Upcoming events at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Oct 5 – 5:30 p.m.
International Observe the Moon Night
International Observe the Moon Night will be held Saturday, Oct. 5, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the U.S. Space & Rocket Davidson Center for Space Exploration. This event is free and open to the public, and guests should enter through the north doors of the Davidson Center beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Hands-on activities
Lots of Telescopes
Astronomy Van
Janet Ivey from “Janet’s Planet” on PBS
Science Magic Show
Dr. Bond & the Science Guys- Live Science Show
LED Robots (from NYC) 2 shows and a dance party
https://www.rocketcenter.com/calendar/2019-10-05/international-observe-moon-night
Oct 18 – 7 p.m.
Astronomy for All
What is a Planet?
In a world where the public still mourns the reclassification of Pluto and where kids still send letters of protest to the scientists responsible, we are compelled to take another look at the definition of a planet, a source of great debate among scientists even today. If the attributes of a “planet” cannot be unanimously agreed upon, then how can we use the word so casually here in the planetarium every day? Why is it so important to define the word “planet,” and what meaning does the word still carry, if any?
Rocketcenter.com/intuitiveplanetarium
Oct 25
Monster Trivia
In celebration of the Halloween season, the INTUITIVE® Planetarium will take on trivia night! Questions will be themed after the long-lasting romance between science and the supernatural—werewolves, trolls and vampires are fair game. Bring your most specter-savvy friends and wear group costumes for a chance to win our costume contest for a prize!
Nov 1 – 7 p.m.
Alabama Autumn Skies
Learn about the autumn night sky and the various objects that are visible at this time of year in this live and interactive presentation. Your personal tour guide to the cosmos will teach you to navigate through the sky and highlight constellations, planets and even some deep sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae. This presentation is great for all ages and is a traditional planetarium experience with a modern kick.
Rocketcenter.com/intuitiveplanetarium
Nov 8 – 7 p.m.
Cocktails & Cosmos
How (Not) to Crash into a Planet
We watch the launches on live television and we see the images sent back from space probes and rovers, but we don’t often consider the complicated engineering it took to get them there without crashing into or missing the destination entirely. Can a spacecraft simply make a beeline for another world? What is the difference in trying to land a robot versus a human on Mars? In this show, we’ll delve into launches, the seven-minute terror of landing on Mars, and a crash course in orbital mechanics (which we promise to keep short and sweet). Come learn how to get from A to B in outer space.
Rocketcenter.com/intuitiveplanetarium
Nov 15 – 7 p.m.
Astronomy for All
Nebulae
Most of us are familiar with a particular nebula or two because of their surreal shapes and striking colors. But what those celestial Hubble images don’t show is where nebulae come from and what’s going on inside the dense gas and dust. After forming in the wake of stellar demise, nebulae eventually become places where new stars are born and develop from the remnants of these past stars. The beginning and end of the stellar life cycle – how do these processes occur? What do the different colors indicate about the activity in a nebula? Explore the stellar birth (and death) place with us, and come prepared to be stunned speechless by these ethereal visuals.
Rocketcenter.com/intuitiveplanetarium
Nov 22 – 7 p.m.
Ask Albert
Cosmic Scales
How big is the largest black hole? While we’re at it, how small is the smallest black hole? Is Mars bigger than Earth? Is Pluto smaller than the moon? How far is the nearest star? Explore size, mass, distance and more in this question-driven presentation. Ask your questions about scale in advance or during the experience.
Rocketcenter.com/intuitiveplanetarium
