first-come, first-served basis. All programs highlight the current night sky and cutting edge news from space agencies like NASA.


Stellar Stars
Date: Wednesdays & Saturdays
Time/Duration: Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Saturday at 12 noon
  2 and up Fee: $2/person
Grab your passports and visit one of the billions of tourist attractions in our solar system! Find a different picture in the stars each week, watch lasers moving to music, take home a planet picture to color and add a sticker to your passport. Great for children 2 years and up! 

Upcoming program schedule:

1/11 & 1/14:      Neptune & Gemini
1/18 & 1/21:      Dwarf Planets & Ursa Major
1/25 & 1/28:      Comets & Ursa Minor 
2/1 & 2/4:          Sun & Auriga
2/8 & 2/11:        Mercury & Cassiopeia
2/15 & 2/18:      Venus & Cancer
2/22 & 2/25:      Earth & Lepus
2/29 & 3/3:        Mars & Monoceros
3/7 & 3/10:        Asteroid & Leo
3/14 & 3/17:      Jupiter & Draco
3/21 & 3/24:      Saturn & Bootes
3/28 & 3/31:      Uranus & Canis Minor
4/4 & 4/7:          Neptune & Corvus
4/11 & 4/14:      Dwarf Planets & Hercules
4/18 & 4/21:      Comets & Hydra


Twinkle Tots
Date: Thursdays & Saturdays
 Time/Duration: 11 a.m.
  Newborn and Up Fee: $1/per person (including infants)
This is a program designed to introduce the youngest astronomer in your family to the planetarium. Watch lights dance across the sky, see some magic and learn what’s new in space. Like the nighttime sky, our program changes with the seasons! Children should be able to sit for about 15 minutes.




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